All Chapters of The Day I Stopped Being Mr Nice Guy: Chapter 121
- Chapter 130
164 chapters
CHAPTER 121
The living room of Dante’a mansion was quiet and elegantly decorated. Eleanor Carlisle sat in her favorite armchair by the fireplace. Dante and Caleb sat in the sofa opposite her and the air was thick with anticipation.There was a soft chime from the front door, as Elena, the housekeeper appeared in the doorway.“Mrs Carlisle, your guest have arrived,” she said softly.“Show them in, Elena,” Eleanor said as she straightened her posture.A moment later, Robert, Harry and Leo entered the room and nodded respectfully at Elaeanor.“Robert,” Eleanor said without rising, but she extended her hand. “Thank you for coming.”“Eleanor,” Robert said gently and took her hand briefly. “Always a pleasure.” He nodded to Dante and Caleb.“Mr Vance, Mr. Walker.” He nodded.“Please sit,” Dante said and gestured to the chairs arranged around the fireplace.Once they were all seated, Eleanor spoke first. “How did the board meeting go?”Robert allowed himself to smile in a satisfied way and said with prid
CHAPTER 122
Dante stood at the front of Vertex’s small, comfortable conference room. Five people sat before him, who were the first volunteers that were chosen for the VX-9 human trials. Their faces were a mixture of hope and nervousness.“Thank you all for being here,” Dante began in a warm but professional manner. “I want to start by saying how much we appreciate your courage. What you are doing is not just helping us—it could help thousands of people in the future.”A woman in her forties, whose name is Sarah, spoke first. “Dr. Vance, my mother died from the condition your are targeting. If I can help other families from going through what we did….I want to help.”A man named James, who is older with kind eyes, nodded in agreement. “My brother is in the late stages and the doctors said that there is nothing more that they can do. If this works….even if it is too late for him, maybe it helps someone else.”Dante felt the heavy weight of their trust and replied with respect, “we have done everyt
CHAPTER 123
“Look, Daddy! They have sparkly shoes!”Daisy tugged on Dante’a hand as she pointed at a store window. The mall was busy with Sunday shoppers Dante smiled down at his five year old daughter and said lovingly, “those are very sparkly. Maybe for your birthday?”Amy, Daisy’s nurse, walked beside them with a gentle smile on her face. “She has been talking about those shoes all week Dr. Vance.”Dante squeezed Daisy’s hand and said happily. “you know sweetie, I saw someone you might remember this week.”“Who?” Daisy looked up curiously.“That beautiful lady we met at the mall. The chocolate colored one.”Daisy’s face brightened instantly as she asked happily, “ The princess lady? With the pretty dress?”“That is right,” Dante said. “Her name is Amara. She asked about you. She wants to take you out for lunch sometime.”“Really?” Daisy skipped excitedly. “When? Can we go tomorrow? Can I wear my yellow dress? The one with the flowers?”Dante laughed. “Not tomorrow. But soon. We will set a date
CHAPTER 124
Clara stood frozen in the mall corridor, with shopping bags dangling from her trembling hands. Strangers stared openly at her and whispered behind their hands as they looked at her with intense judgement in their eyes.She turned sharply and marched towards the exit with her heels clicking angrily on the polished floor.Once she had gotten into her car, she slammed the door shut. Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone. She started to call Mason, as her thumb hovered over his name. But she stopped.Mason had been different lately. Distant. Preoccupied. Always talking about his buisness and having important stuff to do. When she had brought up the custody battle last week, he had caved it off.”“Let the Lawyers handle it, Clara. I have real Buisness to deal with.”“Fine,” she whispered angrily to the empty car. “I will handle it myself.”She scrolled through her contacts and stopped at a number she knew so well. Davis investigations. She had used them before—to dig up dirt on a Bui
CHAPTER 125
Dante stood outside the boardroom, and inhaled deeply. Liam stood beside him with a folder in his hands. “Are you ready?” Liam said quietly. Dante nodded and asked, “Is she in there now?” “Anya is already inside. She gave the signal—scratched her ear when I walked by. The wire is active.” Liam replied solemnly. “Good.” Dante said and straightened his suit jacket. “Remember, everyone—stick to the script, but make it sound natural.” Then he pushed open the door. It was only his inner circle that was in the boardroom today—Anya, Liam, Matthew and Dr. Chen’s assistant, Mark. Anya sat at the far end of the table with her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She met Dante’s eyes briefly and then looked down. “Everyone, thank you for coming,” Dante said, as he took his seat at the head of the table. “We have serious matters to discuss.” Then he opened the folder Liam handed him. “The human trials starts Monday. But we have problems.” Matthew leaned forward, and he
CHAPTER 126
Mason sat in his private office, with headphones over his ears. Peter sat across from him, and watched his face. The recording was crystal clear. Dante’s voice came through first…”Everyone, thank you for coming. We have serious matters to discuss.” Mason leaned forward, with a slow smile spreading across his face. “The human trials start Monday. But we have problems.” Peter raised an eyebrow. Mason held up a finger—wait. They listened as Dante detailed the stability issues, the two week delay, the funding concerns. Mason’s smile grew wider with each revelation. “…..half the planned dosage….seventy two hours instead of forty eight….” Peter finally spoke when the recording paused. “They are in trouble.” “More than teouble,” Mason said as he removed the headphones. “They are desperate. Delaying the trail? Halving the dosage? That is not caution. That is panic.” He played another section. Anya’s voice now: “what about the first volunteer? The one with the elevated liv
CHAPTER 127
Dante sat at Alice’s office and watched her quietly as she sort through patients files. “So Clara made a scene at the mall?” Alice asked without looking up.“Yes. She accused me of having an affair with Nurse Amy,” Dante said in a tired voice. “Said she would expose me.”Alice finally looked up and snorted loudly, “The woman who left you for Mason is angry you might be moving on?”“That is about right,” Dante said.“She is unbelievable.” Alice shook her head and said bitterly, “She does not want you, but she does not want anyone to have you either.”Dante’s phone buzzed with a notification and he glanced at it. It was a text from an unknown number.Unknown: Hello Mr. Vance, this is Amara Williams. We met at the department store. I was hoping to take Daisy to lunch today if that is alright.”He typed back: Hello Amara. Daisy would like that. What time and where?Amara: Does 1pm work? There is a chill friendly place called Sunny Gardens.Dante: We will be there.Alice watched him close
CHAPTER 128
Dante was reviewing lab reports when Liam knocked sharply and entered without waiting for a response.“The Exulum investors are here,” Liam said with a tense expression on his face. “They are waiting in the boardroom. “They are asking to see you immediately.”Dante looked up, with a surprised lokk on his face. “What? Why? We have a meeting scheduled for next week.”“They said it cannnot wait. They have….concerns.”For a moment, Dante just stared. Then he remembered. The wire. The false information. The performance they had put on.Then he leaned back in his chair and laughed softly. “Oh Mason is moving faster than I expected.”Liam tense expression relaxed as he smiled widely and said happily, “he took the bai. Hook, line and sinker.”“Let us not keep our guest waiting then,” Dante said as he stood up and straightened his suit jacket.The walk to the boardroom felt different today. Purposeful and Dante could feel the tension radiating from behind the closed doors.Then he pushed it op
CHAPTER 129
The head office was quiet. Mason was looking at a contract on his computer, while Peter was reading a report. The door opened and Miller walked in with an excited expression on his face.“Sir,” Miller said with a huge smile on his face.Mason looked up and asked wearily, “Miller. You have news?”“I do. Very good news.” “Then sit,” Mason said. “Tell me.” Miller sat and began excitedly, “My two men. The ones watching the Vertex entrance. They called me.”“And?” Peter asked impatiently.“They saw the investors. The whole group. They left the hospital an hour ago.”“How did they look?” Mason asked.“Angry,” Miller said. “Very angry. They were walking fast. Not talking to each other much. But my guy got close. He heard them murmuring.”“What did they say?” Mason leaned forward eagerly. “One said ‘unacceptable.’ Another said ‘ amateur hour.’ Then, just as one got in his car, he said it clear.”“Said what?” Peter asked againMiller looked at them both and smiled, “he said…..’have to remo
CHAPTER 130
The Vertex lab buzzed with the final preparations and the four trial patients were settled with monitors beeping softly and nurses moved quietly with purpose.Dante stood at the observation window, watching it all intently. Then his gaze drifted to the hallway and saw Lewis out there, pretending to check a clipboard. He looked guilty and lost.Liam stepped beside him and asked, “he has been a ghost all morning. Do you want me to send him to the supply depot? Get him out of the building?”“No,” Dante said flatly. “It is time. I am tired of having a known spy in my lab and pretending I do not see him. Call the team to my office, now.”Liam did not ask questions. He just nodded and walked off.Five minutes later, Dante’a inner circle was assembled, “Anya Chen, Liam, Matthew and Raj. The mood in the room was serious, but none of them looked surprised.“We all know why we are here,” Dante began without bothering to sit down. “It is about Lewis.”“Finally,” Raj said, and crossed his arms. “