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

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

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

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

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. “