A persistent, buzzing vibration against the wooden chair finally got through Dante’s intense exhaustion. He had slumped in the chair beside Daisy’s medical pod, and rested his head on the cool surface with the intention of closing his eyes for an hour or two, but during the few precious hours, the world had disappeared, and the buzzing was an unwelcome string, dragging him back to a reality he wished he could escape.He groaned in exhaustion and his body protested as he stretched. With a heavy hand, he reached out for his phone, with his vision still blurry with sleep. The screen flashed brightly with notifications, all from one person…Clara.He wiped off the exhaustion from his eyes roughly that they stung, and tapped the screen with his heart heavy on his chest.Clara. ‘Your things are at the hospital entrance. Come and get them before I call the authorities for illegal dumping.’Dante stared at the screen in shock as his mind struggled to process the words. His things? What was he

A very shallow sleep had finally claimed Dante, with his head resting on his arms beside Daisy’s pod. The silence was a gift and it was been interrupted by raised voices in the hallway….a man’s arrogant deep voice and a woman’s shrill high pitch.He snapped his eyes open and instinctively checked on Daisy, who was still very much asleep with a peaceful look on her face. He was instantly filled with relief, which was replaced by a cold dread as he recognized the voices. Clara. Mason. Here. Now.He moved quietly, like a ghost to the door and opened it gently to see the scene unfolding directly outside Dr. Alice’s office.“This is highly irregular and medically irresponsible!” Dr. Alice was saying, with her arms crossed defiantly over her chest as she used her body as a barrier to block her office door.“I am her mother!” Clara shot back angrily as her voice echoed in the sterile, antiseptic hall. “I have every right to decide what is best for my child!”“And what is best is to move a cr

Dante stood in the silent ward, in the crisp, unfamiliar fabric of his suit a clear contrast to the soft, clean environment. He had dropped his unusual casual wear for a tailored dark grey suit, which was a uniform for the war he was about to re-enter. He watched Daisy’s chest rise and fall within the pod, sleeping so fragile in the peace he hates to disturb.A soft knock sounded at the door and Nurse Eva peeked in. “Mr. Vance? There is a gentleman in the lobby asking for you. He says he is from your work.”Dante did not turn, with his gaze still fixed on his daughter, he said quietly, “Send him up, please, Eva.”A few minutes later, another knock, firmer this time. A young man with an eager, intelligent face entered, he widened his eyes slightly at the sight of the medical pod before turning to look at Dante with a profound respect.“Dr. Vance? I am Liam, from the R &D division. Sir, the company car is waiting downstairs whenever you are ready.”Dante finally turned his head with a b

The boardroom of Vertex Pharmaceuticals was a sanctuary of power and polished mahogany table and floors. A huge wall of glass offered a magnificent view of the city, but the twelve men and women seated around the table held all the gravity in the room. Dante sat at the end of the table in the midsts of expensive tailored suits and calculating eyes. “The proposal is straightforward, Dr. Vance,” said a silver haired woman, Ms. Croft, the Chairperson. “The ‘Ringdom” project. It is the next evolutionary step in neural regeneration. We want you to lead it. Your work on Luxempin proves you are the only one who can.”All eyes were on Dante. He folded his fingers with an unreadable expression on his face. “I am deeply honored. However, I must decline. But I will recommend Dr. Ben Sharma. His work on the Luxempin delivery systems was brilliant. He is more than capable.”The room fell silent instantly. Then, a man with a sharp goatee, Mr Sterling, leaned forward. “Decline? Dante, we have react

The Lockwood penthouse was a sanctuary of coldness and modern art that cost more than most homes. It was a place designed to impress, not to welcome. Mason Lockwood, the king of this strange kingdom, lounged on a white sofa that looked like a sculpted figure, with a glass of whiskey in his hand.Sitting beside him was Peter, a man just like him, cut from the same cloth, expensive, sharp and rough around the edges, and they were laughing about the past.“….so the entire Carlisle fortune, three generations of old money, evaporated in six months,” Mason said with a smirk on lips. Peter shook his head and chuckled. “I still can not believe Eleanor fell for it. You practically led her to the cliff and told her it was a shortcut to paradise.”“Fell for it? Peter, you hurt me,” Mason replied as he feigned offense. “I presented a stellar opportunity. The ‘Nova-World’ resort development on the Bahamas was a sure thing. On paper.” He took a sip from his whiskey and savored the taste. “She was