Dante’s voice was soft and steady as he read out the tale of brave knights in shiny armor and distant kingdoms. Daisy’s eyes were fixed on him, with a small, peaceful smile on her lips as she lay inside the pod.“….and the knight, with his shield held high, stepped into the dragon’s cave….” Dante read out loud. The ward door opened suddenly, and Nurse Eva entered hurriedly with an anxious look in her eyes. “Dr. Vance? I am sorry to interrupt. There are some men in the main lobby, and they are asking for you. They are from your lab.”Dante’s heart skipped a beat. Then he marked the page in the storybook and leaned close to the glass and said affectionately, “you get some rest now, sweet pea. Daddy has to go take care of something very important. Nurse Eva will finish the story for you.”He gave the book to Eva and walked out, as his pulse began to race. Down in the sterile clean lobby, he saw them…his subordinates. Liam, flanked by two other senior scientists from Project Phoenix. Lia

A loud wave of applause greeted Dante the moment he stepped back into the Vertex lab. Scientist and technicians stopped their work immediately with joy on their faces as they clapped excitedly.Dante held up his hands with a modest, weary smile on his face as he greeted them loudly, “Please, everyone. Thank you, but this was not me. This was us. This was our victory. Every one of you.”As the applause died down, he called Liam over. “Liam, the Exulum program—the synthesis protocols and the clinical trial date from Daisy’s administration, is it all secured?”“It is fully encrypted and backed up on three separate servers, Dr. Vance,” Liam confirmed as he straightened his posture with pride. “It is all perfectly saved.” “Excellent. Have the full data brought to my office, please. I want to review everything.”“Right away, sir.”Walking into his spacious, well organized office felt so different today. Dante paused in the doorway, as he took in the view of the city from his huge window. H

The lavish grocery store was a go to place for rich organic products and imported delicacies, and Eva, with a basket on her hand, was laughing with her friend Mark over a pack of imported cheese when a smooth, unwelcome voice cut through the air behind her.“Eva. What a surprise! Fancy running into you here.”Eva’s smile vanished from her face instantly as she turned around slowly to see Mason Lockwood, who was leaning casually on his shopping cart, with a smirk playing on his lips.She looked at him from head to toe with pure scorn on her face and then turned her back to him as she deliberately examined a loaf of bread. Then she looked up to her friend and said icily, “Let us go, Mark.”Mason, unperturbed, pushed his cart to block their path. He then gave Mark a dismissive, charming smile and said coldly, “You mind giving us a minute, pal? Old friends.”Mark, looking very uncomfortable, glanced nervously at Eva. She nodded her head stiffly, and he retreated to a distance away.“Long

The sterile silence of the hospital’s main reception was broken by the furious stumping of designer heels. Clara Vance stormed past the main desk, with her gaze fixed sternly on the corridor that led to the administrative offices.“Ma’am! Excuse me!” The desk nurse, Sarah, called out as she rushed forward to stop her. “You can not just go back there! You need to check in and I will see if Dr. Reed is available.”“Get out of my way,” Clara snarled as she attempted to shove past the woman.But Nurse Sarah, who was used to dealing with distraught and impatient family members, stood her ground and replied sternly, “I said, you need to wait. This is a hospital, not a runway. I will call her office now.”The whole commotion from the arguing voices echoed down the hall. And a moment later, Dr. Alice’s office door flew wide open and she came out with a furious expression on her face.“What in God’s name is all this noise about?” She demanded loudly. “This is a place of healing, not a marketpl

Clara is was still fuming in Dr. Alice’a office when the door opened once more and Dante stood there majestically as his presence filled the doorway. Clara looked him from head to toe and sneered with a nervous look in her eyes.“Well, if it is not the almighty pauper himself,” she sneered, without moving an inch from her seat. “Tell me, Dante, which dumpster did you find that suit in? Or did you finally withdraw out your last penny to play dress up?”Dante did not flinch, he just closed the door softly behind him with a cold express on his face and turned to look at her disdainfully. “Clara,” he began in a dangerously calm manner. “It has come to my notice that you saw a little girl at Crestview Academy today. A girl you recognized as Daisy, but I have to ask you, what were you doing there?”He did not wait for her answer. He just smiled coldly with a knowing look in his eyes, and leered, “Ah, let me guess. You were dropping off your son. If I am not mistaken.”That was it. Clara jum