16. Chapter Sixteen Jade
Chapter Sixteen: Jade
W hat the fuck did my boss need me for?
I had barely gotten into the lab when Dr. White called me in to see him. I plopped down in a leather chair across from Dr. Stuart White, his office a fortress of knowledge with books stacked like sentinels watching over us. The patter of rain against the window provided a steady rhythm to the weighty silence between us.
“Jade,” Dr. White began, his voice coated with concern, “your research...it’s groundbreaking, but it’s also vulnerable.” His fingers drummed on the mahogany desk, the sound oddly menacing. “You have to tighten up your digital security.”
He only addressed me by my first name when he was being condescending, so I already didn’t love this.
I nodded, my throat tight. I knew the stakes; my work wasn’t just petri dishes and microscopes—it was power, the kind that could tempt the greediest of souls.
Edward Rodriguez stepped forward, his presence commanding despite the lack of any physical intimidation. He laid out a blueprint of our digital defenses—or lack thereof—on the desk. “Let me be blunt,” he said, his eyes locking onto mine. “Your data could be snatched up before you even realize it’s gone.”
I leaned in, absorbing every word as he detailed firewalls and encryption protocols with the kind of urgency that told me this was no hypothetical threat. Edward wasn’t just talking about hackers; he was talking about predators lurking in the shadows of the cyber world, waiting to pounce.
But…why target me?
Everyone at work had difficult research that was groundbreaking. I forced my focus away from the mounting fear, shoving it to the back of my mind. Calmly, I asked, “If my research is safe in the lab, why should we worry about digital threats?”
“Because it’s important,” Dr. White replied.
“I understand that I need to be careful about my digital trail, but haven’t we had workshops about this already? Wait, did I do something wrong?”
“No, Jade, you haven’t done anything wrong,” Rodriguez replied, his voice steady. “But your work...it’s more than just groundbreaking. It’s revolutionary.” He leaned back in his chair, looking at me with an intensity that made my breath hitch. “And revolutionary work can inspire...immoral reactions.”
A chill ran down my spine. ‘Immoral reactions’ sounded a lot like euphemisms for threats and danger, neither of which I was prepared to deal with. Science was supposed to be a field for innovation and exploration, not a battlefield.
“But bioinformatics is a standard tool in most labs,” I countered. “What makes my research so different?”
And also, what the fuck do you know about this, you tech monkey?
I didn’t say that, though. I wasn’t crazy, and my boss was right there.
Edward chuckled, evidently amused by my cluelessness. “Jade, it’s not about the tool, it’s about what you’re using it for.” He glanced at Dr. White significantly, and the older man nodded in agreement. “Your project on genetic modification... let’s just say there are those who would kill to get their hands on it.”
“Dr. Bentley,” I replied.
“Right,” Edward said. “Dr. Bentley. My point stands.”
“Okay,” I managed to squeak out. “So… what do we do then?”
“We tighten security,” Edward said with finality. “We make sure your work, and you,” he added with a pointed look, “are safe.”
“Understood,” I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. Dr. Stuart White gave me a sharp nod, his eyes reflecting the weight of his words as he concluded the meeting.
“Jade, remember, we’re not just talking about data here,” he said, emphasizing each word with gravity. “We’re talking about lives—potentially millions. The security measures are not just protocol; they’re essential.”
“Of course,” I murmured, folding my notebook closed and rising from the table. I felt both honored and overwhelmed by the responsibility laid upon my shoulders. I hadn’t taken any notes, but the meeting had left a sour taste in my mouth.
The success of my project hinged on more than just scientific prowess; it required vigilance against unseen threats.
Later, in the BioHQ cafeteria, I found a secluded corner to enjoy a much-needed coffee break. Ellie was already there, stirring her tea with a furrowed brow. She looked up as I approached, her warm brown eyes clouded with concern. “What was that about?” she asked. “Are you in trouble with the principal?”
I laughed. “Kind of feels like it,” I said. “What’s wrong with you?”
She straightened up. “I didn’t want to bring this up today, but I think I’m going to have to.”
“Is something wrong with the duplicating–”
“No. Dante Moretti,” she said.
I took a slow sip of my coffee, buying time. Dante Moretti—a man whose very name sent a shiver of something dangerous down my spine. Smart, seductive, and connected to the city’s underbelly in ways I didn’t want to contemplate.
“El, you worry too much,” I tried to reassure her, my tone light. “Dante is just... a distraction. A minor one at that.” I forced a smile, hoping to convey confidence I wasn’t entirely sure I felt.
“Are you sure about that?” Ellie pressed, her gaze sharp and probing. “Because when you talk about him, it doesn’t seem like a minor thing.”
“Trust me,” I insisted, though the image of Dante’s alluring smile and the sound of his velvety voice lingered unbidden in my mind. “He’s got no influence over me or my work. He’s just...it’s complicated.”
“Complicated can be dangerous,” Ellie warned, but I shook my head, refusing to let her fears taint the thrill of Dante’s attention.
“Let’s focus on what we can control, like the research,” I suggested, eager to steer the conversation away from territory I was still navigating myself. I needed Ellie to believe that Dante Moretti was nothing more than a passing fancy—an entanglement I could easily untwist myself from.
“You can control Dante Moretti, Jade,” she said.
“El,” I replied, my tone a whisper. “Weren’t you the one to say I needed to get laid? Now I’m getting laid and you have a problem with it.”
“No, I have a problem with him,” she replied. “Not with it. I absolutely think you should be getting laid.”
“He’s really good in bed, Ellie,” I said. “Like…really good, okay? So just back off.”
“Fine,” Ellie conceded reluctantly. “But if things get... messier, promise you’ll tell me?”
“Promise,” I lied smoothly, because in truth, I had no idea what I’d do if—or when—things with Dante Moretti escalated beyond a minor diversion.
“I know you’re gorgeous,” Ellie said. “But with a man like that, don’t you ever worry he’s going to have an ulterior motive?”
I opened my mouth to answer when she looked down at her vibrating watch. “Shit,” she said. “I’m doing a guest lecture today, and they just told me it’s going to be in person instead of online. I need to go get ready for that. Don’t forget what I said, okay?”
I nodded, watching as she stood up. “You think they’d tell you this kind of shit well in advance,” she said. “Idiots.”
I nodded. “Couldn’t agree more.”
The moment Ellie left, I exhaled a sigh I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Alone with my thoughts, the seed of doubt Ellie planted began to sprout. Could Dante’s presence in my life ripple out further than I anticipated? The man had resources and connections that ran deep—too deep for someone like me to fathom fully.
But maybe he could be the key in helping me protect all this research. I made my way back to the lab after I was done with my breakfast and paused by my desk, my fingers drumming against the cool metal surface as I reconsidered every interaction with him. Each smile, each touch, each word exchanged—was there a hidden meaning I’d missed? I knew how to analyze data, to look beyond the obvious for patterns and anomalies, but deciphering Dante Moretti required a different kind of scrutiny.
“Damn it, Ellie,” I groaned under my breath. Her intuition was annoyingly on point at times, and now the possibility that Dante could somehow influence my career, or worse, my personal safety, loomed over me like a dark cloud.
Was he using me for something? It didn’t seem like he was but…he was out of my league. He could’ve had an actress–a smart one, like one who went to an Ivy and was the most gorgeous woman in the world–with him, rather than me.
But he didn’t. At least I didn’t think so. He seemed to want me, and only me, as far as I knew. Though we hadn’t really discussed being exclusive yet.
“Focus on the work, Jade,” I reminded myself, trying to push away the growing unease. Dante was just a man—a complicated, dangerous, irresistibly charming man—but still, just a man. How much power could he truly wield over my life?
…More than I wanted to admit.
Fuck.
“Distraction or not, we’re going to have to set some boundaries,” I heard myself say, steeling myself for whatever confrontation lay ahead. It was time to make it clear to Dante—and perhaps more importantly, to myself—that my work came first, and no one, not even a man as enigmatic as Dante Moretti, could compromise that.
But I needed to think on it for a bit, so I dove back into the work I needed to do that day. After Dr. White had called me to his office, my entire day had been less productive than I wanted it to be.
It didn’t take long before I was working. I adjusted the microscope, my gaze locked on the slide beneath the lens. Cells danced across my field of vision, each a tiny universe unto itself. It was here, in the complexities of biological life, where I found solace from the chaos that seemed to have erupted in my life.
My phone buzzed again. I glanced at it, irritation pricking at my focus. Dante’s name flashed on the screen once more—a siren call I was determined to ignore. My thumb hovered over the ‘silent’ button before pressing it decisively. Silence enveloped the lab, broken only by the familiar hum of machines and the sound of one of my colleagues chattering in a different lab.
“Back to work,” I muttered to myself, feeling the gratifying sense of control as I pipetted a reagent into a series of wells. The task demanded precision, and I welcomed its requirement for my undivided attention. Each droplet fell in a rhythmic sequence—my counter-melody to the chaos trying to seep into the sanctity of my lab.
The experiments laid out before me were my world, my battleground. As much as Dante’s presence loomed large, he had no dominion here. This was my realm, where I called the shots, dictated the pace, and sought answers to questions he probably never even pondered.
“Dr. Bentley, the results won’t change if you glare at them harder,” I chastised myself, smiling wryly at the intensity of my own focus. It wasn’t just about proving Ellie wrong or putting Dante in his place—it was about the thrill of discovery, the passion for knowledge, and the unrelenting drive to push the boundaries of science.
Let him wait, I thought, a smirk playing on my lips. If Dante Moretti wanted to play a game of patience, he was up against a master. After all, good science took time, and so did unraveling the enigma of a man who thought he could unsettle me with a few persistent texts.
As the day wore on, focusing got more difficult. I took a break after a while, leaning against the cool glass of the lab window, staring at the rain pelting down on the sidewalks. It was a gray wash of a day, the kind that made everything else seem sharper—even my thoughts.
“Ellie thinks you’re playing with fire, Jade,” I murmured to myself, my voice barely audible above the drumming rain. It was true; part of me was drawn to Dante Moretti like a moth to a flame. That allure, that danger—it shouldn’t have been enticing, not for someone like me.
I shook my head, trying to shake off the image of him—immaculate suit, smug smile. But it wasn’t just the danger, was it? There was something about him that I couldn’t quite figure out, something that piqued my scientific curiosity. And damn it, Ellie had seen right through me when I pretended otherwise.
“Focus, Bentley,” I chided, turning away from the window. My experiments were waiting, but the pull of personal life was getting harder to ignore.
By late afternoon, as the last of the daylight surrendered to evening, I knew what I had to do. The boundary between work and whatever was happening with Dante needed to be crystal clear. I had too much at stake—my research was my life’s work, and I couldn’t afford any distractions or compromises.
But if Dante and I were going to get into business together, then I needed to cover my bases. Dr. White and the board members couldn’t see him as scary, but rather a legitimate person that was interested in my research without trying to take over.
And when that happened, if we ever got serious, it would be easier to soft launch our relationship.
I sat down at my desk, the glow of the computer screen casting a soft light across the papers strewn about. My fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment, hesitating. Drafting an email to Dante Moretti wasn’t something I could do impulsively; every word had to be chosen with care, considering that Dr. White and a lot of other people in the org could just see my correspondence.
“Dr. Bentley invites you to dinner,” I began, but backspaced quickly. Too formal. He’d see right through it. I needed to be professional, yes, but not cold. We were well past formalities anyway–he was the only to have ever made me squirt.
“Moretti,” I typed, and then paused, considering. Just his last name felt too impersonal considering how close we’d been. “Dante,” I amended, letting the familiarity of his first name settle in the address line. It was a risk, using his first name like this, but risks were part of the game now.
“I’m sorry for putting this off for so long” I continued, my fingers moving steadily now. “How about dinner? I know a place. It’s neutral ground, good food, no surprises.” The words were a careful blend of invitation and challenge. I needed him to know that this was on my terms.
“Let’s talk business,” I said aloud as I read the words. “I think the bar is open until eleven.”
Perfect.
I read the email over once, twice, making sure there was no hint of vulnerability in the lines. When I was satisfied, I hit send. The message whisked away into the digital ether, carrying with it the potential for alliances or perhaps the spark that would ignite a war.
Now all I could do was wait for his response, prepare myself for whatever came next. Whether it was the calm before the storm or the beginning of an uneasy truce, only time would tell. But one thing was certain: Dante Moretti was dangerous—dangerous to my career, to my well-being, and most of all, to my heart. Yet here I was, inviting the lion to dinner, and wondering who would end up being devoured.