29. Chapter Twenty-Nine Jade
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Jade
S unlight snuck in, throwing a harsh glare on the chaos of my apartment. I sat on the edge of the bed, one hand absentmindedly resting on my stomach.
I couldn’t shake the knot in my gut—the thought of walking away from BioHQ was like a vice around my heart. This child growing inside me, it needed safety, a shield from all this shit. But the lab...it was my life’s blood. To leave it all behind felt like tearing away a piece of my soul.
My phone buzzed against the nightstand, and I knew without looking it was Ellie. Her text popped up.
Just double-checked your notes for the conference. It’s all great, loved the jokes. Broke up some paragraphs. It’s a big day, but you got this!
“Damn,” I murmured, feeling the weight of apprehension mixed with a stubborn will to push through. I shuffled through the papers scattered across the bed—notes, slides, years of research condensed into bullet points and graphs. Sliding them into a slim folder, I tucked it into my bag alongside a bottle of prenatal vitamins. The morning sickness crept up on me like a thief, always poised to steal any semblance of comfort.
“Ellie’s right,” I told my reflection as I stood to smooth out my blouse, professional but forgiving around my changing figure. “It’s just another hurdle.” I steeled myself for the day, knowing that no matter what, the safety of this baby trumped every other fear. It was a new kind of resolve, unfamiliar and fierce. But it was mine, and I’d cling to it through whatever storm was coming our way.
I went to work and as I stepped out into the crisp morning air from the taxi, the buzz of the city was a familiar backdrop to the chaos that was my life. Ellie was already there waiting for me, her energy almost tangible even from across the street. She waved, a beacon of encouragement in the midst of my storm.
“Ready for the conference, Jade? Your keynote speech will be amazing!” Her voice danced with excitement, and for a brief moment, her confidence became mine.
“Let’s hope so,” I managed to reply, mustering a smile as we slid into the backseat of a waiting taxi. “I told the cabbie to wait. You didn’t bring a car, did you?”
She shook her head. “Fuck no,” she said. “Come on. Let’s go.”
We walked back to the taxi. The driver pulled away from the curb, merging into the river of yellow cabs and honking horns that flooded the avenues. The city was alive, pulsing with a rhythm that felt both exhilarating and overwhelming.
“Look at you, all calm and collected. I’d be a wreck,” Ellie said, giving my hand a quick squeeze. I appreciated the lie; she knew just how frayed my nerves were.
“Years of pretending,” I joked weakly, but the humor fell flat, crushed by the weight of the day ahead.
The conference center loomed before us, a modern fortress of glass and steel teeming with the brightest minds in technology. We wove through the crowd, a sea of eager faces and name badges fluttering like leaves in an autumn breeze. But then it hit me—a wave of dizziness so strong it nearly buckled my knees.
“Whoa,” I muttered under my breath, gripping Ellie’s arm for support.
“Jade?” Concern flickered in her eyes, but I was quick to plaster on a confident smile.
“Fine, just...excited,” I lied, masking the unease that clawed at my insides. It wasn’t just nerves or nausea; it was fear, raw and relentless, haunting me with every step I took. But I couldn’t let it show. Not today. Not when I had so much to lose.
I shook off Ellie’s concern with a forced smile, knowing I couldn’t let my guard down, not even for a moment. The auditorium swallowed me whole as I made my way to the stage, the sea of faces blurring into one intimidating mass. My notes, once a crutch, now seemed trivial as I set them aside.
“Good morning,” I began, my voice steady despite the turmoil churning inside me. “Today, we’ll be delving into the intricacies of neurogenetic research and its potential to revolutionize medicine.” The words flowed from me, practiced and precise, a veil of professionalism I clung to like a lifeline.
But something was off. The empty seat where Dante should have been gnawed at me—a silent accusation, a missing piece in the elaborate facade of my life. I pushed the thought away, focusing on the science, the data, the truth that I could wield with confidence.
The room faded as I dove deeper into my presentation, until a figure at the back snapped me back to reality. Edward Rodriguez. His stern gaze locked on me, sharp enough to slice through the distance between us. A shiver ran through me, though I was careful not to let it show.
Why is he here? The question echoed in my mind, insistent and unnerving. What is his interest in this?
Why does he seem to follow me around like a bad smell?
I stepped down, my heart racing, and the world rushed back in—a kaleidoscope of sound and color that did nothing to ease the dread coiling in my stomach.
“Great job,” Ellie whispered as I rejoined her in the crowd. Her praise was a balm, but the shadow of Rodriguez’s presence lingered, a dark cloud over the bright promise of the day.
“Thanks,” I muttered, my gaze darting around the room, searching for that unwelcome specter. Rodriguez’s eyes found mine again, a silent challenge that sent a ripple of unease through me.
“Jade, you’re doing that thing where you overthink. It’s probably nothing,” Ellie said, reading my tension like a book she’d written herself. “Maybe he’s just here for the tech talks.”
“Maybe,” I agreed, but her words did little to quell the storm inside me.
The afternoon unfolded like a deck of cards, each panel and demo another layer of complexity to absorb. My mind should have been captivated by the innovations being unveiled—the potential of our research was limitless. Yet, there was always a ‘but’. But with every turn of a corner, every shift in the crowd, I felt his presence. Rodriguez, a hawk circling silently above its prey.
I clung to the excitement bubbling around me, let it buoy me through the sea of faces, past booths boasting advancements that could change the world. All the while, my thoughts tangled in a net of worry. How could I protect what was mine—what was growing inside me—when every instinct screamed that danger had entered the fray?
“Jade?” Ellie nudged me, her voice pulling me back from the edge of panic.
“Sorry, just...thinking about the next steps for the project,” I lied smoothly, or as smoothly as I could manage with my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs.
“Let’s grab some coffee; you need a break.” Ellie steered us toward a less crowded part of the venue, her small frame surprisingly effective at parting the sea of people.
I allowed myself to be led away, grateful for the momentary escape. Yet even as we stood in line for our drinks, I couldn’t shake the feeling of Rodriguez’s eyes boring into me, branding me with suspicion. Every glance over my shoulder confirmed it—he was still there, still watching.
“Jade, you’re doing that thing again where you zone out,” Ellie said, her voice a lifeline in the sea of my worries.
“Sorry, I’m just...” My words trailed off as I saw Rodriguez once again. This time he was huddled with another so-called IT expert, their heads close together, deep in conversation. He caught my gaze and offered a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, an apology without words for a crime I couldn’t quite grasp. “Isn’t it weird that he’s here?”
“I mean, he works with us, so I don’t see how it’s so weird?”
“Maybe I’m just being paranoid,” I replied, taking another sip of my coffee.
I tried to shake off my unease and concentrate on the moment. We were supposed to be celebrating our work, not fearing every shadow. But shadows have a way of growing long at the worst possible times.
Later, during the panel Q it was a paradigm shift, forcing me to confront the risks I’d blithely ignored before.
I missed Dante then, his absence more pronounced amidst the crowd’s dispersal. He would’ve known what to do, would’ve shielded me from this cold dread with his easy confidence.
…or he would have held me down and fingered me until I came while I stared into his eyes. Right.
Probably that one.
The conference center’s sliding doors sighed shut behind us, releasing Ellie and me into the evening’s embrace. Fresh air licked at my cheeks, a respite from the day’s sweltering debates and dense crowds. I drew in a breath, letting it out slow, trying to shake the weight of being watched.
“Feels good, doesn’t it? To be out of there,” Ellie remarked, her eyes squinting against the dying light. “But you crushed it.”
I didn’t say anything, shielding my eyes from the sun with the palm of my hand. “Jade?”
I blinked, forcing a smile for Ellie. “Just tired.”
Ellie cocked her head. “Are you sure? Because…”
I turned my head to look at her. Maybe she couldn’t help, but maybe I’d feel lighter if I’d told someone. Anyone.
And I knew that Ellie would keep my secret no matter what. “Actually,” I said, biting on my lower lip. “Let’s go grab that bite. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”