39. Chapter Thirty-Nine Jade
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Jade
M y headaches were getting worse, not better.
I stumbled into the sanctuary of my apartment, a place now shadowed by the day’s nightmares. I took to lighting up my scented candles around my apartment, the flickering flame lighting the space softly.
Lavender—the scent that once calmed my storms—could barely touch the pounding in my head.
The lab, my life’s work, had turned into an interrogation room. My mind replayed every question, each insinuation they lobbed at me, trying to tie me to things far beyond my comprehension. A scientist, I could handle. A suspect? That was new territory.
I didn’t like it at all.
And I already felt like I was carrying a terrible secret.
A shuffle from the hallway yanked me back to the present. My heart kicked against my chest like it wanted to break free.
“Jade?” The voice was deep, familiar—and absolutely not welcome here.
I squinted against the dim light spilling in from the corridor. Edward Rodriguez loomed there, his shadow sprawling across my floor, a dark omen. He wasn’t supposed to be here. I could barely stand the sight of him at work.
“Open up, Dr. Bentley. We need to talk.” His words were a low rumble, but I heard the urgency lacing each syllable.
“Why are you here?” I asked through the door.
“Look, I just want to talk.” Edward’s voice reverberated against the walls, too close for comfort.
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
He muttered something under his breath. He raised something—a badge, shiny and insistent. “Look. I’m Edward Rodriguez, tech security expert for the NYPD. I’m not just someone BioHQ hired. Can I come in?”
Fuck. He was a cop?
“Talk then,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt as I opened the door just a bit.
He nodded, a silent thank you passing between us, and I stepped back, allowing him just enough room to slip past the threshold. The door whispered shut behind him, its click a punctuation in the quiet of my apartment. He was wearing a dark suit tailored perfectly to his muscular frame, the official NYPD badge clipped onto his jacket. The sight of him in uniform gave a formal reality to the situation and amplified the tremors unsettling my nerves.
“Are you okay, Dr. Bentley?” he asked, eyeing me with a concern that felt too intimate.
“I’m fine,” I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest defensively. “What do you want?”
The warmth here, usually so welcoming, now felt like a liar as it enveloped him. He looked around, taking in the details—my escape from the lab’s sterility: colorful throw pillows, photos of my family, and a bookshelf littered with biotech journals beside classic novels. But tonight, the candles that usually brought soft light and comfort seemed to mock me with their dance, their shadows playing tricks on my walls.
Edward stood there, solid and real, his badge catching the candlelight. His body language had shifted since the hallway; he was tired, sure—but there was something else. Regret? Fear? Both were bad news.
“I wanted to check in on you after today’s interrogation. You don’t look well. You looked very…uh, nauseous.”
He didn’t know anything about my pregnancy.
“And what’s that to you? My health is hardly your concern, Officer Rodriguez.” I shot back, my tone harsher than intended. His eyebrows knitted together, casting a shadow over his intense gaze.
“Given the circumstances, I think it might be.”
I didn’t like his insinuation. I was a respected scientist, a pillar of integrity in my field. I had nothing to do with the illicit activities they were suddenly so interested in.
“I’ve done nothing wrong,” I said tersely, holding his gaze. “Do you have any more questions?”
“Yes.” Unfazed by my standoffish demeanor, he cleared his throat. “Do you trust everyone at BioHQ?”
“Yes,” I said. “With my life.”
He sighed. “Can I have some water?”
“Sure,” I muttered, leading him into the open kitchen. I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and turned on the faucet, the gentle rush of water filling the silence. Edward watched me carefully, his gaze never wavering.
“Thank you,” he said as I handed him the water. He drank it slowly, his eyes closing briefly before they opened again, focusing on me with an intensity that left me feeling exposed.
There was a moment of silence as he lowered his glass onto the counter. “I have reason to believe that BioHQ has been targeted by a criminal organization. Their interest seems to be in your work.”
My chest tightened at his words. “What...what are you saying?”
His steady gaze met my wide-eyed one. “Your life might be in danger, Dr. Bentley.”
The fear that had been simmering under my skin bloomed into a full-blown dread at his declaration. A shaky breath escaped me as I braced myself against the counter.
Edward’s expression softened, watching my reaction. “I know this is hard to take in,” he murmured, grappling for the right words. “But it is in your best interest to make it look like you’re not collaborating with the police. Unless…”
“I don’t understand. Aren’t you the police?”
“Yes,” he said. “But I also want you to stay alive long enough to help.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means you’re in over your head,” he said, breaking the silence that had settled between us. His voice was low, carrying a weight that made my stomach churn. “You don’t know the kind of man you’re dealing with by getting involved with Dante Moretti.”
That name. That damn name sent a chill through me, colder than any draft this old building could conjure.
“Edward, you need to leave,” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos that threatened to erupt within me. “I can handle my business. It’s not your concern.”
But Edward didn’t move, his eyes searching mine as if looking for a crack in my defenses, a sign of the vulnerability I was desperate to hide. “Jade, just listen—“
“Enough!” My words sliced through the air, sharp and brittle. “Just stop. I don’t need your protection.”
He took a step back, hands raised in a gesture of surrender that somehow felt more invasive than comforting. “Okay, Jade. But this isn’t over. The Morettis play a long game; they won’t let go easily. Be careful.”
With that, he turned away, his figure retreating as he made his way to the door. I watched him go, my breaths shallow. As the door clicked shut behind him, a profound silence filled the room, punctuated by the gentle flicker of candlelight.
The scent of lavender hung heavily in the air, once soothing, now a bitter reminder of the danger I had unwittingly invited into my life. Dante Moretti—the man with a smile that could cut through the darkness, now cast as the villain in my story. How had I been so blind?
He was so good in bed he’d stolen my ID out from under me and I couldn’t fucking believe it. I had been so naive.
The realization settled in, heavy and undeniable. I had been a pawn in a much larger game—one where the stakes were higher than I’d ever imagined. And Dante, with all his charm and enigmatic allure, had been the one to maneuver me into place.
As the last traces of daylight vanished beyond my window, I was left with nothing but the echo of Edward’s warning and the gnawing doubt that clawed at my conscience. What had I gotten myself into?
How could I have been so naive? My search for answers led me here, to the heart of darkness itself, and now it was clear—I was out of my depth. These weren’t just petty criminals or corrupt officials; this was the mafia, an entirely different beast. They played by rules I couldn’t begin to fathom.
“Focus, Jade,” I breathed, forcing myself to stand. I needed a plan, something to cling to in the chaos. The walls of my apartment felt too close, each shadow a lurking threat. I paced, every step a sharp rap against the hardwood floor, as I tried to shake off the suffocating dread.
“Think,” I urged myself. “You’re a scientist. You solve problems.” But science had logic, variables I could control. This—this was madness.
I stopped at the window, peering out into the evening. The city was alive, indifferent to the turmoil within me. Lights flickered on in buildings as people went about their lives, unaware of the sinister undercurrent that flowed just beneath the surface.
The solution was terrifying. It was also clear.
I needed to get away.