[Alice's POV]David handled the acclaim with consummate ease, occasionally casting me a tender glance, playing the role of the perfect husband. He was warmly embraced by this fickle collection of academics and medical greats, and he was enjoying every moment.And as for my future, and my bid for independence, the praise and recognition I had just won for my work today, had just been bought for a billion dollars. That, apparently, was the cost of my freedom.If I were to reject the Newcombe Family Foundation bankrolling of the research in my specialist field, I would have to leave the project, and it would fall into the hands of others. My brainchild. My life’s work. I would have to walk away. So, yes, that was the price of my freedom.My future had been purchased, and relegated to just another praiseworthy accessory in David’s already vast estate. He had stamped his ownership of me.As the evening progressed, the sycophantic gathering of academic elites crowded around him, each jostli
最終更新日 : 2026-01-21 続きを読む