All Chapters of His Rejected Billionaire Wife : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

86 Chapters

Chapter seventy one

Lena's POVOne week before the wedding Ademi tried to schedule a research meeting."Can't," I said. "I'm off from the fourteenth through the twenty-second.""That's eight days.""I'm getting married and taking a honeymoon. Eight days is reasonable.""You've never taken eight days off.""I'm starting now."He backed down. I finished my last surgery on Wednesday—a routine valve repair. Post-op went smoothly. By Thursday afternoon my schedule was completely clear through the following week.Sophie called that night."One week," she said."Seven days.""Are you nervous yet?""No. Why does everyone keep asking that?""Because I was terrified before my wedding and I want to make sure you're handling it better than I did.""You got married?""Three years ago. Divorced eighteen months later. I didn't tell you because it happened fast and ended faster and I was embarrassed." She paused. "But I was terrified the whole week before. You sound completely calm.""I am calm. I know exactly what I'm

Chapter Seventy two

Adrian's POVI woke at eight on September fifteenth.Lena was already awake beside me, staring at the ceiling."Today," she said."Today.""I should go to Diana's by noon. The hair and makeup person arrives at one.""I'll be there at three."She turned to look at me. "Are you ready?""I've been ready since London."She kissed me and got out of bed. I heard the shower running. By nine she was dressed and packed—the dress in a garment bag, shoes in a separate bag, everything else she needed for getting ready."I'll see you at three-thirty," she said at the door."Under the trellis.""Under the trellis."She left. I sat in her apartment alone thinking about five hours from now.Marcus called at ten."Where are you?""Lena's apartment. I'm leaving soon.""Meet me for lunch. You shouldn't be alone on your wedding day."We met at a diner near my apartment. He was already there with coffee."How do you feel?" he said when I sat down."Good. Ready.""Not nervous?""No. Should I be?""Most peo

Chapter seventy three

Lena's POVI woke up married.That was the first thought. Not dramatic or overwhelming. Just factual. Yesterday I got married. Today I was married.Adrian was already awake beside me."Morning," he said."What time is the flight?""Eleven. We should leave by nine-thirty."I got up and showered. Packed the last few things I'd need for four days in Maine. Adrian had already packed the night before.At eight Diana called."How do you feel?""Married. Good.""The photographer sent a preview. Twenty photos. I'm emailing them to you now."I opened my laptop while still on the phone. The photos loaded. Us under the trellis. The vows. The kiss. Dinner. All of it captured exactly as it had happened."These are good," I said."She'll send the full set next week. About two hundred photos total.""That's a lot of photos for a ten-minute ceremony.""It was more than the ceremony. It was the whole evening." Diana paused. "Have a good honeymoon. Don't think about work.""I won't."I hung up and forw

Chapter seventy four

Adrian's POVMonday morning I went back to the office.Chen was waiting in my office at eight with the European expansion timeline."Welcome back," he said. "How was Maine?""Good. Quiet. No agenda.""Marcus said you actually turned your phone off.""For four days. First time in a decade." I sat down. "What do I need to know?"He walked me through it. Singapore was running at thirty-two percent growth, ahead of every projection. The European restructure was on track for October implementation. Q3 numbers were strong across every division."The board meeting is next week," he said. "Marcus has the presentation ready. No surprises.""Good. Anything else?""Harland tried to push back on the European timeline while you were gone. Marcus shut it down with the data.""How did Harland respond?""He backed off. The numbers don't leave room for argument." Chen closed his laptop. "You're married now.""I am.""Does that change anything here?""No. I'm still running the company. You're still run

Chapter seventy five

Lena's POVThe Hopkins collaboration contract arrived on a Thursday.Ademi brought it to my office at noon. Forty pages of terms, timeline, payment structure, institutional responsibilities."Legal needs your signature by Monday," he said."I'll read it this weekend.""It's standard. I already reviewed it with Dana. She said it's clean.""I'll still read it."He left. I finished my afternoon surgeries—two valve repairs, both routine. By six I was done and went home to Adrian's apartment.It still felt strange calling it home. My apartment was home. This was where I stayed most nights now.Adrian was already there when I arrived."Hopkins sent the contract," I said."When do you sign?""Monday. After I read it.""Dana already reviewed it?""Yes. But I'm reading it anyway."We ordered food and I opened the contract on my laptop. Adrian sat beside me and read over my shoulder."Three site visits," he said. "January, March, June.""Yes. Each one is three days. Ademi is blocking my schedul

Chapter seventy six

Adrian's POVThe board meeting started at nine.All twelve members present. Chen at the front with the Q3 presentation loaded. Marcus beside him with backup data.I sat at the head of the table and let Chen run it."Q3 revenue growth was eighteen percent across all divisions," Chen said. "Singapore operations exceeded projections by thirty-two percent. European expansion is approved and funded for October twenty-ninth launch."He walked through the numbers division by division. Strong performance everywhere. No weak points.Harland raised his hand at the twenty-minute mark."The European timeline is aggressive," he said."It's based on our Singapore model," Chen said. "Same structure, adjusted for regulatory differences. The facility is operational and fully staffed.""What's the risk assessment?"Marcus pulled up the risk analysis. "We've identified twelve potential risk factors. Mitigation strategies are in place for each one. Conservative estimate is sixteen percent revenue growth

Chapter seventy seven

Lena's POVOctober passed quickly.I had seventeen surgeries that month. Most routine, three complex. All successful. The patient from the complex valve replacement was discharged and doing well at home.Ademi scheduled the Hopkins logistics in the third week."Flight is January fifth," he said. "You present January sixth. Meetings with their implementation team January seventh. Back to New York January eighth.""That's tight.""It's what they requested. Three days on-site, focused work, then you're back for your Thursday surgeries.""Fine."He left and I went back to the presentation materials. I'd been building them for six weeks now. Protocol overview, implementation challenges, training requirements, institutional support structures.Sophie called that afternoon."I'm coming to New York next month," she said. "Conference at Mount Sinai. November fifteenth through seventeenth.""What conference?""Cardiology innovations. They asked me to present on the London ICU protocols.""That'

Chapter seventy eight

Adrian's POVThe European expansion was running at twenty-three percent growth by mid-November.Chen sent weekly reports. Every metric positive. Client acquisition ahead of projections. Facility operations smooth. No crisis calls, no emergency interventions."This is what stable looks like," Marcus said when we reviewed the numbers Thursday morning."It is. Chen built it right the first time.""He wants to move Paris up to April. That's five months away.""I know. He sent me the proposal yesterday." I closed my laptop. "What do you think?""The Brussels model proves it works. The infrastructure is replicable. If he says he can do Paris by April, I believe him.""Good. Set up a board presentation for December. We'll get approval then."Marcus left. I worked through the morning and Lena texted at noon: Surgery successful. Patient stable. Home by six.I replied: Dinner tonight?Her response: Yes. Your place.She arrived at seven with her laptop and the Hopkins presentation materials."Si

Change seventy nine

Lena's POVDecember was surgeries and Hopkins preparation.I had eighteen surgeries that month. Three complex, the rest routine. Every patient stable, every outcome successful.The Hopkins presentation was finished by December tenth.I showed it to Ademi in my office."This is excellent," he said after reviewing all sixty slides. "Clear, comprehensive, practical.""You're sure?""I'm sure. Stop revising it.""I want to review the training timeline one more time.""Lena, you've reviewed it fifteen times. It's ready. You're ready."I closed the laptop. "Fine. It's done.""Good. Flight confirmation is in your email. Hotel is booked. The Hopkins team knows you arrive January fifth at two."He left and I looked at the presentation file one final time. Sixty slides. Three years of research. Protocol implementation that could change standard care.It was ready.I was ready.Sophie called that afternoon."Three weeks until Hopkins," she said."I know.""Are you nervous?""No. I'm prepared.""

Chapter Eighty

Adrian's POVLena called from Baltimore at eight Monday night."I'm at the hotel," she said. "Flight was fine. The presentation is loaded and ready.""How are you feeling?""Prepared. Ready. The Hopkins team sent the final schedule. Presentation at nine, Q&A until noon, lunch with the implementation team, afternoon meetings until five.""That's a long day.""That's what this requires." She paused. "I'm going to review the slides one more time.""You've reviewed them a hundred times.""I'm reviewing them once more.""Lena, go to sleep. You need to be sharp tomorrow.""I will. After I review them."She hung up. I sat in the apartment alone thinking about tomorrow. Three years of her work compressed into sixty slides. Protocol implementation that could change standard care.She was ready.I knew she was ready.She just needed to believe it.Tuesday morning I woke at six. Lena's presentation started at nine Baltimore time. I texted her at seven: Good luck today.She replied immediately: I

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