جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 30

Abel’S POV"...and then the conductor dropped his baton right in the middle of the second movement," Isabella was saying and laughed. "Can you imagine? It was absolutely scandalous."Abel stared at her. "Scandalous," he repeated, feigning interest.Here he was again, seated at a private section at Beverly Royale. The whole setting felt like a severe case of deja vu.Isabella sat in the seat across from him. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She wore pearls around her neck that seemingly matched her red dress, with a polite, practiced smile plastered on her face. She was exactly as Sam’s file described her."I know right!" she continued, cutting a tiny piece of her salmon. "So, I told Daddy, we simply cannot support the Symphony if they are going to be so clumsy. Standards are everything, don't you think?""Standards," Abel echoed and took a sip of water. It tasted like nothing. Everything about this date tasted like nothing.He looked at Isabella's plate. She was eating

Abel’S POVThe conference room at Lamb Industries was usually cold, but today it felt like a freezer. Sitting on the forty-fifth floor, it offered a panoramic view of the entire California skyline, the gray clouds outside matching the mood inside.In front of the expansive glass table, twelve of the Lamb board's most influential members sat, hands folded and faces smug. Abel stood behind his chair at the head of the table, facing them, while a massive screen behind him showcased the blueprint for their latest project: The Ash-Link.“This chip bridges the gap between damaged nerves and the brain,” Abel said, with a steady voice, looking at the twelve board members for any reaction. “It will revolutionize the medical world. This wouldn't just help paralysis patients walk again. It gives them their lives back. The Lamb company would be stepping into a new age of modern science.”He cleared his throat. "As you all know, the project gathered a bit of dust for eight months,” he said, gestur

Abel’S POVThe piece of paper in Abel's pocket felt heavier than a brick.He walked down the long corridor of the executive wing, the silence pressing against his ears. Ten minutes ago, this hallway had been filled with the noise of board members murmuring and hissing. Now, it was just him and the soft hum of the air conditioning.He reached the end of the hall. The double doors of the Chairman’s office loomed in front of him. They were old-fashioned, made of solid oak, a stark contrast to the glass and steel that made up the rest of the building.Arthur Sterling.He was the last relic of Abel's father’s era. A man who believed in handshakes over contracts and silence over shouting.Abel took a deep breath, adjusting his tie. Why the secrecy? Why slide a note across the table like a high school student passing a message in class? He could have just emailed him. Or phoned his office.But Arthur never did things the easy way did he?Abel pushed the heavy door open and stepped inside.Th

Abel’S POVThe restaurant was quiet. A little too quiet.Beverly Royale was the kind of place where people whispered instead of talked. The only sounds were the soft clinking of silver forks against plates, and the low hum of music from the speakers on the wall. It was expensive, exclusive, and completely lifeless.Abel sat in the same private section where he always sat near the window. Outside, the streets were dark and wet with rain. Inside, the candlelight on the table flickering on the face of the woman sitting across from him.Isabella.She was dressed in a deep emerald green that matched her eyes, her blonde falling in a perfect curtain around her shoulders with her back perfectly straight, and her hands folded gracefully in her lap. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. She was the perfect picture of a CEO’s wife."The truffle risotto is excellent," Isabella said softly. She took a tiny bite, barely opening her mouth. "You really should try it, Abel."Abel looked down

Abel’S POVThe gates of the Lamb estate swung open slowly, the iron bars groaning in the quiet night.The mansion loomed ahead as Abel drove up the winding driveway, a massive beast of stone and glass sitting dark against the sky. A place that never really felt like home.He parked the car and killed the engine, his hands still buzzing with adrenaline from his meeting with Vance a few hours ago.He checked his phone. It was 2:15 AM.Sam was probably sleeping by now. Abel had dropped him off at his place about half an hour ago and then came home himself. Vance was probably working, running some digital tracking algorithms to find the car owner or where that was parked right now.His instruction was for Abel to go home and get some rest while he handled the rest of the work.rest? As if he could sleep knowing his dead wife might be alive somewhere.Abel walked up the front steps and unlocked the front door. The foyer was silent, the marble floors gleaming in the moonlight filtering thro