Valerie hand hovered half an inch above the velvet lined ivory case held out by Chief Scholar Tobias. The silence in the grand marble courtyard of the Academy was absolute. Three hundred international scholars, doctors, and foreign delegates held their breath, waiting for the iconic Dr. Valerie Vance to accept the historic gift from the Eastern Empire. Behind her, Dominic shadow lengthened across the stone, his hand resting on his sidearm, his golden eyes scanning the crowd with lethal precision. Valerie golden tinted eyes locked directly into Tobias polished, subservient smile. She did not flinch. She did not draw back. Instead, her enhanced neural senses, boosted to supreme focus by her bio dampener belt, dissected the air between them down to the molecular level. Chief Scholar Tobias, Valerie said softly, her voice carrying a cold, razor sharp resonance through the courtyard microphone. Yes, Dr. Vance? Tobias replied, keeping his posture bent in a deep, humble bow. Is there s
Last Updated : 2026-08-14 Read more