Page 68 of Ivory Obsession
I imagined as she stood among her test tubes and microscopes, her sanctuary of science and progress. She would note the new equipment, the accounts flush with funds that seemed too good to be true. She wouldn’t know it was me.
But there was still work to do. The next day, I had to meet with my uncles to make sure everything was in order.
The next day, I made my way back to my childhood home. “Uncle Tony, Uncle Leo,” I greeted them with a nod as we settled in the fortress of tradition that was the Moretti home’s study. My father, Enzo, sat in with us, but he didn’t say a fucking thing. Marco was there too, leaning against the bookshelf, playing absentmindedly on his phone.
Tony, all sharp angles and scrutiny, leaned forward, his fingers steepling like the spires of an old cathedral. “We need to ensure there are no gaps,” he insisted, the skepticism in his voice slicing through the thick air of cigar smoke and aged leather.
I laid out the spreadsheets before them, a tapestry of numbers and projections that spoke of clean profits and cleaner consciences. “Look at the margins here and here,” I pointed out, tapping on the paper for emphasis.
“BioHQ’s data is gold, and our experts are turning it into something even more valuable—legitimacy.” My voice was steady, my gaze unflinching. “We’re clean, Tony.”
Leo, ever the silent observer, gave a slow nod of approval, his eyes reflecting the firelight like polished onyx.
“Alright, Dante,” Tony conceded, but his tone suggested he still held reservations only time could erode. “Enzo?”
“The boy’s numbers are solid,” my father said.
I wonder how old I’d have to be before he stopped calling me the boy.
With their nods of reluctant agreement, we wrapped up the meeting, and I stepped out into the crisp autumn evening, the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot marking my passage.
The community clinic we now owned stood like a beacon, its sterile walls and the hum of efficient activity a stark departure from the world I knew too well. I watched as patients were ushered in, each one a testament to a future where the Moretti name meant healing, not harm.
“This is for you, Jade,” I whispered to myself, a mantra that had woven itself into my very being. But the words fell flat in the empty air, unanswered just like my calls to her.
Jade’s silence was a verdict I couldn’t appeal—a guilty sentence I had to serve. It didn’t matter that the clinic’s existence was because of her, that every life it saved was a tribute to her brilliance. She wouldn’t see it, couldn’t see it, because of what I had done.
Still, I allowed myself a moment to watch, to hope. For Jade, for us, for a chance at redemption I wasn’t sure I deserved but was determined to fight for. Even if I had to do it alone.
But I wouldn’t do it alone.
Because I was going to get her back.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Jade
Sunlight snuck in, throwing a harsh glare on the chaos of my apartment. I sat on the edge of the bed, one hand absentmindedly resting on my stomach.
I couldn’t shake the knot in my gut—the thought of walking away from BioHQ was like a vice around my heart. This child growing inside me, it needed safety, a shield from all this shit. But the lab...it was my life’s blood. To leave it all behind felt like tearing away a piece of my soul.
My phone buzzed against the nightstand, and I knew without looking it was Ellie. Her text popped up.
Just double-checked your notes for the conference. It’s all great, loved the jokes. Broke up some paragraphs. It’s a big day, but you got this!
“Damn,” I murmured, feeling the weight of apprehension mixed with a stubborn will to push through. I shuffled through the papers scattered across the bed—notes, slides, years of research condensed into bullet points and graphs. Sliding them into a slim folder, I tucked it into my bag alongside a bottle of prenatal vitamins. The morning sickness crept up on me like a thief, always poised to steal any semblance of comfort.
“Ellie’s right,” I told my reflection as I stood to smooth out my blouse, professional but forgiving around my changing figure. “It’s just another hurdle.” I steeled myself for the day, knowing that no matter what, the safety of this baby trumped every other fear. It was a new kind of resolve, unfamiliar and fierce. But it was mine, and I’d cling to it through whatever storm was coming our way.
I went to work and as I stepped out into the crisp morning air from the taxi, the buzz of the city was a familiar backdrop to the chaos that was my life. Ellie was already there waiting for me, her energy almost tangible even from across the street. She waved, a beacon of encouragement in the midst of my storm.
“Ready for the conference, Jade? Your keynote speech will be amazing!” Her voice danced with excitement, and for a brief moment, her confidence became mine.
“Let’s hope so,” I managed to reply, mustering a smile as we slid into the backseat of a waiting taxi. “I told the cabbie to wait. You didn’t bring a car, did you?”
She shook her head. “Fuck no,” she said. “Come on. Let’s go.”
We walked back to the taxi. The driver pulled away from the curb, merging into the river of yellow cabs and honking horns that flooded the avenues. The city was alive, pulsing with a rhythm that felt both exhilarating and overwhelming.
“Look at you, all calm and collected. I’d be a wreck,” Ellie said, giving my hand a quick squeeze. I appreciated the lie; she knew just how frayed my nerves were.