Page 46 of Ivory Legacy

“But it doesn’t yet, right? That’s why we needed funding. That’s why we needed the Morettis in the first place.”

“The funding was necessary for the growth,” Dante argued, his voice steady and firm. “We required resources for development,research, patents...BioHQ would never be on the path it is today without that initial investment.”

“This is an insane idea,” I said.

“Yeah, well, it’s this or marriage,” he replied. “So what do you say, Jade? Will you be the CEO of BioHQ or Mrs. Moretti?”

“Those can’t be my only choices.”

He tutted. “If you want your child to be safe, I’m afraid they are.”

The weight of Dante’s ultimatum settled heavily in my stomach, the pulsating rhythm of the city outside echoing my racing heart. I clutched at the edge of the seat, a mixture of fear, anger, and confusion clouding my thoughts.

“I don’t even know how to respond to that,” I muttered, turning away from his intense gaze.

“Take your time,” Dante said, his voice holding an unexpected gentleness. “I’m not rushing you. But you should know…no one touches wives. It’s…different. We have a code, and I know this might be hard to believe, but we follow it.”

He pulled into a parking spot in front of my building and turned off the engine, leaving us in a tense silence. The city lights shone around us, painting a surreal tableau of night shadows against the dashboard.

“But you’d still be involved in the... family business,” I managed to choke out.

“I’d do my best to distance myself from it,” Dante responded, his eyes meeting mine in the neon glow. “For you and our child.”

“You told me you’d leave this life behind.”

“And I meant every word,” he replied. “But I told you to give me time. I need to protect you before I can make that move. I need to protect you and our son. You understand that, right?”

I swallowed hard, my gaze dropping to the leather wheel in his hands. The road outside was slick with recent rain, drops painting the pavement with a garish sheen of neon light reflecting off city billboards and store signs. I glanced up at the building we were parked in front of - my old apartment complex - its lights warm and inviting.

“Do you still have the key?” Dante asked suddenly, breaking the silence that hung between us.

Startled, I nodded, retrieving the lanyard from my purse. The little metal object felt unnaturally heavy in my palm.

“Go up,” he suggested softly. “Take a look around. See if you can imagine yourself there again.”

“And what about you?”

“I’ll wait, Jade,” he said. “I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

Chapter Twenty-Two: Jade

Iwas back at work.

And I loved it.

The lab at BioHQ was alive with the hum of machinery and the subtle clink of glassware as I made my way to my station. The crisp edges of my lab coat felt like a familiar embrace after all my time away, wrapped in the chaos Dante had ushered into my life.

“Looks who’s back,” Ellie quipped from across the bench, her ponytail bobbing as she piped a violet substance into a petri dish. “The prodigal scientist returns.”

I’d arrived early, and we had greeted each other, but we had been surrounded by people. We hadn’t really had time to talk. The door to our lab was open and I was sure our colleagues could overhear us, so it made sense that Ellie was holding back.

But I still felt bad that she couldn’t say what she actually meant.

I couldn’t help but crack a smile. “And here I thought you’d barely notice I was gone.”

“Please, Jade,” Ellie said, rolling her eyes while her hands continued their methodical dance. “The place has been a disaster without your obsessive color-coding system.”

“Obsessive? It’s called efficient,” I shot back, slipping on a pair of gloves. “But I appreciate you holding down the fort.” I could feel the weight of my absence hanging between us—unspoken but heavy.

---