I Told You To Run But You Didn't (Georgia) novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35

84%

Finished

Georgia’s POV

With the clock ticking, Lucas launched into a frantic, high-stakes pitch, his voice a little too loud in the quiet

room.

“The Helios Project is the future of pain management, Mr. Salvatore,” he began, tapping a tablet to show a sleek animation of nanobots flowing through a bloodstream. “We’ve developed a non-addictive, highly effective analgesic delivered by targeted nanobots. It’s not a chemical that dulls the senses; it’s a technology that simply switches off the pain receptors at the source

Kiara jumped in, her voice smooth and practiced. “Imagine the synergy. Your Neuro-Dominion System controls the mind, and Helios controls the body’s physical sensations. Together, we could offer a complete package of human regulation. The applications are limitless.”

Estevan leaned back in his chair, his expression one of bored scrutiny. He let the silence hang for a moment before he spoke, his questions sharp and precise, like a surgeon’s scalpel.

“What’s the protocol for a cyberattack?” he asked, cutting straight through their pitch. “If an outside party hijacks your nanobots, is there a kill switch, or do they now own the subject’s entire nervous system?”

Lucas paled slightly. “Our encryption is state-of-the-art military-grade-”

“That wasn’t my question,” Estevan said, his voice dangerously quiet. “What’s the protocol?”

Lucas faltered, his eyes darting to his notes. He looked lost. And in that moment of panic, his gaze shot across the table to me. It was a look I knew all too well-the desperate, pleading glance of a drowning man, begging me to throw him a lifeline. I could see it all in that split second: the company was collapsing, and this deal was his last hope.

Kiara, seeing him struggle, tried to jump in. “What Mr. Sterling means to say is that the potential for-”

Estevan silenced her with a single, dismissive wave of his hand, not even bothering to look at her. His full, undivided attention turned to me, and the predatory boredom in his eyes was replaced by a look of intense, analytical curiosity.

“Ms. Sinclair,” he said, his voice now calm and conversational, as if we were the only two people in the room. “You’ve heard the pitch. He’s selling a non-addictive painkiller. A tool that can turn off pain on command.”

He leaned forward, a dark, conspiratorial glint in his eyes.

“Tell me. Do you think such a technology would be beneficial for my… other projects?”

All eyes in the room turned to me-Lucas’s, wide with desperate hope. Kiara’s eyes narrowed with impatient contempt. And Estevan’s, burning with an intense, analytical curiosity.

I was in the hot seat, and the air was thick with tension.

Kiara broke the silence, her smile a tight, plastic thing. Well, Georgia? Mr. Salvatore asked you a question. Please, enlighten us with your expert opinion.”

I ignored her, my gaze locked on Estevan. I took a slow, steadying breath. “Lucas is right about the synergy,“ I began, my voice even. “Your system controls the mind his controls the body’s physical response.” I paused, letting the weight of my next words land. “In the right hands, that combination is a cure. In the

1/3

11:43 Sat, Mar / A

Chapter 35

wrong hands, it’s a curse. Its value depends entirely on the morality of the user.”

84%1

Finished

A slow, appreciative sparkle lit Estevan’s eyes. He gave a single, decisive nod, as if my words were the final piece of data he needed. He then turned his gaze to Lucas.

“Alright, Sterling,” he said, his tone final. “We’ll sign a provisional partnership. One year. If the project yields satisfactory results, we can discuss a more permanent arrangement.”

The relief that washed over Lucas was so profound that he physically sagged in his chair. He looked at me, a genuine, grateful, and almost wistful smile touching his lips for the first time in years.

Kiara, on the other hand, was a perfect statue of forced leasantry, but the murderous jealousy in her e

could have frozen my drinks.

Feeling suffocated by the charged atmosphere, I murmured, “Excuse me,” and made my way to the washroom.

The door to the washroom slammed open. It was Kiara, her face twisted with rage.

“You just love being the star of the show, don’t you?” she hissed, blocking the exit.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, tired of the drama.

“Don’t play dumb with me!” she snapped. “That whole cure or a curse’ act? You knew exactly what to say to make him look at you. You’re such a fake!”

CRACK!

Her hand slapped hard across my face, the sound echoing off the tiles.

“You are a pathetic little orphan who knows how to cry to get what she wants!” she screamed, her voice shaking with jealousy. “You wrecked Lucas’s life, and now you’re trying to sink your hooks into Estevan? Stay away from him! You are not in his league!”

I slowly turned my head back, the sting on my cheek already fading. I looked her dead in the eye, my expression completely calm. I didn’t cry. I didn’t even flinch.

“Was that supposed to hurt?” I asked, my voice dangerously quiet.

Kiara stared at me, shocked into silence by my lack of reaction.

I gave her a look of pure pity. “You can have Lucas’s mess. I’m done with him.” A cold, humorless smile touched my lips. “But you seem to think this is a competition for Estevan, Honey, you’re not even in the game.”

I calmly walked past her, leaving her standing there, speechless and defeated.

I walked back to the table to grab my things. Estevan wa outside, talking on the phone, but Lucas was still there, looking lost. I ignored him and headed for the exit, but he moved quickly, blocking my way.

I let out an annoyed sigh. “What is it, Lucas?”

“I just wanted to say thank you,” he said, his voice hope 1. “For your help-”

“I wasn’t helping you,” I cut in, my voice cold. “I was answering a question. It was a statement of fact.”

川

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify