The Heiress He Underestimated novel Chapter 18

The headquarters of Vex Industries was not in a glittering downtown skyscraper, but in a sprawling, low- slung complex of glass and steel that looked more like a university campus than a corporate fortress. It was nestled in a private, wooded area on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by a high, vine–covered wall that hummed with subtle energy. As Elera guided her modest sedan through the imposing front gates, she felt the weight of scrutiny. Cameras tracked her progress, and a silent, uniformed security guard at a checkpoint scanned her retina and the car’s undercarriage before waving her through with a nod.

It was a far cry from the gilded opulence of Xan’s world. This was a place of quiet, intimidating power. The kind that didn’t need to shout.

She parked in a visitor’s spot, taking a moment to gather herself. She wasn’t here as Elyrian Nethys, the fiancée. She wasn’t even here fully as Dr. Mystral. She was here as a detective walking into the lion’s den for a second time, but this lion might have sharper teeth and a better disguise.

The main lobby was a vast atrium, filled with living green walls and the soft sound of trickling water. The air was cool and smelled of ozone and growing things. People in lab coats and business attire moved with quiet purpose across the polished concrete floor. No one looked at her twice. She was just another visitor.

A young woman with a severe blonde bun and an impeccably tailored suit approached her. “Miss Nethys? Mr. Vex is expecting you. Please follow me.”

They didn’t take the elevators. Instead, the woman led her down a wide, sun–dappled corridor and through a set of double doors marked ‘Private Research Wing – Authorization Omega Required. Another retina scan, and the doors hissed open.

Elera stepped into a different world.

It was the most advanced medical facility she had ever seen outside of her own secret lab. The scale was breathtaking. Glass–walled rooms housed equipment so cutting–edge she’d only read about it in proprietary journals. Scientists and technicians worked behind the glass, their faces masks of concentration. The hum

was not of machines, but of focused, immense potential.

“This way,” her guide said, leading her to a door at the end of the hall.

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