Chapter 88:


    Isolde’s phone buzzed. A text from And.


    Professor Nelson is the keynote speaker tomorrow. He’s asking about the ‘mystery engineer’ who fixed my turbine specs. This is your chance.


    Isolde looked at Stone, then at the message.


    “Okay,” she said. “I’ll go.”


    That night, in the Tribeca apartment, Isolde stood before the mirror.


    She didn’t choose ck. ck was for mourning.


    She chose red.


    A crimson gown, structured and sharp, with a neckline that plunged just enough to be dangerous. It was the color of blood, of warning signs, of fire.


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    Effie sat on the bed, clutching her teddy bear. “Mommy, you look like a superhero.”


    Isolde applied a coat of lipstick that matched the dress precisely.


    “I am, baby,” she said. “I’m going to fight the bad guys.”


    The Institute G was the event of the season for the aerospace industry. It was held at the Met, the Temple of Dendur bathed in soft blue light. Waiters circted with champagne flutes, and the air buzzed with talk of government contracts and propulsion systems.


    Grayson stood near the entrance, checking his watch. He looked impable in a tuxedo, but his eyes darted nervously around the room. Belle stood beside him in a pale blue dress that looked suspiciously simr to one Isolde had worn two years prior. She was smiling, but her grip on Grayson’s arm was w-like. Daron McKnight held court nearby with a cluster of junior investors,ughing too loudly.


    “She’s noting,” Belle whispered. “She knows she doesn’t belong here.”


    “She’lle,” Grayson muttered. “She has to.”


    Then the room went quiet. A ripple of silence started at the doors and spread inward.


    Isolde walked in.


    She wasn’t alone. She was on the arm of And Roth.


    The red dress was a shock to the system in a sea of ck ties and navy gowns. She moved with a fluid, predatory grace, her hair swept back to reveal her neck and shoulders. She looked regal. Untouchable.


    Cameras shed.


    Grayson felt his breath catch. He had never seen her like this. In his mind, she was soft, pliable, fading into the background. This woman was vivid.


    Belle made a small, strangled sound. “Why is she with him?”


    Isolde and And walked straight toward them — not to greet them, but because they were blocking the path to the main hall.


    “Isolde.” Grayson stepped forward, producing his best CEO smile. “You made it. You look…”


    “Expensive?” Isolde finished for him. “I know.”


    She didn’t stop. She moved to walk past him.


    Grayson grabbed her elbow. “Where do you think you’re going? Our table is this way.”


    Isolde looked at his hand until he released her. “I’m not sitting at your table, Grayson. I’m here with Orbital. As their Chief Engineer.”


    Daron snorted into his drink. “Chief Engineer? That’s a good one. Last I checked, your degree was in event nning. Are you going to re-engineer the canapés?”


    A few people nearby chuckled nervously.


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