35 Chapter 35–An Unexpected Catch.
35 Chapter 35 – An Unexpected Catch
I smoothed my skirt, willing my heartbeat to slow. “Research. I needed that thermal dynamics text.”
I clutched the book to my chest like a shield. “I’m working on the coolant problem. The answer isn’t in their current approach–they’re trying to modify the compound itself when they should be focusing on the delivery system.”
I nodded, gathering my notes. As I turned to leave, Arthur caught my arm gently.
“This one?” he asked, holding it out to me.
It wasn’t a question, but I answered anyway. “Yes.”
I felt the ladder wobble beneath me, my fingers just grazing the spine of the reference book I needed. The Sterling Group’s library was impressive–three walls of floor–to–ceiling shelves filled with technical manuals and research papers that would make any scientist drool. But right now, all I cared about was that one thermal dynamics text just beyond my reach.
My stomach sank. “There must be some mistake. The file wasn’t blank-”
I saved my work and stood up. “I need to check something in the library,” I told no one in particular, hurrying toward the exit.
“And Elara? Next time, use a format they can actually open.”
I watched him walk away and slip into the elevator. Something told me he wasn’t just going for coffee.
“You’re full of surprises, Elara Dubois,” he said quietly.
“I’ve finished it,” I said confidently. “And this time, I’ve made sure you can open the file.”
But instead of the hard floor, I crashed into something firm yet yielding. Strong arms wrapped around me, catching me mid–fall. The momentum sent us both stumbling backward, but whoever caught me managed to stay upright.
I bit my lip. “I know.”
“Continue,” he prompted.
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35 Chapter 35 – An Unexpected Catch
35 Chapter 35 – An Unexpected Catch
I smoothed my skirt, willing my heartbeat to slow. “Research. I needed that thermal dynamics text.”
I clutched the book to my chest like a shield. “I’m working on the coolant problem. The answer isn’t in their current approach–they’re trying to modify the compound itself when they should be focusing on the delivery system.”
I nodded, gathering my notes. As I turned to leave, Arthur caught my arm gently.
“This one?” he asked, holding it out to me.
It wasn’t a question, but I answered anyway. “Yes.”
I felt the ladder wobble beneath me, my fingers just grazing the spine of the reference book I needed. The Sterling Group’s library was impressive–three walls of floor–to–ceiling shelves filled with technical manuals and research papers that would make any scientist drool. But right now, all I cared about was that one thermal dynamics text just beyond my reach.
My stomach sank. “There must be some mistake. The file wasn’t blank-”
I saved my work and stood up. “I need to check something in the library,” I told no one in particular, hurrying toward the exit.
“And Elara? Next time, use a format they can actually open.”
I watched him walk away and slip into the elevator. Something told me he wasn’t just going for coffee.
“You’re full of surprises, Elara Dubois,” he said quietly.
“I’ve finished it,” I said confidently. “And this time, I’ve made sure you can open the file.”
But instead of the hard floor, I crashed into something firm yet yielding. Strong arms wrapped around me, catching me mid–fall. The momentum sent us both stumbling backward, but whoever caught me managed to stay upright.
I bit my lip. “I know.”
“Continue,” he prompted.
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35 Chapter 35 – An Unexpected Catch
“But it works,” I replied. “The simulation proves it.”
Leo Finch emerged from his office, looking haggard. He glanced at me, his expression hardening before he turned to address the team.
He turned another page, his arm brushing mine. “You developed this yourself?”
I looked up into the piercing blue eyes of Arthur Sterling.
“Are you alright?”
Sure enough, twenty minutes later, the elevator doors opened again, revealing Arthur. He surveyed the frantic activity of the floor before his eyes found me. Our gazes locked briefly before I looked away, returning to my calculations.
“Listen up, everyone,” he announced. “We have forty–eight hours to solve the coolant issue or I’m submitting my resignation.”
As I neared completion, Ian appeared at my desk.
I blinked. “What?”
“Philip Mercer tells me you’ve been wasting time,” he said conversationally.
“Why are you in the library?” he asked. “Shouldn’t you be with Finch’s team?”
I kept my eyes on my work. “I’m actually finishing the coolant solution.”
I hesitated, then pulled out my notebook, flipping to my calculations. Arthur looked over my shoulder, his presence warm at my back as he studied the pages.
An hour later, Philip Mercer–Caleb’s right–hand man–passed by my desk, smirking as he noticed my screen.
Frustrated but determined, I returned to my desk. If they wouldn’t listen, I’d just have to show them. I began converting my work to their preferred format, trying to ignore the hostile environment.
“You need ThermaCore to open it,” I explained. “It’s a specialized modeling program.”
Back in the R&D department, I returned to my desk with renewed determination. The whispers and stares continued, but they mattered less now. I knew what I had, and soon they would too.
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“I need a reference book,” I replied, not meeting his eyes.
The elevator arrived with a soft ding. I stepped inside, hoping Arthur would stay behind. Instead, he joined me, pressing the button for the library floor himself.
“Why are you really here, Elara?” Arthur asked, his voice softer now.
I opened the book, flipping to a section on thermal transfer mechanisms. “See this? The current system treats the coolant as a fixed–viscosity fluid, but if we could develop a variable–viscosity approach that responds to temperature fluctuations…”
He snorted. “Of course. Must be nice being the boss’s wife.”
“Philip Mercer doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
The room fell silent.
I walked to a table where I’d left some notes earlier. “I told you. I’m solving the coolant problem.”
I shook my head. Focus, Elara. The coolant problem was what mattered now.
“Which we don’t use here,” he replied dismissively. “If you actually worked in this field, you’d know Sterling Group uses FluidSim.”
Arthur didn’t immediately release me. For a moment, something flashed in his eyes- something intense that made my breath catch. Then, as if realizing our position, he let his hands drop.
“I don’t have time for excuses,” he said without looking up. “Some of us actually have
work to do.”
Before I could respond, he walked away, leaving me confused. I made my way to my assigned desk, feeling the weight of disapproving stares.
Arthur’s expression shifted, interest replacing his usual detachment. “Explain.”
I trailed off, suddenly aware I was rambling technical details to the CEO who probably had no interest in the specifics. But to my surprise, Arthur was watching me intently.
I approached a woman I’d met yesterday–Melissa, I remembered. “What happened this morning?”
That voice. Low, authoritative, and unmistakable.
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My fingertips brushed the book, nudging it slightly. Almost there. I rose onto my tiptoes, the metal ladder creaking ominously. One more inch…
Our fingers brushed as I took it, sending an unexpected jolt through me. Arthur’s eyes narrowed slightly, and I wondered if he’d felt it too.
Another long look, then he nodded once. “Carry on, then.”
“Yes.”
“Leo’s team has been working on that for months.”
I found myself pressed against a broad chest, the scent of expensive cologne filling my senses. My hands had instinctively gripped the lapels of what felt like a very expensive suit.
“Finish your conversion. I want to see their faces when you solve their unsolvable problem.”
“I just got out of a meeting with the board,” he continued. “They’re threatening to pull funding if we don’t deliver. So it’s all hands on deck. No breaks, no excuses.”
Two hours later, I gathered my notes and headed back to the R&D floor. As soon as 1 stepped off the elevator, I sensed something was wrong. The usual hum of conversation died as I walked in. People who had been friendly yesterday now averted their eyes.
With a dramatic sigh, he pulled up the email. There it was–my detailed solution, with an attachment that appeared as a blank icon on his screen.
“Your team seems to think you’ve been avoiding work.”
“But the file wasn’t blank,” I insisted. “Did you check the attachment format? It was a specialized thermal modeling file–you would need the right software to open it.”
I bit back my frustration. “Can I at least see what you received?”
I finally looked at him. “They’re wrong.”
lan stared at me, completely speechless, as the implications of what I’d just said sank
- in.
“This is… unconventional,” he said finally.
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He turned to leave, then paused. “Be careful on that ladder.”
“We don’t have an hour to waste on your pretend work,” he snapped. “Leo’s career is on- the line. Either help for real or go back to playing in the library.”
“Some of you might think you have special privileges,” he added. “You don’t. Either contribute or get out of the way.”
After Arthur left, I sank into a chair at one of the library tables, my heart still racing. Not just from the fall, but from the unexpected intensity of that brief encounter. The way he’d looked at me–like he was seeing me for the first time.
The elevator doors opened on the library floor, and I stepped out quickly. Arthur followed. The space was empty except for us, the silence almost oppressive compared to the frenzied activity upstairs.
“Why not show this to Leo?” he asked eventually.
“Where have you been?” Ian Coleman intercepted me, his tone accusatory.
“Are you still working on that library project?” he asked skeptically.
I looked up at him, tired of the condescension. “No, Ian. I’m finishing the solution to your coolant problem. The one you thought I failed to solve.”
Arthur fell silent again, continuing to read. His focus was absolute, his expression revealing nothing as he absorbed the complex equations I’d written.
He finally looked at me, irritation clear on his face. “Look, Mrs. Sterling, I’ve been doing this job for three years. I know how to open a file.”
“I tried. They received my email but couldn’t open the attachment format. I’m converting it now, but no one believes I actually did the work.”
“Thank you,” I added, trying to step back.
Arthur’s lips twitched. “That’s one thing we agree on.”
“I need to finish the calculations,” I said. “But I think I can solve it by the end of the day.”
His gaze landed on me again, lingering this time. The disappointment in his eyes was palpable.
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His eyebrows shot up. “You’re what?”
“The library,” I replied. “Why?”
“Save it,” she cut me off. “We’re all working overtime now because Leo stuck his neck out for you.”
His laugh was derisive. “Sure you are.”
I made it to the elevator and pressed the button repeatedly, willing it to arrive before Arthur reached me. No such luck.
“Empty?” I frowned. “What email?”
From the corner of my eye, I saw him speaking with Leo, their conversation too quiet to overhear. Then he began walking toward me.
She walked away, leaving me stunned. I hurried to lan’s desk.
Arthur was quiet for a long moment. “Show me.”
I took a deep breath. “I can convert it. Just give me an hour-”
“Show me your solution.”
Something in his tone made my breath catch. The way he was looking at me–intense, curious, almost… admiring?
“And you think you can solve it in a day.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
She looked around before answering in a hushed tone. “Leo put everything on the line for you. Caleb was pressuring him to transfer you out, but Leo insisted you stay. Said you were brilliant.” She shook her head. “Then you didn’t show up for the emergency meeting, and lan found your email was empty.”
“And I have the answer,” I insisted, frustrated. “But no one will listen because they’ve already decided I’m just the CEO’s wife playing scientist.”
The ladder shifted suddenly! My stomach dropped as I felt myself losing balance. The book forgotten, I scrambled to grab something–anything–to stop my fall.
“Running away?” he asked, coming to stand beside me.
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“The one you supposedly sent with your work on the coolant problem?” She raised an eyebrow. “lan opened it this morning. Blank file.”
The moment stretched between us, electric and unexpected. Then Arthur stepped back, clearing his throat.
Arthur closed the notebook, turning to face me. We were standing close–too close. Like in the library earlier, but without the excuse of a near–fall.
“Come on,” I muttered, stretching further.
“Trying to look busy?” he asked loudly enough for others to hear. “Don’t worry, we all know you’re just here because of who you married.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “I will.”
“Ian, about that email-”
I couldn’t help but smile at that. “Yes, sir.”
Arthur studied me for a long moment, his gaze calculating. “Leo’s team has been stuck on this for weeks.”
“I–yes,” I stammered, suddenly aware of how close we were. His arms were still around me, one hand at my waist, the other at my upper back. My body was flush against his, and I could feel the steady rhythm of his heart against my palm.
He looked up at the shelf, then reached up effortlessly to grab the book I’d been struggling for. He was tall enough to reach it without the ladder.
The message was clear, even if I didn’t understand what I’d done to deserve it. As Leo retreated to his office, the rest of the team sprang into action, a frantic energy filling the space.
“What are you doing up there?” he asked, glancing at the ladder.
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