Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 35

Author’s POV:

:

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Connor Haxton walked briskly down the street, phone pressed to his ear as he reported the latest developments to his employer.

“Mr. Haxton, I’ve just received word from Felix that there was quite a scene at Cloud City High today,” Connor said, his voice low despite the empty corridor. “The Morgan girl broke a student’s leg -the son of Councilman Reynolds, no less.”

“Interesting,” Ethan Haxton’s smooth voice replied through the phone. “Was it deliberate?”

“Yes, sir. According to Felix, she did it to defend her brother, who was being bullied. But the way she did it…” Connor hesitated. “Felix said it was precise, calculated. One strike, perfectly placed to cause a clean break. Not something your average teenager knows how to do.”

“So she’s not just resourceful but trained as well,” Ethan mused, the interest evident in his tone. “It seems our Miss Morgan has more layers than I initially thought.”

“That’s correct, sir. And when confronted by the Reynolds family, she apparently mentioned the Haxton name. The mere mention of your family name caused Reynolds to back down immediately and apologize to her.”

“Did she now?” There was a pause. “Meet me at my office in twenty minutes. We need to discuss this further.”

Inside Ethan Haxton’s sleek, minimalist office overlooking Manhattan, Connor stood rigidly, his report complete. Ethan swiveled in his leather chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“So she’s leveraging our family name already,” Ethan mused, fingers steepled beneath his chin. “Bold move for someone who’s only had minimal contact with Alexander. I wonder what else she’s capable

of.”

“Mr. Haxton,” Connor began carefully, “aren’t you concerned that this girl might become a problem? Now she has the backing of both your family and Felix Huxley.”

Ethan’s green eyes flashed. “Are you suggesting we should be ungrateful to someone who saved

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10:07 Wed, Sep 17

Chapter 35

Alexander’s life?”

:

“No, sir, of course not.” Connor shifted uncomfortably. “I’m simply concerned that she might bring unwanted attention to the family.”

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Ethan laughed, the sound sharp and dismissive. “How much trouble could she possibly cause? She’s a high school student in a backwater town like Cloud City.” He stood, straightening his custom suit. “You’re overestimating her, Connor.”

“With respect, sir, I believe you’re underestimating her.”

Ethan’s eyebrow arched slightly. “Did she pass any message for me specifically?”

“No, sir.”

Jade’s POV:

The following morning, I stepped out of a taxi in front of the Morrison Pharmaceutical Research

Center in New York. The gleaming glass building towered above me.

I walked through the automatic doors into the pristine lobby, my footsteps measured and confident

as I approached the reception desk.

“Good morning,” I said to the receptionist, keeping my voice pleasant but businesslike. “I’m here to

purchase some research materials.”

The receptionist smiled with practiced politeness. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but I have a list of what I need.” I placed a folded paper on the counter, already anticipating her

reaction.

Just as expected, her eyebrows rose progressively higher as she scanned the document. “These are… highly specialized compounds. Some of them are restricted for approved research only.”

‘Is that a problem?” I asked coolly, though I knew it would be. Bureaucracy is always an obstacle, but rarely an insurmountable one.

“Do you have a research permit or institutional approval?” The receptionist looked increasingly uncomfortable, shifting in her seat.

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Chapter 35

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“No, but I’d like to speak with Dr. Walter Morrison if he’s available.” This was my trump card–I’d had dealings with Morrison in my previous life, though he wouldn’t recognize this face.

The receptionist hesitated. “Let me make a call.”

While she picked up the phone, I noticed a man in a lab coat approaching, his attention caught by our conversation. I sized him up instantly–mid–forties, self–important, the type who derives pleasure from exercising what little authority he has.

“Is there an issue here, Sandra?” he asked, eyeing me with barely concealed suspicion.

“This young woman is requesting to purchase restricted compounds without proper credentials,” the

receptionist explained.

The man turned to me, his demeanor instantly condescending–just as I’d predicted. “I’m Dr. Daniel

Mercer, head of research operations. Let me see that list.” He snatched the paper from the counter, a power move I chose to ignore.

His eyes widened as he read. “MR–27 variant? Do you have any idea what this costs?”

I kept my expression neutral, though inwardly I was calculating how quickly I could access it through less legitimate channels if this approach failed. “Why don’t you tell me?”

‘One hundred fifty thousand dollars per 10 milligrams,” he stated, clearly expecting shock. “And that’s if we were authorized to sell it to you, which we’re not.”

I knew this was a lie. The compound wasn’t that expensive, even on the black market. “Is that the price Dr. Morrison authorized?” I asked calmly.

Dr. Mercer’s face flushed–a tell that he was lying. “Listen, young lady, I don’t know who you are or how you even know these compounds exist, but-”

“I have an appointment with Dr. Morrison,” I cut in.

“No, you don’t, I oversee his schedule.” Mercer’s voice rose as he crumpled the list and tossed it onto the floor–a childish display of dominance. “Security.”

Two security guards approached. I assessed them quickly–unarmed, minimal training based on their stance. Taking them down would be trivial, but counterproductive to my goal. Before I needed to decide on an alternative approach, an older man with silver hair and keen eyes emerged from an elevator.

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