Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose novel Chapter 85

**Healing Slowly But Surely**
By R. Joseph

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The lady in charge.

Leilani.

—

“Take charge.” Those were the last words Jarek murmured into my ear, his breath warm against my skin, just before he stepped back to pull out the imposing chair at the head of the table. Initially, I assumed he was preparing to sit, but I was taken aback when his hand suddenly gripped my wrist, halting me mid-stride.

With a calm drawl, he insisted, “You’re to sit here. You’re in charge of this meeting.”

As those words hung in the air, a heavy silence enveloped the room, thick enough to cut with a knife. I swallowed hard, acutely aware of the small, encouraging smile he flashed my way, his fingers squeezing mine with a tenderness that felt both comforting and empowering.

In response, I couldn’t help but smile back, taking my seat despite the piercing glares from the faces that haunted my past.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” I began, my voice steady, yet I could feel the tremor of nerves beneath my composed exterior. “I am Leilani Sinclair, the leading engineer responsible for everything pertaining to CUSP. I was informed by my boss that you have set your sights on our technology, so I would like to know precisely what you expect from us.”

The sound of my voice echoed in the stillness, and despite the fluttering in my stomach, I managed to project confidence. Cold, unwavering confidence.

As I surveyed the faces before me, I noted the discomfort etched on their features. Gavin, for instance, couldn’t meet my gaze, and I was certain it had everything to do with the shocking discovery he made at my house just yesterday. My parents wore their usual expressions of disapproval, their scowls deepening as they assessed the situation.

Chalice, on the other hand, had turned a bright shade of crimson, while the two men seated beside her, Kael and Caelum, seemed unable to muster the courage to look at me.

I was well aware that their avoidance stemmed from the painful memories of our last encounter.

Zevran, too, was no better. Although I felt a flicker of gratitude for his actions on that fateful night, it didn’t erase the fact that he was still one of them—someone who had inflicted pain just as much as the others had.

I sighed, irritation creeping into my voice. “Why is no one speaking? Have you lost your interest in collaborating with us on the CUSP project?”

Jarek chuckled softly, but the silence persisted. The tension in the air was almost tangible, thickening with every passing second, until it was finally shattered by Zevran’s deep voice.

“We want to. We just didn’t think that—”

“I’ll be the one you’ll be negotiating with?” I interrupted, my tone sharp, relishing the way his face flushed before he averted his eyes.

“Yes,” he conceded, his voice barely above a whisper.

“So, you intended to get your hands on my ongoing project but didn’t want to deal with me?” I retorted, a sense of satisfaction washing over me as I watched everyone avert their gazes.

This was my strategy: to irritate them until they abandoned their dreams of partnership. To provoke them until they revealed something I could use against them. I had a treasure trove of information that could bring them crashing down; I just needed a little more.

Caelum piped up, “We know you’re the leading engineer for this project. But this matter should be discussed between us and the management. Not with you.”

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