My Coldhearted Husband'S Regret novel Chapter 28

28 The Rival’s Hidden Goal

28 The Rival’s Hidden Goal

“What did you just say?” Elara’s voice was barely audible over the hum of the car engine. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the edge of her seat.

Julian glanced at her, his brow furrowed with concern. “Vivienne Dubois. She interviewed last week while you were handling that situation with Cora. I thought you’d be pleased-she’s highly regarded in the field.”

The inside of the car suddenly felt airless. Elara struggled to maintain her composure, memories crashing over her like waves: Damien’s hand resting possessively on Vivienne’s waist at company functions; Cora’s excited chatter about “Aunt Vivie” bringing her presents; the countless nights she’d spent alone while her husband was “working late” with her half-sister.

“Julian,” she said finally, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her, “Vivienne Dubois is my half-sister.”

His expression shifted from confusion to dawning realization. “Your half-sister? But you’ve never mentioned-”

“And she’s also Damien’s mistress.” The words tasted bitter on her tongue.

The car swerved sharply as Julian’s foot slammed on the brake. They lurched forward, then back against their seats. A horn blared angrily behind them.

“Sorry, sorry,” Julian muttered, pulling the car to the side of the road. He put it in park and turned to face her fully. “Are you serious? The woman I’ve been trying to recruit is your husband’s-” He caught himself. “Your ex-husband’s lover?”

Elara nodded, a cold anger replacing her initial shock. “And there’s no way in hell I want her anywhere near YodaVision.”

Julian ran a hand through his hair, his expression darkening. “Consider it done. I’ll call HR immediately and stop the onboarding process,”

“Just like that? No questions asked?” Despite herself, Elara felt a rush of gratitude.

“Just like that,” Julian confirmed firmly. “This company is as much yours as it is mine,

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Elara. More, actually, considering you created the foundation it’s built on.” He paused. “Besides, I may admire her technical skills, but I value loyalty far more.”

The tension in Elara’s shoulders eased slightly. “Thank you.”

Julian pulled back onto the road, his jaw set in determination. “What I don’t understand is why she would apply to our company in the first place. We’re not exactly Thorne Industries. We don’t have nearly the same resources or market presence.”

“That’s exactly what I was wondering,” Elara said, staring out the window at the passing streetlights. “If it was just to torment me, she couldn’t have known I was returning. I’ve kept that information private.”

“Does she even know you’re one of the founders?”

“I doubt it. Damien never showed interest in my work before the marriage, and afterward…” Elara shrugged, the gesture eloquent in its resignation. “I became just ‘Mrs. Thorne’ to most people. My name was removed from company materials when I stepped away.”

Julian tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, thinking. “So she wouldn’t know you’re a major shareholder.”

“No, she wouldn’t.”

They drove in silence for several minutes, each lost in thought. The city lights blurred past, neon signs and skyscrapers fading into the background of their concentration.

Suddenly, Julian straightened. “Wait a minute. During her interview, she asked specifically about our proprietary technologies.”

Elara turned to look at him, a chill running down her spine. “What did she ask about?”

“Several things-our neural network architecture, the server infrastructure.” Julian’s voice slowed as realization dawned. “But she seemed particularly interested in Cuap.”

“Cuap?” Elara repeated, her pulse quickening. “My programming language?”

“Yes. She mentioned it by name, actually. Asked about its applications beyond what we’ve publicly disclosed.”

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28 The Rival’s Hidden Goal

Cuap was Elara’s brainchild, a programming language she’d developed during her university years. Unlike conventional languages, it integrated principles from quantum computing, allowing for more intuitive problem-solving across multiple platforms. It was elegant, efficient, and nearly impossible to replicate without understanding the mathematical principles behind it.

“Julian,” Elara said slowly, “how would she even know about Cuap? We’ve kept it proprietary. It’s not mentioned in any of our marketing materials.”

“That’s a damn good question.” Julian’s eyes narrowed as he navigated a turn. “The only people who should be familiar with it are either on our development team or…”

“Or they have access to Thorne Industries’ acquisition targets,” Elara finished for him. The implication hung heavy in the air. If Thorne Industries was interested in acquiring YodaVision-or more specifically, the rights to Cuap-sending Vivienne as a corporate spy would give them inside access.

“She doesn’t want a job,” Elara said, cold clarity washing over her. “She wants my work.”

Julian snorted derisively. “Well, she’s not getting it. Not on my watch.” He cast a sidelong glance at Elara. “Besides, you’re ten times the programmer she’ll ever be. I’ve seen her code. It’s technically proficient but lacks innovation.”

Despite the situation, Elara felt a small smile tug at her lips. Julian’s unwavering confidence in her abilities had been a constant throughout their friendship, even during the years when she’d doubted herself the most.

“I’m serious,” Julian continued, warming to his subject. “The way you conceptualize problems is unique. You see patterns where others see chaos. That’s why Cuap works so brilliantly-it’s not just elegant code, it’s a different way of thinking.”

“Thank you,” Elara said softly. “But flattery won’t distract me from the fact that my half-sister is apparently trying to steal my intellectual property.”

“Not flattery. Truth.” Julian’s tone was matter-of-fact. “And don’t worry about Vivienne. I’ll handle it personally.”

They pulled up to a stoplight, and Julian turned to face her again, his expression serious. “Elara, you need to understand something. What you created with Cuap isn’t

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28 The Rival’s Hidden Goal

just valuable-it’s revolutionary. The applications for Al alone could transform entire industries.”

Elara nodded slowly. “I know.” After years of downplaying her accomplishments to avoid overshadowing Damien, acknowledging her own worth still felt strange.

“So does Vivienne, apparently,” Julian said grimly. “The question is, what exactly does she-or Damien-plan to do with it if they get their hands on it?”

The light turned green, and the car moved forward again. Elara stared ahead, trying to piece together this new puzzle. Was this Vivienne’s own initiative, or was Damien involved? Did this have anything to do with the divorce proceedings?

“There’s something else,” Julian said, interrupting her thoughts. “During her interview, Vivienne kept mentioning a project she’s working on. Something called ‘Phoenix.’ She was asking if Cuap could potentially interface with it.”

“Phoenix?” Elara frowned. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“Neither had I. But based on her questions, it sounds like some kind of advanced neural network.” Julian shot her a meaningful look. “The kind that would benefit enormously from Cuap’s adaptive learning protocols.”

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