Chapter 6 - TWELVE HOURS TO DAWNThe main laboratory at Ellsworth Dynamics was locked down under armed guard at midnight.
While the rest of the city slept, Nathan and Clarissa worked side-by-side in their dress clothes, surrounded by empty coffee cups, blue glowing monitors, and exposed fiber-optic wires.
Nathan removed his tuxedo jacket and rolled up his white sleeves, revealing his muscular forearms as he typed complex algorithms into the primary server. Clarissa sat beside him, manually rewiring the micro-actuator sensors beneath the surgical platform chassis.
"You're very good at coding for a CEO," Clarissa remarked, wiping a stray strand of hair from her face with her forearm.
"I built my first server in my mother's garage when I was sixteen," Nathan smiled softly, looking over at her. "I'm an engineer first, Clarissa. A businessman second."
He paused, watching the way the blue light from the monitors reflected off her face.
"Why didn't you fight back three years ago when Sterling ruined you?" Nathan asked gently.
Clarissa’s hands paused on the wire harness. "My father died of a heart attack two days after Julian stole our patents. I was broke, grieving, and pursued by corporate lawyers. Cleaning floors was the only way I could stay invisible while I looked for a way to prove my father's innocence."
Nathan reached out, covering her oil-stained hand with his warm palm.
"You don't have to hide anymore, Clarissa," Nathan promised softly, his voice heavy with deep emotion. "I will burn Sterling’s empire to the ground before I let him touch you again."
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Clarissa looked into his eyes, feeling a wave of warmth wash over her bruised heart. She leaned up, pressing a soft, lingering kiss onto his cheek.
"Let's finish the code first, Nathan," she whispered.
