Say Less I Love You Episode 11

Chapter 114

JACOB

As I head back up to my office, I can't get Kevin's smug face out of my mind. His words echo in my head: "She'll be fine, man. Stop trying to play the protective ex-fiancé." The way he said it, like he knows what's best for her. Like he understands her better than I do.

"That Shaw guy's a real piece of work," Derek says, clapping me on the back. His presence pulls me from my brooding. "But we've got bigger fish to fry."

I nod, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, you're right. Let's dive into this formulation."

We spread the documents across my desk, the intellectual property papers Marcus left behind. The full details of Neuromax's revolutionary formula lie within these pages, waiting to be decoded.

"Coffee?" Derek asks, already heading for the machine. "Something tells me we're pulling an all-nighter."

"Make it strong," I reply, squinting at a particularly complex chemical sequence. "And grab the good stuff from my private stash. We're gonna need it."

I get lost in magic of the science in front of me. A seemingly random assortment of numbers and letters that will result in a miracle drug that will help thousands of people. That is, if it actually works this time.

Derek returns with two steaming mugs, he glances over my shoulder at the documents I've been spending the last fifteen minutes staring at. "Jesus, look at these molecular structures. Marcus was a genius."

"Or insane," I mutter, flipping through another page. "Maybe both."

"Takes one to know one," Derek quips, earning a half-hearted glare from me.

"Alright, let's get these to the lab," I say, reminding Derek who is in charge.

I pull up the documents on my computer as I lean back in my chair, scanning the formulation one last time before hitting send. The email whooshes off to our labs, carrying with it the future of Stone Hospital Group.

"Done," I announce. "Now we wait."

Derek refreshes his email obsessively. "How long do you think before we hear back?"

"From the labs? Could be hours." I check my watch. "It's already past midnight."

A few minutes later, my phone buzzes. Dr. Chen, our lead researcher. "Stone here."

"Mr. Stone, we've received the formulation," she says, her voice crackling with excitement. "Initial analysis looks promising. The molecular structure is... it's elegant. Beautiful, even."

"Keep me posted," I say. "I want updates every hour, even if it's just to say nothing's changed."

After hanging up, I turn to Derek. "Think Marcus knew what he was doing? Leaving this to Nyla?"

Derek shrugs, gathering the papers into a neat stack. "Maybe he saw something in her we didn't. Or maybe he just wanted to stick it to us one last time."

"Either way," I say, standing to stretch my cramping muscles, "let's make it count."

"We should look into establishing a dedicated R&D facility for Neuromax," I say, tossing another empty coffee cup into the overflowing trash bin. "Maybe Brooklyn? The real estate's still reasonable there."

Derek looks up from his laptop, an amused expression crossing his face. "Already on it, boss. The site selection team's been scouting locations for weeks."

I blink, my sleep-deprived brain struggling to catch up. "Wait, what? When did we...?"

"Three weeks ago. That lunch at Le Bernardin?" Derek closes his laptop. "You were pretty focused on your Dover sole, but you did approve the expansion plans."

"Shit." I rub my temples. "Sorry, things have been..."

"A clusterfuck?" Derek offers helpfully.

"That's one way to put it." I lean back in my chair, the leather creaking. "So, tell me about these locations."

Derek pulls up a map on his tablet. "We've got three promising spots. Old warehouse district, plenty of space, good transport links. The team's been doing their due diligence - zoning permits, environmental assessments, the works."

"And you've been handling all this while I've been..."

"While you've been juggling Nyla, the board, and whatever else has you looking like you haven't slept in days?" Derek grins. "Yeah, that's literally my job. You pay me obscenely well to keep things running when you're putting out fires."

I let out a long breath. "Thanks, Derek. I mean it."

"Don't get soft on me now, Stone. Save that for your ex-fiancée turned business rival."

"Just for that, you're buying lunch," I say, throwing a crumpled paper at his head.

"Fine, but I'm going to go get some sleep first," Derek says as he gathers his things and waves goodnight.

I'm well past exhaustion, but I know without a doubt there is no way I'll get to sleep any time soon. I have too much on my mind.

I slip into the dimly lit hospital room, the steady beep of monitors providing a quiet rhythm. Cornelius lies there, peacefully despite all the set-backs we've had with his care.

"Hey there, Mr. Rex," I say softly, settling into the chair beside his bed. "I know you're sleeping, but I wanted to check on you myself."

I study the monitors, noting his vital signs. The latest Neuromax treatment seems to be holding steady – not a miracle yet, but not a failure either. Progress, however small, is still progress.

"Your granddaughter's quite something," I continue, adjusting his blanket. "She's got more fight in her than anyone I've ever met. Must run in the family."

A nurse pokes her head in, clipboard in hand. "Oh! Mr. Stone, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Just checking on our patient," I reply, standing. "How's he doing?"

She consults her charts. "His numbers are improving slightly. The new treatment protocol seems to be helping."

"Good. Make sure he gets whatever he needs. Spare no expense."

"Of course, sir." She hesitates. "Should I let Ms. Thomas know you were here?"

I shake my head. "No need. Just... take good care of him."

As I turn to leave, I look back at Cornelius. Despite everything that's happened with Nyla, I can't help but hope this man pulls through. Not for the sake of Neuromax's success, but because I've seen how much Nyla loves him. 

"Hang in there, Mr. Rex," I whisper. "She needs you more than ever."