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Chapter 3: The High Ground
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2026-04-14 04:58:44The elevator did not stop at the lobby. It just kept going up and up. The numbers on the display were a blur as the car shot towards the roof.
"Stop the car " Elara said. Her voice was shaking. "What do you mean this is an experiment? He said he was paying for a trial. A Swiss protocol." The man in the suit was typing away on his tablet. He did not even look up at her. "Sterling-9 is the trial, Ms. Vance. It is a kind of treatment to help nerves grow back. It is very new. It has not been approved for people to use by the FDA." "Then it is against the law " she said. "Not if the person in charge signs a paper saying they will not sue " he replied. He finally looked at her. "Which you did. Three minutes ago." The doors. The wind hit her like a punch. They were on the helipad. The city was a grid of lights far below. There was a helicopter on the pad. Its rotors were starting to turn. Julian Sterling was already there. He was leaning on the helicopter. His tie was blowing in the wind. He looked like he owned the place. Elara walked up to him. She was holding a paper. "You lied to me! You are using my mom as a test subject!" Julian did not move. He just looked at his watch. "I told you she would get the care. I did not say it was normal. Normal medicine is why she is dying now." "She is a person, Julian! Not something you can play with for your company!" "She is a woman who will probably die " he said. He took a step closer to her. "Sterling-9 is her chance. I am not just paying her bills, Elara. I am giving her a chance to live.. It is not going to be easy." "I want to see her. I want to talk to the doctors." "You will see her when I say you can " he said. He grabbed her arm. Pulled her towards the helicopter. "We have a plane to catch. I have a meeting at the manor tonight. You are coming with me." "I do not want to go to a party! Look at me!" She pointed to her shoes and stained sweater. Julian. Looked at her. For the time it did not feel like he was just looking at her as a business deal. It felt like he was really seeing her. "I do not care about what you're wearing, Elara. I care about the person underneath. My people will help you get ready." He picked her up. Put her in the helicopter. The inside was very fancy. Before she could say anything he was in. The door was closed. The ground was getting smaller and smaller. Elara put her head on the window. The hospital looked like a toy from up high. Her mom was there. She was being given a treatment that might kill her. Elara was stuck in a helicopter with the man who was doing it. "Why are we in such a hurry?" she asked. "Why tonight?" Julian poured himself a drink. "Because the people in charge of my company are voting tomorrow. They do not think I am a leader. They think I do not care about people. They want to see that I can connect with someone." "So I am your cover." "You are my fiancée " he said. He took a sip of his drink. ". If you want your mom to wake up you will be the best fiancée ever." He pulled out a box. Inside was a diamond ring. "Give me your hand " he said. Elara did not want to. She did. He put the ring on her finger. It was heavy. "There is something " Julian said. The helicopter was starting to go down. "The man in the elevator. The one who told you about the treatment." "Your lawyer?" Julians eyes got cold. "I do not have a lawyer who looks like that. He is a spy from a company that competes with mine." Elara’s heart stopped. "Then why did he tell me?" "Because he wanted you to run away " Julian said. He was very close to her. ". If you had run my security would have stopped you. For good." The helicopter landed with a bump. "Welcome home Elara " Julian said. He was smiling,. It did not look real. "Do not look so scared. The cameras are already taking our picture." The door. There were a lot of flashes. Elara closed her eyes. Julians arm was around her. He pulled her close. "Smile " he said in her ear. Elara tried to smile. Her eyes were on the woods around the house. There was a light in the dark. It was a camera.. Next to it was a man, with a phone. The screen said: SUBJECT SECURED. COMMENCE PHASE TWO.
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The loud ding of the plane's seatbelt sign cut through the cabin like a knife.EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.The sound changed fast; it went from a normal plane noise to a scary steady sound that had been following Elara everywhere. The nice smell of scotch and leather was gone and it was replaced by a bad smell that was like strong chemicals, hot ink and metal."Julian" Elara called out. She grabbed the arms of her seat really tight as the floor tilted a lot.The man who looked like Julian just sat there. He did not spill a drop from his glass even as the black ink was coming out all over his fingers and getting on his clothes with a message that said VOID_VOID_VOID over and over. When he turned his head to look at her, the loving, vulnerable man who had just bled for her in the bank lobby was entirely gone. His eyes were two perfectly flat, circular mirrors, reflecting the flashing red emergency lights of the cabin like dead television screens."The transaction is pending, Elara " Julia
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