Chapter 358

Charlotte hadn’t stirred once all night. When the first rays of sunlight slipped through the sheer curtains, she woke slowly, blinking against the gentle warmth. Her first move was to check her arms. The shirt she’d clung to before falling asleep was still there, right where she’d left it. Only then did her tense brow relax, and she slipped out of bed, oddly satisfied.
She folded the shirt neatly, tucked it into her bag, then went to wash up. By the time she opened the door, Jackson and Adonis were waiting outside. Both of them straightened up immediately.
“Charlotte.”
She nodded, barely glancing at them. Today, she’d chosen the same black suit as last night, but the chill in her presence felt even sharper. Anyone could tell she hated being here.
“Did you find the exact location of the organization with the B20 compound?” Her eyes stayed lowered, her voice steady as she started down the hall.
Jackson nodded, though he hesitated. “We did. But He paused, looking uncomfortable. “Word is, another lab in Apex is also searching for it.”
“Someone else?” Charlotte frowned slightly, her eyes narrowing in confusion. “How much are they offering?”
B20 was rare, almost priceless. If she could lock down the patent, it would mean a breakthrough for their research, maybe even change everything. She doubted anyone else knew just how powerful the compound could be.
“They want the entire supply,” Jackson replied, glancing at her face for a reaction.
Just as he feared, her expression grew colder. If the other side bought it all, two years of her team’s work and a fortune in investment would disappear overnight. “Get it before they do.” She stopped and turned to look at both of them. Her voice was ice.
Jackson and Adonis exchanged a look, both at a loss for words.
“Charlotte there’s one thing you might be forgetting,” Adonis said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck with an awkward smile. “We’re broke.”
B20 was already a hot commodity in Apex. Buying out the patent would take hundreds of millions. But their team’s entire account barely had five million They couldn’t even get a seat at the table, let alone make offer.

Charlotte stood there for a moment, silent. Then her voice cut through the air. “We’ll make the money. Give me the patient’s file.”
Jackson handed over the iPad without hesitation.
He watched as Charlotte changed the consultation fee to eight hundred million, his eyes going wide.
Eight hundred million? If their client was even a little stingy, he’d probably just choose to die instead.
“Charlotte, what if they say no?” Adonis asked, anxiety creeping into his voice. That price was way higher than what the client had expected.
Charlotte closed the iPad, tossed it back to Jackson, and kept walking. “If I gave you eight hundred million to let me stab you, would you take it?”
With Charlotte’s skill, one stab would be fatal. What good was all that money if you weren’t alive to spend it?
Adonis froze, Suddenly understanding. Their client had come to Asclepius because every other doctor had failed. To stay alive, eight hundred million was nothing. Even a billion would be worth it.
S’
Kon
A new idea lit up in Adonis’s mind. He hurried to catch up with
Charlotte, lowering his voice.
“Charlotte, maybe we should ask for
even more. How about a billion?”
Charlotte shot him a sideways glance, lips pressed together, looking thoroughly unimpressed.