Chapter 288: Only Love

Dorian stood before the cameras, perfectly composed.

Jonathan Vale, however, was anything but.

He kept his expression neutral, but unease gnawed at him. Something about all of this felt wrong. The research had never been ready. The animal trials had produced so-and-so results, yes, but they had not been successful enough to justify moving this quickly. They needed more time, more data, more trials.

They certainly were not ready to be dragged into a public battle over FDA approval and criminal allegations.

His eyes unconsciously landed on Dorian Blackwood, who sat with a calm demeanor. His heart clenched. At times, he wondered if he had made a mistake by pushing Catherine Preston out of the research. They should have waited until she finished the entire research before acting.

But...

He had already grabbed the tiger by the tail. There was no walking away now.

His eyes shifted toward Ashley Renfield.

She had apparently decided that a national scandal was an excellent occasion to look her best. Her makeup was flawless, her luxury designer dress immaculate, and she had already identified which cameras were positioned to give her the most flattering angle.

Jonathan could only sigh.

Then another man stepped toward the microphones.

Dr. Frederick Glosner.

Unlike the political commentators who had flooded social media minutes earlier, Glosner wasn’t an influencer, a lobbyist, or a paid spokesperson. He was a highly respected neurologist whose name carried weight in the medical community.

He adjusted his glasses and glanced toward Jonathan.

"I’ve known Dr. Vale for years," he began, a faint smile touching his lips. "Though I should probably say that knowing Jonathan and liking Jonathan are two entirely different things."

A few reporters laughed.

Even Jonathan managed a strained smile. Glosner continued, his expression becoming more serious.

"But there is one thing I have never questioned about him: his dedication to Alzheimer’s research."

He paused.

"Dr. Vale was gracious enough to allow me access to the research and underlying data behind BioQuant’s treatment. I have spent considerable time reviewing it."

The room quieted.

"I’ve spent seventeen years working in this field. I’ve seen promising treatments come and go. I’ve seen researchers become so desperate for a breakthrough that they begin seeing results they want to see."

He looked directly into the cameras.

"This is not one of those cases."

Dorian’s eyes gleamed.

Glosner continued. "I have seen the trial data. I have examined the methodology. Whatever happens with the allegations being made today, the underlying science is real."

Jonathan finally exhaled.

Dorian smiled. That was what he had needed. His company did not need another politician or celebrity. They needed a respected medical authority telling the world that BioQuant’s science was legitimate.

And within five mintues, an independent, respectable market analyst posted:

"I think investors need to separate two very different questions. First, are the allegations serious? Absolutely. Second, do we currently have enough verified information to conclude that BioQuant’s business or its Alzheimer’s program is collapsing? I don’t think we do. I’m not telling anyone that BioQuant is innocent. That’s not my job, and we don’t know that yet. I’m saying that the market appears to be pricing in guilt before an investigation has established the facts."

Then:

"My advice would be not to panic-sell based solely on headlines. Let the evidence come out. If the allegations are substantiated, the stock deserves to fall further. If they’re not, investors selling today may find they’ve sold at the worst possible moment.

P.S.: Leon Aureus is holding on too. *Wink*"

Across the market, the effect was immediate.

The fall in BioQuant’s stock slowed.

Then stopped.

And, gradually, the numbers began climbing again; not with yesterday’s explosive surge. There was still uncertainty, still fear, still too many questions surrounding the allegations.

But the market was no longer pricing BioQuant as a company on the verge of collapse. It was beginning to price it as a company that might survive.

Dorian watched the numbers rise.

His lips slowly curved.

A win. A small one. But enough.

He straightened his cuffs and looked toward the reporters still shouting questions.

The Prestons had tried to bury him. And yet... He was still standing.

His smile disappeared. Now came the part he had been looking forward to.

Punishment.

"I’m coming for you!"

-----

Alexander met Senator Campbell in the corridor as the senator hurried toward the restroom, his face pale and his steps unsteady.

"I gave you a chance," Alexander said.

Campbell stopped.

Alexander’s lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "And you chose to be more afraid of Blackwood than of the Prestons."

The senator swallowed.

"Welcome to the rest of your life," Alexander said, and simply turned and walked away.

"Are—are you threatening a sitting senator, Preston?" Campbell called after him.

Alexander didn’t slow. He didn’t look back. He didn’t acknowledge the question at all.

He merely walked down the corridor, then gave a brief nod to one of the staff members passing by before disappearing around the corner.

Campbell stood there, staring after him.

His heart sank.

He suddenly had the sinking feeling that he had just made a decision he would regret for the rest of his life.

A few minutes later, the files on Campbell’s table disappeared, and... got leaked on the internet.

-----

William turned toward Fitzgerald. "Tell me what their plan is."

Fitzgerald raised his brows.

William’s voice remained calm. "I don’t want to interfere with their plan."

For the first time, Fitzgerald stared at his father in genuine surprise.

His father actually wanted to bring BioQuant down. He wanted to know what the Prestons were planning so he could make sure the Rathbournes didn’t accidentally get in their way.

Fitzgerald closed his eyes, thinking.

They had spoken Latin. Only Latin. He couldn’t understand most of it.

But there had been one phrase Catherine kept repeating while talking to someone else. Something that had caught his attention.

"Ad meridiem..." Fitzgerald murmured.

William frowned.

"It’s almost eleven A.M."

Fitzgerald’s eyes opened. And suddenly, the pieces began falling into place.

-----

In the hotel room, Catherine fastened the buttons of her mother’s blouse one by one while the press conference continued on the television.

Dorian’s smug face filled the screen.

He was clever. She would never deny that.

In their last life, he had somehow managed to bring three kingdoms beneath his control. He knew how to manipulate people, how to turn fear into loyalty and ambition into weapons.

But his pride had always been his greatest weakness.

And this time, she was not going to let him win.

The stock was recovering. Dorian would be celebrating soon, convinced that he had survived the first blow.

Let him.

She reached for her phone and called William.

"Billy, where’s Bobby?"

There was a brief silence on the other end.

Then William’s voice came quietly. "Stay safe, Bitty Bean."

Catherine’s brows furrowed. "I will."

She ended the call.

She wanted to believe everything would work. She wanted to believe that, when this was over, she could finally marry her man and have a life that belonged entirely to them.

She reached for the final button.

The bathroom door opened. Catherine looked up. Maximilian stepped in.

And she froze.

He had changed so much. His hair had grown to his shoulders, framing his face almost exactly as it had the last time she had seen him in her previous life. His eyes were red, and his lips trembled faintly.

Then his gaze fell to her neck.

The bruises.

Catherine instinctively reached for the collar.

Too late.

She saw the change in him.

Back then, she had mistaken that expression for anger at her.

She understood it now.

He had never been angry with her. He had been furious with Dorian. Furious that someone had hurt the woman he loved.

Maximilian stepped toward her. Catherine’s heart ached.

In her last life, she had faced him for the final time with a dagger in her hand. In this life, she had greeted him with a fruit knife.

But now, as she prepared to face Dorian one final time, there was no weapon between them.

Only love.

Catherine stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

Maximilian held her immediately, burying his face against her hair.

She rose onto her toes and kissed him softly. Then she whispered against his lips, "Modo hoc semel mihi crede, Leo mi."

Just this once, trust me, my Lion.

And this time, she had nothing else to give him.

Only her love.

There was a knock at the door.

Maximilian walked over and opened it, with Catherine following close behind.

Sebastian Remington stood on the other side, dressed in a proper suit, his expression all business.

"It’s time," he said.

Catherine nodded.

She reached for Maximilian’s hand, but he gently shook his head.

She understood. It would be better if he stayed here. She gave him a small smile and turned toward the door.

"Catherine."

She stopped. Slowly, she looked back at him.

Maximilian was watching her with an expression she couldn’t quite read. "I’ll always trust you."

His hand rested over his heart.

Catherine’s chest tightened. That was what she had wanted from him all along. Trust.

She smiled at him, her eyes softening. "Thank you."

Then she turned and walked away.

Only after the door closed behind her did a strange thought strike her.

Did he just call me Catherine?

Her heart began pounding.