Confession
Grant raised his eyebrows.“What is it?” He grew worried as her face wilted. He took her hands. “There’s nothing you can say that will make me change my mind about us.”
Faith shook her head. “It’s about Inquisitis.”
Grant’s pulse quickened. “What? Do you remember something about that can help us? Are they behind this?” His words tumbled out in a rush. The sooner they could stop the attacks on Flux and Faith, the sooner they could come out of hiding and start a normal life.
“I know a lot,” Faith said. She looked up. “More than I let on.”
Grant swallowed. “So it is them. I should call Rusty…”
Faith grabbed his hand. “Wait. You need to hear this. It might…” she sniffed as though she might cry. “It might change how you feel about me.”
“That’s not possible.”
Faith smiled faintly. “I hope you’re right.”
“Try me.”
“Okay,” she said. “Remember how I said there were other men I dated?”
Grant nodded, though he’d already tried to forget. He didn’t like the thought of her being with anyone else, even though he’d told himself over the years that he’d hoped she’d found happiness with someone else. In his heart, he hadn’t truly meant it.
“There was one relationship more serious than the others. It was with the CEO of Inquisitis.”
“What?” Grant tried to wrap his head around this new piece of information.
“He wasn’t the CEO at the time,” Faith said. “Back then he was in charge of of research and development. His father founded the company. His ascension to the top was nepotism; I told you the ethics over there were… questionable.”
“Sounds like it.”
“That’s just the beginning,” Faith said. “He and I – his name is Xander, Xander Campbell – we worked together on a new cancer drug. It was a breakthrough. Many people are on it now. But that wouldn’t have been the case.”
“Let me guess, he got greedy?” Grant asked.
Faith nodded. “I knew Inquisitis would trademark it and put it out of reach for most people, even those with insurance, but the money that rich patients, and their top of the line insurance policies were willing to pay was worth more than releasing it widely. There are people out there who, if they really want to cure whatever ails them, will find a way to pay for treatment, whatever the cost. Inquisitis banks on it. They always have. Anyway, Xander and I got serious enough that he proposed, and at first, I said yes. Big diamond, big engagement party, even bigger wedding plans. But, when I saw the patent filed for the drug, I just couldn’t go through with it. Xander said the income from that drug alone would keep our children’s children’s children rich for life. But it should not have been about he money. It should have been about about helping people. Inquisitis never thought that way. No one there did. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was making a mistake. So I broke off the engagement.”
“How’d he take it?”
“Not well. He said I humiliated him, made him a laughingstock of New York. It’s not like I left him at the altar. I did it quietly, at his apartment. I just wanted to escape the corruption at that company before it swallowed me whole.”
“Is that when you left the company?” Grant asked.
“I had to do it,” Faith said. “It would have destroyed me if I’d stayed. I just couldn’t work for a company that prioritized profits over people’s lives. And he represented the company. They were one and the same.”
“Do you think he’s targeting you for revenge?” Grant asked. “Why didn’t you tell me that sooner?”
Faith bit her lip again. “The story doesn’t end there.” She tugged the sheet up around her chest. “I didn’t want Inquisitis to keep my research and profit from it. So I took it.”
“Took the drug you made?”
“All of it,” Faith said. “I downloaded the research from their database and destroyed everything I’d worked on with Xander. I could have been arrested.”
“I’m surprised you weren’t. This is serious stuff, Faith.”
“There is a reason why he didn’t press charges.”
Grant rubbed his forehead. “Okay,” he said. “Let’s hear it.”
