Chapter 85 Business Partner
She stared at the phone for a moment. Then she typed a message to him with her email address.
She would forward the records to Dr. Harrison. She would keep her promise.
But she did not have to be friendly about it.
Veyra forwarded Xander’s medical records to Dr. Harrison.
Then she called him.
He answered on the second ring. "Mrs. Thorne! I was just about to call you."
His voice was excited. Upbeat. Veyra felt her own mood lift.
"Good news?" she asked.
"Excellent news. Ever since I released news of the SN1818 collaboration opportunity, my phone has not stopped ringing." He laughed. "Hundreds of companies have contacted me. Hundreds, Mrs. Thorne."
Veyra’s jaw dropped. "Hundreds?"
"At least. Pharmaceutical companies. Biotech firms. Investment groups. Everyone wants a piece of your serum."
She sat down on the edge of the bed. Her mind raced.
"I knew it was valuable," she said. "But hundreds?"
"The market for a portable cardiac arrest treatment is enormous. Every ambulance. Every hospital. Every clinic. Your serum could save thousands of lives a year. Millions over time."
Veyra shook her head. She could not process the numbers.
Dr. Harrison continued. "I have already shortlisted five companies. The best of the best. Financially stable. Ethically sound. With the resources to manufacture and distribute SN1818 at scale."
"That’s... that’s amazing."
"I have arranged meetings with each of them. We will discuss terms. Equity. Royalties. Control." He paused. "I would like you to be present. Your input is essential."
Veyra nodded, even though he could not see her. "Of course. When?"
"I was thinking tonight. But you mentioned not wanting to interrupt your training schedule."
Veyra smiled. He remembered. "Yes. I train during the day. I can meet in the evenings."
"Then tomorrow evening. At Bordeaux 101. The same table."
Veyra’s smile faded. Bordeaux 101. Eighteen thousand for lunch. She had already spent too much there.
But she could not say no. The meetings were too important.
"Fine," she said. "Tomorrow evening."
Dr. Harrison’s voice was warm. "Excellent. I will send you the details. Also, Mrs. Thorne, two of the shortlisted candidates are particularly promising. One is a Mr. Lala. The other is a Mr. Sonny."
Veyra’s blood went cold.
"Sonny?" she repeated.
"Yes. Mr. Sonny. He runs a medium-sized pharmaceutical company. Very reputable. Very interested in your serum."
Veyra’s heart pounded. Sonny. It could be anyone. But something about the name made her stomach clench. She suspected that the "Sonny" in question might be Caspian. Her ex-husband. The man who had let her mother die.
"Mrs. Thorne?" Dr. Harrison’s voice. "Are you still there?"
"Yes," she said. Her voice was steady. "I’m here."
"Shall I proceed with scheduling the meeting?"
"Yes. Proceed."
"Very well. I will send you the details."
He hung up.
Veyra stared at her phone. Sonny. Caspian. She had not thought about him in days. Now he was back. Circling. Like a shark that smelled blood.
She would have to be careful.
*
*
Across the city, in Caspian estate, Caspian Thorne sat in the living room.
His face was hard. His jaw was tight. Xiomara knelt on the floor in front of him, her cheeks wet with tears.
"It was horrible," Xiomara sobbed. "That man—Xander Hale—he trashed the house. He broke my mother’s favorite vase. He shoved my father against the wall. He called me names. Humiliated me in front of the neighbors."
Caspian’s expression did not change.
"He said it was Veyra’s fault," Xiomara continued. "He said she offended him. That she made him look like a fool. And he took it out on us." She wiped her eyes. "You have to do something, Caspian. You have to protect us."
Caspian pushed her aside. His voice was cold. "How did she offend him? What did she do?"
Xiomara sniffled. "I don’t know the details. But I heard she was with that bodyguard she married." She spat the words. "He’s probably the one who caused trouble. And Veyra, of course, is too stupid to keep her mouth shut."
Caspian stood up. He walked to the window.
His mind was churning. Veyra had always been impulsive. Stubborn. Reckless. She had a talent for making enemies.
But Xander Hale was dangerous. A known gangster. A loan shark. If Veyra had crossed him, she was in trouble.
He did not care about her.
"Veyra brought this on herself," he said coldly.
Xiomara smiled behind his back. A small, satisfied smile.
She had been waiting for this. Veyra had humiliated her. Slapped her. Poured champagne on her. Now Veyra was in trouble. And Xiomara intended to make sure she stayed there.
Caspian turned from the window.
"I came here to ask for your assistance," he said to Xiomara.
She blinked. "My assistance? With what?"
"The serum. SN1818. The heart drug developed by Grace." His voice was low. "I heard that Dr. Harrison is looking for a business partner. Someone to manufacture and distribute it."