He leaned back further in the chair, crossing his arms behind his head, letting a lazy grin spread across his face. "Sasha, right? Do you know what Sage and her mom went to do?"

"She is busy, with guests." Sasha responded. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her arms staying crossed like a barrier. However in doing so, all she was really accomplishing was pushing her breasts up, they looked like they were about to break the blouse buttons and be free.

She didn't move closer, hovering near the door as if ready to bolt. "What would you like? Water? An omni pad to... occupy yourself?"

"Water's fine. Will Sage be long?"

"Dr. Stellan has important guests. I don't know how long she'll be." Sasha handed him a glass without getting too close, as if proximity might contaminate her. "Do you need anything else to... occupy yourself?" The way she said it made it sound like she was offering a toy to a child.

"No, I'm alright."

Her gaze traveled over him slowly.assessing, dismissive. But wait, she had actually meant to be dismissive, however she noticed something about him that wasn't easily dismissed. He was handsome, and it annoyed her immensely.

It wasn't the soft, delicate handsomeness some of the rare, pampered males possessed. His features were sharp, his jawline defined with a confidence that felt entirely out of place for his gender. There was an intelligence in his eyes, a spark of something knowing and almost challenging that made her own carefully constructed disdain feel thin and childish.

"What exactly is your relationship with her, anyway?" She asked. However, now that she was allowing herself to really look at him, she could see that there must be something which Sage saw.

Zaeryn took a sip, letting the question hang for a beat. "What do you think it is?"

"I think," Sasha said slowly, "that you've been here three times in the last couple of months. That's unusual for Dr. Stellan. She doesn't typically entertain... visitors."

"Maybe I'm special."

Sasha's laugh was sharp and utterly humorless. "Special. That's one word for it."

She tilted her head, emerald eyes glinting with something between pity and contempt. "Or maybe you're just her latest distraction. A plaything she hasn't gotten bored of yet."

Zaeryn's grin didn't fade as she had expected, but something cold flickered behind his eyes. "Plaything. Harsh."

"I'm being realistic." Sasha crossed her arms again. "Look, I don't know what delusions you're operating under, but let's be honest here, you're not her boyfriend. Dr. Sage Stellan is one of the most brilliant minds in genetic research. She's out of your league."

The bluntness of it should have stung. A month ago, before the system, it probably would have. But now?

Zaeryn leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that made her posture stiffen. "Out of my league," he repeated slowly, his voice a low rumble edged with amusement. "You seem awfully invested in Sage's personal life, Sasha. Got a little crush on the good doctor yourself?"

Sasha's face flushed instantly, a blend of fury and something else, embarrassment, maybe. "A crush? Don't be ridiculous," she snapped, voice rising. "I respect Dr. Stellan. She's a genius, a visionary..."

"A visionary," Zaeryn agreed, nodding sagely. "I completely agree with you there."

Sasha hesitated, clearly not expecting agreement. Her mouth opened, then closed.

"She really is brilliant," Zaeryn continued, his tone shifting less mocking, more genuine.

"The way her mind works, the way she sees patterns most people miss... Yeah, she's incredible."

For a moment, Sasha seemed thrown off balance. Then her defenses snapped back into place. "She is. Which is exactly why I don't understand why she wastes her time with you."

"Well, I'm not just any male, Sasha." He let that hang for a moment, watching understanding flicker, and skepticism return—in her eyes. Then, before she could mount a new defense, he shifted gears. "Since Sage is going to be a while... how about you show me what makes this place special? Give me the real tour.

Sasha blinked, surprised at her own consideration of the request. She opened her mouth to refuse protocols, regulations, the sheer impropriety of it all. But the alternative was standing here in awkward silence with this... this infuriatingly handsome male who somehow knew how to get under her skin.

"Fine," she heard herself say, the word escaping before she could stop it. She straightened her lab coat with a sharp tug. "But you stay with me, you don't touch anything, and if anyone questions us, I'm saying Dr. Stellan approved it."

"Deal."

___

Meanwhile, the meeting was done. After receiving the invitation to the Aegis Division, Sage accepted.

The formal part of the discussion concluded, leaving a sterile silence in the cavernous office.

Princess Valerie broke it first, rising from her seat with a restless energy that seemed entirely out of place in the corporate stillness.

She moved to the massive window, her eyes lighting up with genuine curiosity as she gazed down at the sprawling tech campus below.

"Gods, look at it all," she said, her voice full of cheerful admiration. "It's one thing to see the Stellan Innovations logo on a military contract, but it's another to see the empire you've built." She turned, a playful grin spreading across her face. "You can't have me here and not show me the crown jewels, Sage. Me and my associates here, want the full tour. Tell me you have a secret lab where you're building a robot army."

Sage managed a small, professional smile. Her mind was miles away, back in her own lab with Zaeryn. "I can arrange that, Princess. My lead analyst, Elara, can walk you three through the primary R&D labs. She has Level-4 clearance and knows the conductor prototypes better than I do. It will be far more efficient."

It was the logical move. The efficient move. It was also the fastest way to get back to Zaeryn. She could only imagine, how blue balled he was after she left him like that.

"An analyst?" Cassia's voice, smooth as velvet but hard as steel, cut through the conversation. She hadn't moved, but her authority filled the room. "Sage, darling. Her Highness isn't here to review quarterly reports with your staff. This is a visit of state. You will give her the tour. Personally."

Sage's teeth clenched. There it was. An invisible checkmate from her own mother. It had nothing to do with respect and everything to do with control, a perfectly crafted move to keep her occupied, to keep her away from Zaeryn for as long as possible. The petty, infuriating power play was so blatant it was almost insulting.

She shot her mother a look that was pure ice, but her voice, when she turned back to Valerie, was a little too sweet, a perfect mask of professionalism. "Of course. It would be my pleasure, Princess."

Valerie, who was far from oblivious to the sudden drop in temperature, simply beamed, playing her part in the unspoken drama.

"Wonderful! The head of research herself. I feel so special." She winked, her eyes dancing with amusement as if she knew she was witnessing a private war. "Lead the way, then. I want to see everything."

Eva Rostova, And captain Nyx also stood up as Sage began the tour, a gracious captive in her own facility, her mind already calculating the minutes until she could get back to the only project that truly mattered.

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