Matthew arrived at the office earlier than usual, coffee in one hand and a stack of reports in the other. He had spent the drive replaying Angel's parting words from the night before.
"You were tempted, weren't you?"
The woman had nerve. And he hated how easily she got under his skin.
As he stepped into the sleek, modern lobby of Sentinel Systems, he spotted Angel at her desk, typing away. She was already in full work mode, dressed sharply as ever, her posture straight, her focus unwavering.
But Matthew knew her well enough to notice the slight tension in her shoulders—the smallest tell that she was still thinking about last night, too.
Smirking, he leaned against her desk. "Morning."
Angel didn't even look up. "Morning."
Matthew waited. No reaction.
He smirked wider. "So… about last night—"
Angel's fingers froze over her keyboard. "Nope. We are not doing this."
Matthew chuckled. "Oh, but we are."
Angel sighed dramatically before finally looking up at him. "Matthew, I swear, if you make this a thing—"
He cut her off, enjoying this far too much. "Make it a thing? Angel, you're the one who brought it up."
Angel groaned, pressing her fingers against her temple. "Why do I do this to myself?"
Matthew shrugged. "That's a great question."
She sighed, closing her laptop with a thud. "Look, we were both tired. I was slightly—"
"Drunk?" Matthew offered.
Angel shot him a glare. "Slightly impaired. And you were, for once, acting like a decent human being."
Matthew feigned offense. "I am always a decent human being."
Angel snorted. "Debatable."
Matthew smirked, leaning in just slightly. "So, do you want to hear my answer?"
Angel narrowed her eyes. "What answer?"
Matthew took a slow sip of his coffee before replying, voice lower than necessary. "To your question last night."
Angel inhaled sharply, but before she could respond, Juliet's voice interrupted them.
"Boss," Juliet greeted as she approached, a folder tucked under her arm. "The investors are ready for your update."
Matthew straightened, his smirk turning back into his usual composed expression. "Let's go."
Angel exhaled, relieved for the interruption.
But as Matthew walked away, he glanced over his shoulder and murmured just loud enough for her to hear, "We'll finish this later."
Inside the sleek conference room, a large screen displayed a video feed of Sentinel BioTech's progress so far—schematics, lab footage, and early exoskeleton models being tested. On the other side of the call were three investors:
Jonathan Reaves, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who had invested in major AI companies.
Adrian Vos, a European industrialist specializing in military contracts.
Chen Wei, a representative from a sovereign wealth fund with deep pockets and high expectations.
Angel sat beside Matthew, taking notes while Juliet managed the presentation.
Vos was the first to speak. "Your technology is impressive, but we need more than blueprints and lab tests. We need a working model before we can commit the remaining investnt."
Matthew nodded. "That's why I've expedited production. We'll have a functional prototype within three months."
Reaves leaned forward. "Three months? That's ambitious."
Matthew smirked. "Everything I do is ambitious. And I deliver."
Chen Wei, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. "Mr. Borja, this is cutting-edge military-grade technology. The question is not if you can develop it, but who else is watching. Have you considered how other nations will react once this project goes public?"
Matthew t his gaze head-on. "That's why we control the narrative. Sentinel BioTech will present its first applications for civilian and industrial use—dical advancents, labor efficiency, disaster response. Military contracts will be secondary."
Vos smirked. "So you're telling the world you're making exoskeletons for construction workers, while behind closed doors, you're developing sothing far more powerful?"
Matthew didn't blink. "I'm telling the world what they need to hear. What we do with the technology after that is a different discussion."
Reaves chuckled. "You've got so nerve, Borja."
Matthew smirked. "And you've got money you don't want to miss doubling." Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire
A beat of silence. Then Chen Wei exhaled. "We'll review the revised tiline. If your prototype performs as promised, we'll release the remaining funds."
"Good," Matthew said smoothly. "Because I don't intend to waste ti."
With that, the call ended.
Juliet let out a breath. "That went better than expected."
Angel shook her head. "I swear, you could sell sand in a desert."
Matthew smirked. "Not just any sand. Exclusive, high-performance sand."
Angel rolled her eyes. "Insufferable."
Juliet smiled knowingly before excusing herself to finalize reports.
As soon as she was gone, Angel turned back to Matthew. "So. What's next?"
Matthew leaned back in his chair. "Now? We make sure the prototype is perfect."
Angel nodded, already typing notes.
Then Matthew added, "Oh, and we finish that conversation from earlier."
Angel froze, then groaned. "No, we do not."
Matthew chuckled. "Oh, but we do."
By the ti evening rolled around, most of the office had cleared out. Angel was at her desk, finishing up emails when she noticed Matthew standing near the window, looking out at the city.
She hesitated before calling out, "Are you just going to stare at the skyline all night?"
Matthew turned, smirking. "I was waiting for you to give up pretending to work."
Angel sighed, closing her laptop. "Fine. What do you really want?"
Matthew crossed his arms. "You never let answer your question."
Angel groaned. "Matthew."
He stepped closer. "You wanted to know."
Angel looked away, suddenly very interested in her pen. "I was drunk."
Matthew chuckled. "And yet, here we are."
Angel exhaled. "Fine. Answer it."
Matthew studied her for a mont before leaning slightly closer. "Yes."
Angel blinked. "Yes…?"
Matthew's smirk deepened. "Yes, I was tempted."
Angel swallowed. "Oh."
Matthew tilted his head. "Disappointed?"
Angel scoffed. "No. Just surprised you admitted it."
Matthew chuckled. "I don't lie, Angel."
She studied him for a mont before shaking her head. "You really enjoy ssing with , don't you?"
Matthew smirked. "You make it too easy."
Angel rolled her eyes. "Well, thanks for the confession. I'll be sure to rember it next ti."
Matthew raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Planning to test my patience again?"
Angel smirked. "Who knows?"
Matthew exhaled, chuckling. "You're going to be the death of ."
Angel grinned. "Good. Now go ho, boss."
Matthew shook his head, amused as he grabbed his coat.
As he walked toward the door, he paused and glanced back.
"You do know this conversation isn't over, right?"
Angel sighed dramatically. "Of course it isn't."
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