Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
“Yes,” Celeste assured him. “I even took a screenshot so I would have it.”
“Smart move,” Magnus nodded.
“What’s up?” Phoenix asked as he, Sadie, and Kestrel stepped out of the elevator.
“Rocco’s out at the bluff, climbing, and Caesar’s with a group of scuba divers,” Sadie reported.
“We’ll catch them up soon. Want to tell them the news, Celeste?”
“A colleague of mine sent me the contact information for a reporter investigating a series of scientists who worked at my company and were fired. Dr. Hughes also claimed their discoveries.”
“I seriously don’t like that guy,” Phoenix muttered.
Celeste scowled. “Me, neither.”
“Do I invite Ben Harbin here or offer to meet him at a different location if he wants to talk to me personally?” Celeste asked.
“Try to accomplish everything online. If you have to meet, you do so while being interviewed on a national morning news show,” Hawking suggested.
“Oh, I don’t think it will get that much coverage,” Celeste said quickly as her heart rate skyrocketed at the thought of being on TV.
“You discovered a key method to stopping cancer in its tracks. I’d definitely want to hear that,” Sadie said confidently.
“I’m going to send the message and see what happens. Keep your fingers crossed for me.”
Celeste lifted her hand above her computer and dropped her finger down on the keyboard to contact the reporter. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her as they waited for an answer.
When five long minutes had passed, Celeste shrugged and commented, “Well, that was anticlimactic.”
“He could be in the john,” Hawking reassured her. “Standing around watching the screen isn’t going to speed up his answer. I’m sure he needs to confirm your information.”
“We’ll get back to work,” Sadie suggested, beckoning Phoenix and Kestrel back to the elevator. “Keep us updated.”
When it was quiet again in the basement, Hawking asked, “Want to go for a run on the treadmill? I don’t think you ever tried Magnus’s Hawaiian run.”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I want to do,” Celeste said, seizing on that idea. She definitely didn’t wish to hang around waiting for the laptop to notify her that she had a response.
Hawking walked with her to the elevator. Just as the doors closed, a call came in for him from one of the gates. Celeste knew immediately that he would have to go. She smiled at his concerned face.
“Go, Daddy. I know you want to stay with me, but that won’t hurry up his answer. You go do security things, and I’ll run. I’ll let you know as soon as I see a message,” she promised.
“I’ll come check on you as soon as possible, CB.”
“Thanks, Daddy,” she said as she exited the elevator on the top floor. Celeste waved goodbye as the doors closed. It surprised her how easy calling him Daddy had become. That didn’t take very long.
As Celeste changed clothes, she pondered how easily it had been for her to get used to having a Daddy. Hawking made it so easy. He was so nurturing and supportive while tough as nails. This would have been a nightmare without his support—without the whole team, really.
And of all the resorts? How had she been lucky enough to select Danger Bluff? If she hadn’t seen that advertisement sent to her email weeks ago, she wouldn’t have known it existed. A thought popped into her mind. The guys and Sadie always talked about this Baldwin Kingsley. No one had ever met him, but he seemed to know everything and everyone. He couldn’t have known that Dr. Hughes would attack her research with the villainous purpose of stealing it for himself. Maybe he was an investigative reporter. No, that couldn’t be right. The team said he had to be super rich to do all the things he did around the world.
She’d gotten a hint that he’d saved all the men from some earlier danger. Making a mental note, she reminded herself to find out what exactly he’d done to help Hawking. He seemed to know a lot about cancer. She hadn’t seen any clues that he had ever been sick, but that didn’t mean anything. He was so strong and fit. She could see how someone who had battled a disease could become very focused on building muscle and endurance.
After pulling on a tank top over her sports bra, Celeste put on her socks and shoes. Walking out of the apartment into the empty fifth floor, she punched the button on the elevator. A run would do her well. She needed to clear her mind and examine everything from all angles to ensure she wasn’t missing anything.
When her thoughts leapfrogged over all the latest events, Celeste considered where she could shift her research focus to next. Eliminating cancer was her life’s goal. Her new discovery would require years of testing and retesting before it could be applied to all types of cancer and all patients.