The Billionaire Fired the Hospital Cleaner — Then Discovered She Was the Research Genius Behind His Greatest Breakthrough
Chapter 7
The investigation revealed that a competitor had attempted to steal the technology.
But the threat went deeper.
One of Blackwell’s board members had been selling access to outside investors.
The board member had known about Claire’s research years earlier.
He knew she had left science.
He had assumed she would never return.
Now he was desperate to control the breakthrough.
Ethan confronted him.
The board member denied everything.
Claire presented the evidence.
Emails.
Payment records.
Access logs.
He was removed.
The breach was contained.
But Claire was shaken.
“I don’t want this.”
“What?”
“The attention.”
Ethan nodded.
“I know.”
“They’ll turn me into a story.”
“They already have.”
“I don’t want to be the brilliant woman who came back from nowhere.”
He smiled.
“Then don’t be.”
“What do I be?”
“Claire.”
She looked at him.
“That’s it?”
“That’s enough.”
She smiled.
That evening, Ethan invited her to his home.
Not the mansion.
A small house near the lake.
She was surprised.
“This is your house?”
“Yes.”
“It’s normal.”
“Thank you.”
She laughed.
They cooked dinner.
Ethan was terrible.
Claire was worse.
They ate pasta that was slightly burned.
She laughed more that night than she had in years.
After dinner, they sat on the porch.
Claire looked at the lake.
“I forgot what normal felt like.”
Ethan nodded.
“So did I.”
She turned toward him.
“Why do you live like this?”
“I prefer it.”
“You’re a billionaire.”
“I know.”
“You could have anything.”
“I don’t want everything.”
She smiled.
“What do you want?”
He looked at her.
“I think I’m figuring that out.”
She understood the answer.
But neither said it.
Not yet.
