Chapter 27
Some people are just meant to stay in your past.
Those words echoed in my mind as I stood in the pristine hallway of the MIT research facility, watching the future unfold before me. Felix and I had built something beautiful here–groundbreaking research, innovative solutions, a partnership that felt unbreakable.
Until the phone call that changed everything.
“Drielle,” Felix said, ending his conversation and turning to me with an expression I’d never seen before–excitement mixed with something that looked almost like dread. “That was my father.”
Richard Reed. Even I knew that name. Reed Industries had been a cornerstone of the aerospace sector for three decades, with government contracts and commercial partnerships that most companies could only dream of. Felix rarely talked about his family’s business empire, preferring to focus on pure research rather than commercial applications.
“Is everything alright?” I asked, noticing the tension in his shoulders.
Felix ran his hand through his hair, a gesture I’d come to recognize as his tell for difficult conversations. “He’s stepping down. Early retirement due to health issues.” His voice was carefully controlled. “The board wants me to take over as CEO.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. Reed Industries was headquartered in Boston, but their main operations were spread across the country. Taking over meant leaving MIT, leaving our research, leaving everything we’d built together.
“What did you tell him?” I asked quietly.
“That I needed time to think.” Felix stepped closer, his eyes searching my face. “Drielle, this is everything my family has worked for. Three generations of aerospace innovation, government contracts worth billions, the chance to actually implement our research on a scale we could never achieve in academia.”
“And what about our work here? The Mars propulsion project is just hitting its breakthrough phase-”
“Could continue under Reed Industries. Better funding, unlimited resources, access to NASA partnerships that MIT could never secure.” His voice grew more animated as he spoke. “Think about it, Drielle. Your father’s research, finally given the platform it deserves.”
The mention of my father was a low blow, and Felix knew it. Dad’s unfinished work had shaped every choice I’d made since his death, every equation I’d solved, every late night I’d spent pushing the boundaries of what was possible.
“This isn’t just about research for you, is it?” I said. “This is about proving something to your father.”
Felix’s jaw tightened. “Maybe it is. Maybe I’m tired of being the Reed who chose academia over empire.” He paused, his voice dropping. “But I don’t want to do it without you.”
“As what? Your research partner? Your employee?”
“As my partner in everything.” Felix reached for my hands, his touch warm and desperate. “Come with me, Drielle. Help me build something extraordinary.”
I looked around the lab one more time–at our joint research, our shared equations, the life we’d built together in the pursuit of knowledge. It felt like standing at the edge of a cliff, being asked to jump without knowing if there was solid ground below.
But Felix was looking at me with such hope, such need, that I found myself nodding before I could think it through.
“Okay,” I whispered. “Let’s do it together.”
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Chapter 28
