Chapter 83 The Formula
ANNA'S POV
“Please, let’s just forget the past now that we are friends and move on. Just help a friend out,” James said, his voice low, almost careful, like he was testing how far he could push me.
I let out a slow breath and leaned back slightly, crossing my arms. “Let me think about it real quick,” I said, dragging the words on deliberately. Then I tilted my head and looked straight at him. “I refuse.”
The change on his face was instant. His brows pulled together, confusion and disbelief flashing across his eyes like he genuinely hadn’t prepared himself for that answer. He stared at me as though he’d misheard.
“You refuse?” he asked. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong,” I replied calmly as I stood up, pushing my chair back. “I genuinely just don’t want to help you.”
His jaw tightened. He took a step closer, his voice dropping. “But you know how important this is to me. If nothing is done, I’ll lose everything.”
I adjusted my bag on the table and picked it up, slinging it over my shoulder. “Well, technically, you wouldn’t have had anything to lose if you didn’t take credit for something you had no hand in,” I said evenly. “So there’s not much difference, really. You’re just going back to your old life.”
He shook his head, frustration creeping in. “Please, don’t go. Do you want me to kneel and beg again? Because I’ll do that. Any way you want me to beg, I’ll do it. Just please help me.”
I paused, my hand tightening around the strap of my bag. Slowly, I turned back to face him.
“Years ago,” I said, my voice steady but firm, “when I was in a similar situation, begging you not to do this to me, begging you not to betray me like this, you didn’t even give me a second thought. Your emotions were cold. You didn’t give me a listening ear. You pushed me aside and went on with your life.” I took a step toward him. “And now that karma has come knocking at your doorstep and you need my help, you feel like it’s a must that I help you?”
“Yes,” he said quickly, desperation seeping through. “It’s a must because my whole life depends on it. Imagine what will happen to me.”
Before I could stop him, he bent down, one knee touching the floor.
“Don’t even think about doing that again,” I snapped. “Save yourself the embarrassment. It doesn’t work on me.” I straightened my shoulders. “The time you think it worked was only because I allowed it. Every single thing that has been going on between us is because I allowed it. But now that I’ve gotten what I wanted, there’s no need to even give you a glance anymore.”
I turned and started walking toward the door.
“Wait,” he said quickly. “But I thought we were friends.”
I stopped. The word echoed in my head as I turned around slowly.
“You thought we were friends,” I said quietly. “We were never friends to begin with. Not after what you caused.” My voice rose slightly. “You want to talk about friends? Friends care for each other. Since you’ve been playing these stupid games with me, have you ever once thought to ask about my child?” I swallowed. “The same child I came to inform you about years ago, the one I told you was yours. Have you?”
His gaze dropped to the floor. He swallowed hard, his silence answering the question before his mouth could.
“But… how is he?” James finally asked after a long moment.
A bitter smile tugged at my lips. “How is he?” I repeated. “You just assumed the gender. Something I never even got to know.”
His head snapped up. “What do you mean by that?”
“Why do you care?” I asked coldly. “After all, someone else got me pregnant, right?”
“No, don’t say that,” he said quickly, stepping closer. “I was wrong to have told you that years ago. I knew I was the father. I knew how loyal you were to me. I knew you wouldn’t sleep with anyone else.” His voice cracked slightly. “But I couldn’t accept the pregnancy. I felt like it would be an unnecessary load that would drag me down, that would stop me from achieving my goals in the future. I was wrong. I was young back then. I wasn’t…”
“There is honestly no point in you explaining all this,” I cut in sharply. “What you’re doing right now is like trying to give medicine to someone after they’re already dead.”
“Why is there no point?” he asked urgently. “The baby is fine, right?”
I let out a short, bitter scoff. “Fine?” I echoed. “After you pushed me and left me on the street to bleed out?”
I turned again and headed for the door.
“Hold on,” he said, panic creeping into his voice. “Where are you going? We need to talk about this.”
“There’s nothing more to talk about, James,” I replied without looking back.
“What about the formula?” he asked suddenly.
I stopped at the door and glanced over my shoulder. “That’s your problem,” I said. “And trust me, that’s going to be the least of it.”
“What does that mean?” he asked, confusion written all over his face.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” I said.
I opened the door and walked out of the lab, my heels clicking sharply against the floor as I headed straight for the elevator. The doors slid open, and I stepped inside without hesitation.
As the elevator descended, one truth settled heavily in my chest — he knew. James knew he was the father of my child and still chose to deny it in front of everyone. That alone showed how black his heart truly was.
And now that I had everything I needed, there was no reason to hold back.
Tomorrow, I will release my re-engineered formula.