Chapter 9 Gamble on Queenie’s True Heart
As Queenie stepped out the door, she caught a snippet of Archie talking on the phone with Vivian. She kept a straight face, grabbed her bag, and left. Nathan had already texted her that he was waiting outside.
Watching her walk away, Archie felt even more frustrated. He had just been video chatting with Vivian, speaking loudly on purpose, yet Queenie hadn’t bothered to ask what was happening. Anger and hurt washed over him.
When Queenie got to the office, she headed straight to the lab with her teammates from Lab Team One.
She had reviewed the data the day before and was well-prepared for the anti-allergy drug experiment they were working on. Since she had prepped ahead, the experiment itself wasn’t too difficult for her.
However, after being away from the lab for seven years and not using the equipment, she felt a bit out of practice.
Some of the lab tools had been updated, and the controls were different from what she remembered. She was unsure about how to operate everything at first.
But with her colleagues’ guidance, she managed to replicate Lab Team One’s previous experiment by the end of the day.
Leo watched her work with focus and skill, admiration shining in his eyes. His initial doubts about her had long faded.
The rest of Lab Team One shared Leo’s sentiment. They no longer saw Queenie as a pretty face who got in through connections.
“Check this out!” Queenie exclaimed, her gaze fixed on the screen.
As the numbers on the display changed, Queenie buzzed with excitement, and so did everyone else. ‘I see why Professor Emerson trusts Queenie so much. She really knows her stuff,’ thought the members of Lab Team One.
“Queenie, where did you go to grad school? Your mentor must’ve been brilliant,” one colleague asked.
Queenie smiled slightly. “I never actually went to grad school, but my mentor was exceptional.”
She smiled, but a hint of sadness lingered in her eyes. ‘My mentor must be disappointed in me,’ she thought. ‘He invested so much in my growth, but I gave up grad school and research for Vincent. In the end, I became a useless housewife.’
She had considered visiting her mentor, but couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Before, if she had talked about how great her mentor was, her teammates would have certainly scoffed, questioning what real skills someone without a graduate degree could have. But now, everyone held her in high esteem.
Leo watched Queenie and noticed the sadness in her eyes. He felt she had a story to tell, one as remarkable as her talent. ‘She’s not just talented. Her past has to be something extraordinary,’ Leo thought.
Queenie pushed her feelings aside and redirected the conversation to work. “Based on our results, we can move forward with the next phase of the experiment for further validation.” Still, she knew it was a bit early to celebrate.
“Yeah, Queenie, thanks. We’ve been stuck at this stage for almost two weeks, and you came in and got things moving again,” one of her colleagues said.
“Seriously, Queenie, without you, we’d still be where we started,” another added.
Queenie felt a bit uncomfortable with the compliments. It had been seven years since anyone praised her like this. Usually, she only heard criticism.
Noticing Queenie’s discomfort, Leo stepped in to lighten the mood. “Alright, let’s move on to the next phase. Let’s call it a day. Everyone, get back to your own projects. We’ll review everything again tomorrow.”
With Leo’s cue, everyone left the lab and returned to their tasks.
“You did great,” Leo said, offering Queenie a genuine compliment.
Queenie felt her heart warm up. “Thanks.”
Leo said nothing else and walked out of the lab.
Queenie stayed for a moment, reflecting on the progress she’d made. Even though she had only completed half the project, it was still a significant accomplishment for her.
As the workday wrapped up, Nathan texted Queenie, saying that he found a place for her.
After work, Nathan took her to see the apartment.
Cloudview Estates wasn’t a typical high-rise complex. The tallest building was seven stories, with one unit on each floor. Each apartment spanned about 4 thousand square feet, providing ample space, and the security was excellent.
The unit they were viewing was on the seventh floor and even had a cozy attic that could easily be converted into a cozy study.
Queenie was absolutely thrilled with the place and decided to take it on the spot. She’d sign the contract on Saturday morning.
*****
Meanwhile, the Regal Club was buzzing with energy, the place packed and alive with excitement.
In a private room, a group was drinking and having a great time, laughter echoing all around.
Vincent sat quietly, having his drink and looking out of place amidst all the fun.
“Vincent, why the long face? We’re out for drinks, not a funeral!” Luke Carter joked, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
Everyone turned to look at them.
Vivian’s gaze fell on Vincent’s face with curiosity. “Vincent, I heard Queenie wanted a divorce.” She was waiting to see his reaction before mentioning the divorce agreement.
Vincent’s brow furrowed deeper, his intense stare fixed on Vivian.
“Vivian, are you saying Queenie actually wants to divorce Vincent?” Luke gasped, his eyes wide as if he’d just heard wild gossip. “You can’t be serious!”
Vivian replied softly, “She came to me herself and said it directly.”
Luke chuckled and shot Vincent a teasing look. “What’s your wife up to now? Is she trying that old push-and-pull game again?”
“Vincent, your wife has so many tricks,” Brian Cooper added with a smirk.
Vincent’s expression turned colder, and he didn’t say anything.
“Come on. She’s crazy about you. You’re all she thinks about. There’s no way she’d actually go through with a divorce,” Luke continued, chuckling.
Vincent’s frown lifted a little at that.
“Wanna make a bet?” Luke asked.
“Bet on what?” Brian responded.
“On how much Queenie really cares about Vincent,” Luke teased.
Luke and Brian kept making snarky comments about Queenie, taking turns to belittle her.
Luke turned to Vincent, grinning as if he’d just discovered a fun challenge. “Hey, Vincent, want to make a bet? Let’s call your wife and tell her you’ve had too much to drink. See how quickly she comes to get you.”
Brian chimed in, “I bet she’ll show up in ten minutes.”
“I’m going with eight minutes,” Luke added with his own guess.
Luke and Brian both turned to Vincent, waiting to see if he’d take the bet.
Vivian’s eyes were on Vincent too, curious to see what he’d do next.
After a moment, Vincent shrugged, sounding uninterested. “Do what you want.”
Vivian relaxed a bit, a sly smile forming on her face. ‘If Vincent really cared about Queenie, he wouldn’t just sit there while his friends mocked her,’ she thought.
Without hesitating, Luke called Queenie right away.
Queenie had just stepped outside Cloudview Estates when she got Luke’s call.
“Hey, Queenie, Vincent’s totally wasted. Mind swinging by the Regal Club to pick him up?” Luke asked.
“Sure,” Queenie answered.
After she hung up, Nathan asked curiously, “Who was calling at this time?”
“One of Vincent’s friends, saying he’s had too much to drink,” Queenie said casually, her expression unfazed.
Nathan frowned, about to say something, but Queenie smiled and said, “It’s late, Nathan. I’m heading home now.”
Nathan stayed frowning, wanting to say more, but in the end, he stayed quiet.
Queenie got into her car. She had driven herself there earlier. She waved goodbye to Nathan at the gate of Cloudview Estates.
