The next morning.
A penthouse apartment in Manhattan.
Betty stood in front of the full-length mirror, changing out of the oversized men’s shirt she had worn the night before.
She chose an incredibly form-fitting black business suit.
The buttons of her white shirt were fastened neatly just below her collarbone, and her pencil skirt hugged her graceful curves.
On her legs, she wore a pair of sheer black stockings.
Picking up the documents on the table, she pushed open the bedroom door.
Linus Vance was sitting on the living room sofa, holding a cup of black coffee.
He wore a simple white shirt, the collar left open to reveal the firm lines of his chest muscles.
Betty walked over to him and handed him the documents with both hands.
“Boss, I’ve signed the paperwork.”
Linus set down his coffee cup.
Instead of taking the papers, his fingers clamped around Betty’s wrist.
With a gentle tug, Betty gasped in surprise as she lost her balance and fell directly into his lap.
“So eager to sell yourself to me?”
Linus wrapped his large hand around her slender waist, caressing her back through the fabric.
Betty pressed her hands against his broad chest, her cheeks burning.
“No biologist in the world could refuse the terms you offered.”
“It’s all for science,” she mumbled softly, trying to find a dignified excuse for herself.
“Only for science?” Linus chuckled, the rumble in his chest vibrating against her.
He reached up, tracing his thumb over her earlobe before pinching her petite chin.
“Lying isn’t a good habit.”
Linus tilted his head slightly and kissed her.
He parted her teeth, sweeping in to claim every last breath from her mouth.
Betty was quickly left breathless.
Her hands weakly clutched his shirt collar as her body melted like water against him.
Linus’s other hand slid down along the edge of her pencil skirt.
Betty let out a soft whimper and tried to pull back.
“Don’t move,” Linus said, his voice husky as his lips brushed against her ear.
“Keep squirming, and we won’t be leaving the house today.
I’ll show you right here on this sofa what a real indentured contract feels like.”
With a flushed face, Betty snuggled obediently against his chest, not daring to move a muscle.
“Nice outfit.
Wear this to the office for me from now on.” Linus patted her back.
“Go grab your bag.
We’re leaving.”
…
Several black bulletproof Maybachs drove out of the garage.
With funding in place and Linus’s formidable efficiency, the preparations for the Star Umbrella Corporation progressed at breakneck speed.
He purchased an entire vacant research building in the heart of Manhattan, fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
A massive shipment of top-tier medical and biological research equipment was currently being unloaded and moved inside.
On the top floor, the doors to the core laboratory were shut tight.
Only Linus and Betty were inside.
Wearing a white lab coat, Betty stood before a massive electronic display.
The screen flashed with dense streams of data and cell division diagrams.
This was the hyper-regeneration factor theory Linus had handed her the night before.
The more Betty read, the faster her breathing became.
“My God…
Linus, this telomerase sequence is an absolute miracle.
If we can successfully purify it, humanity will never have to suffer from physical trauma or organ failure again!” She spun around to look at Linus, who was sitting in a swivel chair, her eyes burning with fanaticism.
“Keep your mind on the experiment.” Linus stood up, his long strides bringing him right behind her.
He reached out and caged her body from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her flush against his hard chest.
“In this lab, there’s only you and me.”
Betty’s back grew hot under the radiant heat of his body.
“Boss, it’s working hours…” her voice trembled, her grip on her stylus slipping.
“You said it yourself—I’m the boss.” Linus leaned down and nipped at her earlobe, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin.
Betty’s knees buckled.
She sagged into his embrace, relying entirely on the strength of his arms to keep from sliding to the floor.
“Since I’m the boss, it’s only fair that I inspect my exclusive territory and collect a little interest, right?” Linus’s hand slipped up from the hem of her lab coat.
“Mph…” Betty bit her lower lip, afraid to make any loud noises.
The sheer contrast of being in a brightly lit laboratory, staring at a screen filled with sacred scientific data while her body was thoroughly dominated by this man, left her head spinning.
“Stay focused.
If there’s even a single error in this dataset, I’ll punish you,” Linus coaxed in her ear.
“And I have many ways to do it.
For example…
helping you make some progress right here on this lab table.”
Betty tensed up, her eyes turning slightly red.
Bruce Banner had been the type to only discuss dry equations; even holding hands required the perfect atmosphere.
But the man before her now had not only brought out technology that surpassed the entire globe, but had also filled her emptiness in the most domineering way possible.
“I…
I won’t make any mistakes.” Betty closed her eyes in resignation.
In his mind, the system notification chimed right on cue.
[Ding!
Target Betty Ross’s career binding progress is at 100%!]
[Target’s emotional dependency has broken past its limits.
She has completely fallen!]
Linus loosened his tie.
The fish was fully caught in the net.
Reaping the rewards was only a matter of time.
…
A week later.
The Star Umbrella Corporation officially opened its doors.
The building had been transformed into an impregnable fortress.
Linus had spent a fortune hiring a top-tier security team, keeping the perimeter defense active around the clock.
Inside the spacious, brightly lit CEO’s office, Linus sat in a leather executive chair.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the bustling skyline of New York.
The door opened.
Betty walked in holding an encrypted folder.
She was still wearing that sexy business suit, only this time with her white lab coat over it.
The mixture of professional restraint and sheer temptation hit Linus’s aesthetic preferences perfectly.
“The purification model for the primary hyper-regeneration factor is complete.
In just half a month, we’ll have the first batch of serum ready for clinical trials.” Betty placed the folder on the massive desk, her voice carrying a trace of pride she couldn’t hide.
This was the greatest project she had ever led.
Linus glanced at the folder, then patted his thigh.
“Come here.”
Betty obediently walked around the desk to his side.
Linus caught her by the wrist and pulled her into his lap, letting her sit sideways across his thighs.
“You’ve worked hard, my Chief Biological Officer.” Linus’s fingers slid down to unbutton the second button of her white shirt.
Betty’s breath hitched, and she pressed her hand over his mischievous fingers.
“Linus, stop.
What if someone comes in?”
“No one dares to set foot on this floor except you.” Linus lightly nipped her chin.
“Let me see if staying up late in the lab these past few days has made you lose weight.” With that, his hand slipped past the opening of her clothes.
Betty let out a soft groan, instinctively shrinking into his chest.
“N-No, I haven’t.”
The two of them nuzzled against each other in the wide office chair, the temperature in the room rising rapidly.
Betty was thoroughly kissed out of her mind, her eyes dazed and her lipstick half-smudged.
“You’re only after my body…” she gasped, offering a weak protest.
Linus chuckled.
“I’m not just after your body—I want to devour your heart and soul too.
It’s a fair trade, understand?” He lifted Betty up and laid her flat on the smooth surface of the desk.
Lying on the desk, Betty’s dark hair was in disarray, her white shirt half-open, her chest rising and falling.
“What on earth do you want from me…” she whimpered, near tears.
This feeling of being constantly teased without any resolution was sheer torture.
“I want to do some adult things.” Linus breathed against her red lips, his warm breath fanning her skin.
“Now, let me hear you call me husband.”
Betty’s face burned crimson.
Just as she parted her lips, ready to capitulate—
Linus’s sharp senses caught a faint sound coming from the far end of the hallway.
His eyes darkened, and he sat up.
“We have a guest,” Linus said, his voice turning cold.
Betty didn’t register what he meant, looking at him in confusion.
The next second, with a loud *bang*, the double wooden doors of the CEO’s office were flung open from the outside.
Several agents dressed in suits and sunglasses filed in, quickly positioning themselves on both sides of the office.
Their hands rested on their holstered handguns, locking down all exits.
Then, a man in a black trench coat stepped into the office.
He was a tall Black man with a shaved head, wearing a black patch over his left eye.
A cold, highly oppressive light gleamed in his remaining right eye.
Ignoring the flustered Betty, his gaze locked directly onto Linus across the wide desk.
“Forgive the intrusion, Dr.
Vance.”