Dark Faïz ( Book 1 ) [ COMPLETED]

Chapters 10-3

During the car ride, he listened carefully to the information on the radio while I watched New York and its buildings.

— "There are more people on the streets here than in LA," I noticed, without realizing it, aloud.

— "People travel mainly by transport or on foot, unlike in LA where even to drive a hundred meters, the car is essential," Faïz said, repressing a smile.

He fixed me with a familiar glance, as if he now wanted to reduce the distance he had forced himself to put between us all along. Quickly, he looked away, anxious to clear his thoughts, and then decided to brief me one last time on the names of the employees, as well as their jobs, but also on the company's habits. Finally, he encouraged me to be sure of myself and to ask any questions that would be useful in writing my article. Times Square, faithful to its image, wasn't empty. The general atmosphere, although heavy, remained animated by its superheroes scattered throughout the four corners of the crossroads, while its shops and restaurants were already crowded.

— "Have a good day, Adan," I said to our driver before going to the entrance of the building.

— "You too, ma'am."

Inside, Faïz immediately went to the reception desk where the same hostess as last night was present.

— "Good morning, Mr. Mattew."

— "Hello, Mira. Can you notify the communications department that Zoe Reyes is coming? They already know about her visit today."

— "Yes, sir."

She complied without delay. Faïz then went to the elevators. As soon as the doors closed on us, he turned to me, his eyes locked on mine.

— "Come with me tonight," he whispered with supplication in his voice.

He was, of course, talking about the reception. His eyes seemed to be begging me. It was the first time I felt indispensable to him. Dazed, I hesitated for a moment. I watched him intently, then took a deep breath.

— "All right, I'll come."

He closed his eyes, the features of his face relaxing. A small beep interrupted the moment, indicating that we had arrived on our floor. Faïz accompanied me with a slow step to my desk while adding,

— "Well, I'm glad to hear it. There is a good chance you'll finish earlier than me tonight. Adan will wait for you downstairs and then take you to the hotel. I'll pick you up at eight o'clock."

We stopped in front of an open door, which apparently must have been one of the meeting rooms, then Faïz wished me good luck before leaving without turning around. Uncomfortable, I made my appearance in the room, which overlooked Times Square. A young woman was waiting for me there, sitting at a large table. When she heard me come in, she raised her head from her computer. A big warm smile split her face.

— "Hey, you must be Zoe. I am Chloe. Delighted," she called out to me familiarly.

She got up immediately to meet me. Chloe was smaller than me, which surprised me, because I already considered myself tiny. Her hair, blonde on top and black underneath, fell to her shoulders. Her very classy white and yellow suit must have been very expensive.

— "Hello... Yes, I'm Zoe. It's nice to meet you, too " I said, offering her a handshake.

— "Dolce Gabana!"

— "Excuse me?"

— "My outfit is a Dolce, if were wondering."

I started to blush slightly. God, I must've looked like a little peasant girl who must not know anything about the world of fashion.

— "I must be blindingly obvious," I replied shyly in an embarrassed tone.

— "Let's go sit down, if you don't mind. Andy and James are coming right away."

Once seated, I took out of my big bag a pencil and a notebook on which were already written a lot of notes.

— "Before I start, I'd like to know if that's really the color of your eyes?" she asked me, intrigued.

— "Yes. I don't wear contacts."

— "Fascinating. You must be asked often."

— "I'm used to it," I confided to her with a shy smile.

The conversation with Chloe passed without difficulty. Her extroverted tendencies made conversation easy, which gave me the impression that I had known her all my life. I was not complaining about it. Quite the contrary, it encouraged our exchanges. Her gestures and friendly tone allowed me to relax as the minutes passed.

**

— "We are currently on the innovative therapies and first worldwide level," she continued during the presentation.

Chloe seemed passionate about her work. We had been together for almost two hours and I tried to write everything she said quickly without getting lost on the way. Faïz had warned me this morning in the car. There was no room for any misapplication within Trac-Word. No one would come to hold my hand.

— "Can we talk about a consecration of degenerative medicine in the world?" I cut her off in the middle of her speech.

— "This is a promising market. Trac-Word must look into it. For the moment, we are only at the testing stage."

— "How many trials have you conducted so far for these therapeutic projects?"

— "Nearly eleven thousand on patients. Sixty percent are from cells of other donors."

Chloe got up from her chair.

— "What do you say we take a break and go get some coffee?"

— "Yes, it wouldn't hurt me," I answered without hesitation.

— "Let's go to the cafeteria on the first floor. Andy and James may have been held up at the lab on the other side of Manhattan, but they should be here soon."

She took her things and I followed her.