A DEAL WITH THE BOSSY BILLIONAIRE

4%

Dr. Frank POV

The room erupted in a collective sigh of relief, but my eyes remained fixed on the monitor, watching the rhythmic beeps of the clone's heart stabilize. Sweat dripped down my forehead, and I wiped it with a shaky hand. I had done it. For now.

"Place her in the tube," I instructed Octane, my voice hoarse but steady.

"Right away, sir," he replied. His team worked in practiced synchrony, carefully transferring the clone's body to the tube. The glass chamber slid closed, sealing her in. The hiss of cooling air filled the room as the tube's temperature dropped, designed to help the clone’s body recover from the trauma we had just inflicted on it.

I moved to the side of the lab, where a console displayed the clone's vital signs. They were stable—for now. But this was far from over. The accelerated degradation of the clone’s tissue cells was something I hadn’t accounted for. Something was off, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. My mind raced through possibilities, each one dismissed as quickly as it came.

"Doc, should we run additional diagnostics?" Sara asked, her voice hesitant, as if she feared breaking the temporary calm.

I stared at the clone through the glass. She looked just like my daughter, like Sia when she was still human. But this clone—Sia 3.0—wasn’t just another experiment. She had to succeed. I had no other option.

"No, not yet," I replied, shaking my head. "Let the tissue regenerate first. We’ll run a full diagnostic once her cellular structure stabilizes."

Sara nodded and returned to her station. The tension in the room was still palpable. Every one of them knew what was at stake. Failure wasn’t an option.

Mrs. Chandler’s voice echoed in my head, a constant reminder of the consequences if I didn’t deliver. She had made it clear—I was only as valuable as my results. I couldn’t afford another failure. Not again. Not after what happened last time.

I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand. The clone's body was regenerating, and I had a window of opportunity to figure out why the degradation was happening so quickly. I couldn't lose this one, not when I was so close.

"Dave, Octane, get me the latest readings on her cellular decay rate," I ordered, my hands already flying across the console. I needed answers, and I needed them fast.

As they rushed to comply, I paced the lab, my mind spinning with possibilities. I hadn’t felt this level of urgency since my daughter’s death. That familiar, gnawing desperation clawed at me, driving me to the brink of madness. Failure would mean more than just the loss of this experiment. It would mean losing everything again.

I leaned over the console, staring at the data streaming in. Her cellular decay had slowed, but not enough. It was still happening faster than it should. I could feel my frustration rising again, but I forced myself to remain calm. Think. What was I missing?

The room felt stifling, the low hum of the machines and the soft murmurs of the team only fueling my agitation. My mind flashed back to my earlier days, when I was first developing the cloning process. I had spent years perfecting the technique, experimenting with DNA sequences, manipulating cellular structures. I had come so close to immortality—only to have it ripped away by those too blind to see the future.

*Focus, Frank.*

The clone twitched inside the tube, her fingers curling slightly. It was a sign of life, but it was also a reminder that she was still fragile. One wrong move, one miscalculation, and she would deteriorate beyond repair.

"Dr. Frank?" Dave interrupted my thoughts, his voice cutting through the haze of my mind.

"Yes?" I snapped, my patience wearing thin.

"The decay rate has dropped by 15%, but it’s still above the threshold. We need to stabilize her cells further, or she won’t survive long enough for the next phase," he explained, his eyes darting nervously between me and the monitor.

"Dammit!" I hissed under my breath. It wasn’t enough. I was missing something crucial. But what?

I turned to the team. "I need you to prepare a compound. We’re going to try a different approach. I want a mix of Fetonal and Sulphur, balanced with an iron alpha stabilizer. Add a hint of Oi acid, just enough to push the regeneration into overdrive. Do it now."

"But sir, that mixture—" Sara began, her voice uncertain.

"I don’t care about the risks, Sara. We’re running out of time. Do as I say," I barked, my tone leaving no room for argument.

Sara exchanged a glance with Octane and Dave before turning back to the console. "On it," she replied quietly.

I watched them work, my heart pounding in my chest. This had to work. I couldn’t afford another failure. Not with Mrs. Chandler breathing down my neck. Not with the weight of my past mistakes crushing me with every second that passed.

The minutes ticked by slowly, each one dragging me closer to the edge of panic. My mind raced through the possibilities again and again, searching for an answer that continued to elude me.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Sara approached with a vial of the compound. The liquid inside shimmered faintly, a dangerous cocktail of chemicals that could either save the clone—or destroy her completely.

"We’re ready," Sara said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I took the vial from her, my fingers trembling as I stared at it. This was it. My last chance to get it right. I approached the tube, carefully inserting the vial into the injector port.

"Octane, prepare for shock maneuver on my signal," I ordered, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging inside me.

"Ready," Octane replied, his hands hovering over the controls.

I took a deep breath and pressed the button, injecting the compound into the clone’s bloodstream. The seconds stretched into an eternity as we waited. Her body twitched again, more violently this time, and the monitor beeped erratically.

"Shock in three… two… one!" I shouted.

Octane pressed the button, and the clone’s body jolted as the electric shock surged through her. The room held its breath, every eye fixed on the monitor.

The beeping slowed, then steadied. Her heart was beating normally again.

"Yes!" I shouted, the rush of victory flooding through me. The clone’s vitals had stabilized. For now, she was alive.

But deep down, I knew this was only the beginning. The road ahead was fraught with danger, and there was still so much that could go wrong.

As I stood there, watching the clone breathe steadily inside the tube, a cold realization crept over me. This was more than just an experiment. It was a race against time—against my own demons. And if I failed, the cost would be far greater than I could bear.

But I wasn’t going to fail. Not this time.

At least, I hoped I wouldn’t.

Because the consequences… were unimaginable.