Heat flared in Anya’s cheeks. Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms.
"Due diligence?" Her voice was a low growl, laced with disbelief.
Standing there, Roman didn't flinch. His expression remained utterly unreadable.
"You call invading my privacy 'due diligence'?"
"Anya," he began, his tone maddeningly even.
She cut him off, a sharp, angry gasp escaping her lips.
"You tracked my every move. You spied on my team. You even accessed my confidential research!"
Every word felt like an accusation, spitting fire into the air between them.
"That's not due diligence, Roman. That's a violation. A grotesque invasion."
He watched her, his dark eyes like polished obsidian.
"For an investment of this scale, Anya, I need to know everything."
His nonchalance ignited a fresh wave of fury within her.
"You needed to know by violating every boundary? By betraying my trust?"
She stepped closer, her chin jutting out defiantly.
"We had a truce. A fragile understanding. You just shattered it."
Roman simply raised an eyebrow, a subtle, dismissive gesture.
"Your trust, or lack thereof, does not change the facts of business."
"And what facts are those? That you're a manipulative tyrant?"
He ignored her biting remark, turning slightly to gesture at the expansive city view outside the penthouse windows.
"Let's discuss the actual investment, shall we?"
Anya stared, utterly bewildered. He truly believed he could just gloss over his trespasses.
"There is nothing to discuss until you explain yourself!"
Roman turned back, his gaze piercing.
"I've explained. I need full transparency."
He walked over to a sleek console table, picking up a tablet.
"I've reviewed your project data. Your projections. Your current capital needs."
Her anger warred with a flicker of desperate hope. Was he still considering it?
"The technology is revolutionary," he continued, his voice devoid of emotion.
"It could change everything." His words were a cold, hard fact.
Anya's breath hitched. He saw the potential. He truly did.
"So, you'll invest?" The question was barely a whisper.
He looked directly into her eyes, a predatory glint appearing in his own.
"I will. Under certain conditions."
A chill ran down her spine. His tone was too calm, too controlled.
"What conditions?" She braced herself.
Roman set the tablet down, his hands clasped in front of him.
"Complete control, Anya."
Her mind reeled. "Control? What do you mean?"
"I mean full ownership. Of the patents. Of the company. Of everything associated with Project Gaia."
He watched her, gauging her reaction, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk playing on his lips.
"You would be an employee. A consultant, perhaps. Reporting to me."
Anya felt the blood drain from her face. This wasn't a bargain. It was an outright heist.
"That's… that's impossible!"
"Is it?" he challenged, his voice soft but firm.
"This is my life's work! My family's legacy!"
"And it's stalled, isn't it? Dying slowly without the necessary capital."
His words were a blunt, cruel truth.
She stumbled back, shaking her head vehemently.
"I won't give it to you. Not like this. Not all of it."
Roman merely walked around the table, approaching her with slow, deliberate steps.
"Think, Anya. Think about the scale. The impact. Your vision, fully realized."
"But not by me," she whispered, her voice cracking.
"By me," he confirmed. "Under my guidance. With my resources. My infrastructure."
He painted a picture of grandeur, a global revolution, all orchestrated by him.
"Your ideas are brilliant. But ideas alone don't change the world. Power does."
His gaze swept over her, taking in her shock, her rising despair.
"You lack the capital. The reach. The ruthlessness to push this through."
Each word was a hammer blow, shattering her hopes.
"I have all of that. And I'm offering it to you. For a price."
"A price that steals everything from me," she countered, her voice trembling with indignation.
"A price that ensures your dream isn't just a dream. It becomes reality."
He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a sleek, silver pen.
He held it out to her, a silent challenge.
"Consider the alternative, Anya. Your project withers. Your research becomes obsolete."
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a dangerous register.
"Your family's name, once synonymous with innovation, will be remembered for failure."
His words twisted the knife in her gut. He knew her deepest fears.
"I'm offering you the means to save it all. To achieve everything you ever wanted."
"Except my autonomy," she spat, her eyes burning.
"A small sacrifice for a world-changing impact," he replied, utterly unmoved.
He extended the pen further, his hand steady as a rock.
"Sign, Anya, or watch your revolution die before it even begins. And your family's name will follow."