By his fourth month under George,
Luca was already meeting people far beyond the fashion crowd.
Evening parties at private clubs.
Charity dinners with city officials.
Cocktail receptions at the Canadian–Italian embassy.
George took him everywhere, always a step behind like a shadow.
"Your job's simple," George said.
"When I introduce you, say your name, shake hands.
Never talk too long.
And remember their watch, their shoes, their cologne.
Money and power always hide in the details."
Luca spoke less than he watched.
After a handful of nights, he could place every face—
provincial ministers, hospital directors, banking executives.
By the time people started calling him the next project director,
George slid a card across the table.
The Card
White stock, black type:
Dr. Adrian Nam & Dr. Claire Lee – Neuroscience & Bioengineering Lab
Address: a quiet research compound outside Vancouver, by the sea.
"It'll suit you," George said.
"Adrian and Claire are old friends of mine.
Best in your field. They've got an opening for an intern."
"Any reason you'd recommend me?"
Luca asked it deliberately, skipping thank you.
George smiled.
"Thought you might want to put that degree to use.
Your transcripts say you're good in biochem.
Sure, you're fresh out of undergrad—
doesn't match their usual pedigree.
But the world doesn't always hire off résumés.
Not when I'm the one making the call."
First Day at the Lab
January wind came in off the water.
Luca pulled his coat tight and stopped in front of the glass doors.
Next to the blue logo, a sign read: Authorized Personnel Only.
A man stepped out and offered his hand.
Close-cropped hair.
Gold-rimmed glasses.
Sharp eyes behind them.
"Luca Belloni. George told me about you,"
he said—quick, clipped.
"I'm Adrian Nam. Come in."
The hallway was a clean grid of white and grey.
Schedules and chemical formulas lined the walls.
Somewhere, faint disinfectant hung in the air.
"This is Claire Lee—co–lead researcher, and… my wife."
The woman's black hair was neatly tied back.
Her smile was softer than Adrian's,
but the same guarded look flickered underneath.
Luca's Place
"Intern" didn't quite cover it.
He handled more than basic lab work—
reagent logs, double-checking clinical data,
translating overseas journals.
Every Friday night,
he stayed late for an off-the-books meeting with Adrian and Claire.
That's when he first heard it—
the project on neuro-modulation drugs for focus and memory.
"We're not commercializing it," Claire said.
"It's for treating rare neurological disorders. That's the only goal."
Luca said nothing that night.
But in his head, the math was already running.