The Depth of Interest

A coral reef is dying. A billionaire needs redemption. And the scientist standing between them has nothing left to lose.Dr. Nora Sterling has spent three years mapping the thermal bleaching of the Cay of Lanterns-a reef that holds the genetic key to saving the Caribbean's corals. When her funding is cut days before the critical spawning window, she faces an impossible choice: watch her life's work calcify into stone, or accept a check from the man she despises most.Julian Vance is a tech billionaire in freefall. His batteries are catching fire, his stock is tanking, and his board wants blood. A high-profile environmental rescue aboard his superyacht, The Apex, offers the perfect PR reset. All he needs is a credible scientist to lend him legitimacy. Dr. Sterling fits the profile. She also hates everything he stands for.On a floating palace of polished teak and hidden cameras, Nora discovers that Julian's "philanthropy" comes with a patent clause-the same legal trap that destroyed her mentor's legacy. But as a tropical squall threatens their data and a corporate dredging operation closes in on the reef, the line between enemy and ally begins to blur.The Depth of Interest is a slow-burn romance about the cost of compromise, the weight of trust, and the impossible question: can you save something you love with money from the people who helped destroy it?For readers of Emily Henry's Book Lovers and Ali Hazelwood's The Love Hypothesis-with the heart of a coral reef.