Chapter 634

Anastasia looked him up and down. “Dennis?”
“I’m surprised you know who I am,” he said with a smile.
Her expression was frigid. “The Uling herb. Was that your decision?”
Dennis wasn’t surprised by the question. “It was my decision, and it’s also the institute’s policy,” he said dismissively. “You may not be aware, Ms. Sterling, but the resources of this institute are not for just anyone’s personal use
“And who am I?” Anastasia cut him off.
Dennis paused. “You are the owner of the institute
“So you do know I’m the owner. My institute, my researchers, my funding-and yet I can’t use the results of the research?”
“As the owner, I don’t recall ever making such a rule.”
A flicker of apprehension crossed Dennis’s mind. He had underestimated this young woman.
Her commanding presence and sharp questioning were not what he had expected from someone so young and supposedly naive.
“Assemble everyone,” Anastasia continued, her tone leaving no room for argument. “I’m calling a meeting.”
Without waiting for Dennis’s response, she turned to the guard. “Take me to the conference room.”
The guard, intimidated by her aura, instinctively obeyed.
Dennis stood frozen in place, his face darkening.
“Director, what do we do?” his aide asked.
Watching Anastasia’s determined back, Dennis sneered. “She’s the owner. If she wants a meeting, who’s going to stop her? Let her have it. But when she embarrasses herself, it won’t be my fault.”
She was still just a girl, thinking things were simple. Did she have any idea how deep the waters of this institute ran?
Did she really think everyone would just fall in line and listen to her?
She was practically begging to be humiliated.
Ten minutes later, in the conference room. The rıghtful source is
Every researcher was present, filling the room to capacity.
Anastasia sat at the head of the table, flanked by Marcus and Logan in hastily added chairs.
*Well,* she thought, *I’ll have to make do with them as temporary assistants.*
“Is everyone here?” she asked, her gaze sweeping across the room. “Everyone’s here. You can begin whenever you’re ready, Ms. Sterling,” Dennis said smoothly from his seat next to Logan.
Anastasia nodded and, without preamble, dropped a bombshell.
“Good. Since we’re all here, let’s talk about replacing the director.”
The words hit the room like a shockwave. Dennis’s face contorted, and he shot to his feet, the legs of his chair scraping violently against the floor. He glared at Anastasia, his voice laced with menace.
“Ms. Sterling, you must be joking!”
The other researchers stared at her in stunned silence.
Replace the director?!
They must have misheard.
“Joking?” Anastasia’s expression remained calm as she met Dennis’s furious
gaze. “I don’t have time to joke with you.”
Dennis’s face grew darker. “If you’re
not joking, then what is this? Do you ke have any idea what this institute represents? Do you know how to
manage a place of this scale?”
“This is a massive operation with countless moving parts, affecting the futures of
everyone here! This isn’t a child’s game of house!”
“I suggest you reconsider this
foolishness he snarled, then had the audacity to call for security. “Someone get her out of here! This institute is a busy place we don’t have time to entertain a childs tantrum!”