Chapter 60
“I’m warning you for your own good, Eleanor. This is a place for saving lives, not for flaunting your family name. I respect your father, I truly do-but you’re not him.” Faye’s crimson lips curled into a mocking smile.
Eleanor just gave a small, polite smile. “Thanks for the reminder p>
“We’ll see about that, won’t we? Let’s find out who comes up with the new drug first-me, or you.” With that, Faye tossed her head and strutted away.
Eleanor headed straight to the lab, eager to lose herself in her work. She picked up the newly delivered wild herb roots and began extracting their juice with practiced hands.
Two years ago, Eleanor had cultivated a set of research samples in the lab. Ultimately, she managed to isolate a flavonoid compound from the roots-one that could destroy this type of spherical virus quickly and effectively, with almost no side effects on the human body. It was, so far, the fastest-acting and most promising treatment available.
Now, with this virus popping up in the country-albeit still in limited outbreaks― Eleanor knew how quickly these strains could mutate. If they didn’t act fast to contain it, a full-blown epidemic could be just around the corner.
She was determined to stop it before it spread.
Three days slipped by in a blur. Eleanor balanced picking up her daughter right on time each afternoon with tireless hours in the lab. On the fourth morning, she watched through the microscope as a droplet of her purified extract landed on a writhing cluster of virus cells. Within seconds, the entire colony collapsed-dead. Eleanor exhaled slowly, relief flickering in her eyes. She turned to her assistant. “Darcy, could you ask Dr. Kingsley to come here p>
Joel arrived promptly. After reviewing Eleanor’s results, he looked up at her, astonished and delighted. “Ellie, you’re a medical genius p>
Eleanor let out a soft laugh. “Joel, my research is finished. The rest is up to you.” “Great. We’ll contact the pharmaceutical company right away and get this into production. The sooner we reach clinical trials, the better p>
That afternoon, in the conference room, Joel formally presented Eleanor’s breakthrough. The moment the results were announced, Faye’s face went ashen. She slammed her hand on the table. “Impossible. There’s no way a drug could work that fast! My best attempt only managed to kill fifty percent of the viral cells p>
Tanner crossed his arms and leveled his gaze at Eleanor. “Eleanor, be honest. Where did you steal this data from? If this drug goes to market, we can’t risk getting sued for someone else’s work p>
Eleanor’s eyes were calm and unwavering. “This is my own research. I haven’t stolen anything from anyone p>
Faye pressed on, refusing to give up. “That herb you used is completely ordinary. How on earth did you even think to try it p>
“Read more,” Eleanor replied coolly. “You’d be surprised what you find p>
Joel’s expression turned serious as he addressed the room. “Faye, envy won’t get you anywhere. Eleanor’s experiments and procedures are sound, and her results are absolutely reliable. Your research is valuable, too, but that doesn’t mean you can discredit Eleanor’s work p>
Faye fell silent, though her clenched fists betrayed her frustration. Why was Eleanor always so lucky? Finding an herb that could kill a new virus was like finding a needle in a haystack-nigh impossible.
When the meeting ended, Faye stormed back to her own lab and immediately
tried to replicate Eleanor’s process. But when she peered into the microscope and saw the result for herself, she slumped back into her chair, stunned.
How could this be? How could Eleanor be this good?