Chapter 170
Faye hadn’t seen Joel in Simone’s lab for several days, and Eleanor hadn’t shown up for nearly two weeks either.
Their absence had put Faye in a restless mood. This afternoon, there was a meeting scheduled, and both Joel and Eleanor were on the agenda. Surely they’d have to show up for that, right?
At half past two, Faye glanced at the time on her phone. Just then, she heard footsteps in the hallway. The door swung open, and sure enough-Joel and Eleanor entered together.
It almost looked as if they’d come straight from the same place. A flicker of jealousy crossed Faye’s eyes. Were they living together now?
Simone strode in, clutching a stack of papers. “Good, everyone’s here. Let’s get started p>
The meeting focused on gene editing, regenerative medicine, and the role of artificial intelligence in both. Simone praised Joel for his Al-driven drug discovery and cellular simulation proposal.
“Professor Langley, I can’t take full credit for that,” Joel corrected her. “Eleanor was actually the one who came up with the idea first p>
Faye scoffed inwardly. Joel was practically tripping over himself to hand all the credit to Eleanor these days. Was he trying to cement her reputation as a medical prodigy, or was he just afraid she’d be exposed as a fraud?
“Is that so? Eleanor, why don’t you walk us through your vision? Where do you see this going?” Simone turned to her, a spark of genuine curiosity in her eyes.
Eleanor spoke modestly. “Joel and I developed this plan together.” Then she launched into a detailed explanation-how artificial intelligence could accelerate drug screening and shorten development timelines, how virtual cell technology could model tumor behavior and make targeted drug design more feasible.
Faye watched, taken aback by Eleanor’s confidence and command of the subject. How much had Joel taught her behind the scenes? How was Eleanor able to articulate such an ambitious roadmap for the future of research?
Simone listened intently, nodding her approval throughout. At the end, she said, “Eleanor’s proposal is truly visionary and perfectly aligned with the future of medicine. We need to move ahead with this research as soon as possible p>
“We’ll need to partner with the best Al firm available,” Eleanor suggested. “The leading company right now is D&E Technologies,” Horace chimed in. “They’re at the forefront globally p>
Callie added, “D&E is a subsidiary of Goodwin & Co. If we need support, Mr. Goodwin can probably make the introduction p>
Simone glanced at Eleanor with a smile. “All the better, then p>
Eleanor frowned. Why did it have to be one of lan’s companies? For the past six years, she’d been focused on raising her daughter. She had no idea what ventures lan was involved in, and he never brought work home to discuss it. The realization left her frustrated.
“Professor Langley, I’d be happy to serve as our main contact with D&E,” Faye volunteered eagerly.
Simone considered for a moment. “Let’s do this: Eleanor, Joel, and Faye-you’ll form the liaison team with D&E Technologies. Gwenda will assist as needed p>
Faye bristled at the arrangement, but she knew she had the upper hand when it came to negotiating with Goodwin & Co. After all, her sister was dating lan. She’d make sure this was her chance to shine in front of Professor Langley.
When the meeting ended, Eleanor and Joel left together. As Eleanor settled into Joel’s car for the ride back downtown, she noticed Faye and Gwenda’s car pulling out of the parking lot right behind them.