Chapter 555

He had no intention of waking her, but as he turned to leave with the food, her long lashes fluttered. Her small nose twitched, and her eyes, still half-closed,
zeroed in on the tray.
“You’re eating without me she mumbled, her voice raspy with sleep and on the verge of tears.
Harrison froze. “You want some?”
Yes,” she replied weakly. She tried to sit up but had no strength. A powerful arm slid behind her back, lifting her with ease. He settled her against his chest and fed her bite by bite, a treatment fit for a queen.
The royal service revived her spirits. “I thought you were trying to kill me,” she grumbled.
He paused, the fork trembling slightly in his hand. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Am I wrong?” she pouted. “You were so rough, like you hadn’t… mmmph!”
He covered her mouth with his hand, his voice a calm warning from above. “If you continue with this line of talk, I will show you what it’s *really* like.”
She immediately went silent.
“Are you going to eat?” he asked.
Yes!”
After the eventful night, Anastasia didn’t wake up until noon the next day. She made it just in time for lunch before floating out of the house and toward the company. As she passed, Stella, now much more subdued, watched her, trying to spot the dark circles she was sure were hidden under Anastasia’s makeup. *Hmph. Nineteen is so old. Not like me, sixteen and fresh as a daisy.*
Anastasia, oblivious, floated into the car and then into the Unison Pharma building.
“Ma’am, what happened last night?” Sean asked, alarmed by her state. “You look exhausted.”
*What happened last night?* An image of her insatiable husband flashed in her mind. “Nothing,” she said with a weak smile. “Just a bit of insomnia.” Check latest chapters at ⓝovelFind.net
After some time in her office, she finally felt more human and headed down to the research department. The entire staff a mix of recruits from the institute and loyal former employees who had recently been rehired-was waiting. They all knew about her plan.
“Ma’am, are we really starting over?” Cora asked, her tone respectful.
Anastasia nodded. “Yes. Sean should have filled you all in.”
“He did, but…
.. Isn’t this a bit
reckless?” an older employee spoke up. He was, deeply loyal to the company and had only just returned after being pushed out by Lauren. “Ma’am, with all due respect you don’t have a background in this. Déveloping a new drug imone week is pure fantasy! We don’t have that kind of ability!”
Disappointment was clear in his eyes, and others began to murmur in agreement. They had been waiting for the true heir to return, only to find she was full of empty boasts.
Knowing their loyalty was to the
company, Anastasia didn’t take offense. “Don’t worry,” she said
calmly candle the care
research myself. I just need the rest of you as assistants.”
This statement was even more arrogant than the last. The entire team lacked confidence, yet she thought she could do it alone?
“This is madness!” the first man exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table.
Anastasia just shook her head. “I don’t need everyone. If you don’t want to assist, you can work on other projects.”
At that, several of the older employees walked out, refusing to waste their time on her folly. Surprisingly, none of the recruits from the institute moved.
Anastasia raised an eyebrow. “You believe in me?”
“Anything’s possible,” one of them said with a shrug. “It sounds crazy, but you never know until you try.”
“Yeah,” another chimed in. “I thought getting a perfect score on that exam was impossible, too, but you did it.”
The younger generation was more open-minded. Even if they thought her claim was audacious, they were willing to give it a shot. This was the girl who had aced the impossible, after all. What if she could do it again?
Pleased, Anastasia waved them forward. “Then let’s get started.”
“Why not try to get the data back from… Lauren?” Cora asked quietly. Surely that
would be easier than starting from scratch.
A slow smile spread across Anastasia’s face. She could get the data back if she wanted to. But-
“I don’t trust her skills,” she said simply. “And I don’t trust anything she’s developed.”
For this summit, she intended for Unison Pharma to shine. Lauren’s work, she suspected, would never be good enough.
***