Chapter 3

"This is Fred's phone." Georgia's voice cooled.

"He stayed up with me all night. He finally crashed just now," Helena said, a hint of guilt and self-reproach in her tone.

"You're sick?"

"I drank too much last night and… lost it for a moment." Helena paused. "I slit my wrist. Luckily, Fred rushed over in time and got me to the hospital."

Georgia listened to her, unable to find a single flaw in the story. Helena was a widow, broken and suicidal. Her late husband's younger brother had stayed out all night to look after his brother's grieving wife.

"Is that so?" Georgia's tone turned cooler still. "Then get some rest."

Helena murmured an agreement and hung up.

The dull click of the call ending seemed to knock open a door in Georgia's heart that led to insecurity. Helena had borrowed her husband for an entire night without so much as an apology. Just now, that air of utter entitlement had almost made Georgia feel like she was the one intruding.

But in an instant, the grief and fury were swept aside by a cold, sharp clarity. She stared out the window, fully aware that this was one moment where she couldn't afford to lose control.

Sophie was still little. Her world was simple and bright, and Georgia refused to let anyone shatter it. Maybe it was time for her to tear away the veil herself and see exactly what had happened in the past between Fred and Helena.

…

At 9:00 am, Georgia arrived at the company for a meeting. In the conference room, Fred sat at the head of the table, his handsome features drawn with fatigue.

His charcoal suit with a subtle pattern was custom-tailored. The top button of his shirt was undone, and he didn't wear a tie. He gave off a casual vibe that still carried authority.

Since the death of his grandfather, Philip Seele, his power within the group had only grown. Now that Felix was also gone, even more control had fallen into his hands. He had the calm, commanding presence of someone firmly in charge.

That day's meeting was about reviewing resource allocation and budgets for several R&D projects. The first few projects progressed smoothly.

When it came time for the Targeted Therapies and Innovative Formulations R&D Division to report on a new tumor inhibitor, the atmosphere shifted almost imperceptibly.

The project's lead, Helena, was absent.

A researcher had been sent in her place to present. He explained that several third-phase "Starmap" experiments had shown minor fluctuations and that the drug's stability still needed further validation. He spoke with professional vigor and promised they would continue to investigate the issue.

Several senior executives nodded along. This project was one of the company's key bets for the next three years and had drawn a lot of attention from the outside world.

Fred stared at the big screen, his gaze deep and unreadable, so lost in thought that he seemed to have misplaced his usual decisiveness.

"I'm against increasing the budget for this project or preparing it for clinical trials at this stage." Georgia suddenly spoke up from her seat midway down the table.

In an instant, every gaze swung toward her. She was known in the company for being professional and low-key, and she almost never voiced direct, clear-cut objections at senior meetings—especially not to a project led by her sister-in-law, a project everyone clearly favored.

Fred's unfocused eyes snapped back to the present and slowly shifted to Georgia. Here, he was the one in absolute control. His look at her was assessing and skeptical.

"Your reasons," he said shortly.

Georgia met his eyes and picked up the file before her. "I've laid out three points. First, the irregular data isn't just a minor batch deviation. The anomalies showed up six months ago, and combined with the three divergent data sets this time, we're already brushing up against the statistical warning line."

At that, a few executives around the table fell into thoughtful silence.

"Second, there's a resource squeeze. My department's project on a Poriatin polysaccharide derivative just finished clinical trials. The data show a significant effect on immune regulation and a good safety profile. It needs concentrated resources right now for in-depth analysis.

"And third." Georgia locked eyes with Fred. "The project lead, Helena Linden, has missed multiple key milestones. That doesn't align with best practices for R&D management. We should have her back at her post to sort out the data issues before we reevaluate."

The conference room went dead quiet.

Everyone knew that Helena was a top talent personally groomed by the Seele family. In past meetings, Georgia had only ever stepped in to fill in the blanks in Helena's projects. She'd never once openly called out her mistakes.

Fred's expression didn't change. When he spoke, his tone was even but carried a chill. "Your analysis is very professional, Dr. Walker. We'll set up a temporary technical review team. You'll join as part of the cross-audit group. In two weeks, I want a detailed data report and risk assessment on my desk."

When the meeting ended, Georgia stayed seated even after Fred had left. She stared at the data frozen on the screen.

Earlier, he hadn't mentioned Helena by name, much less reprimanded her. Instead, he'd simply frozen the project in place with an exercise of pure authority.

Georgia got up and walked toward the door. At that moment, she knew that once she stepped past the threshold, a clear line would be drawn between her and Fred.

"Georgia, come to my office." Out in the hallway, a tall figure waited for her, as if he'd been standing there just for her.

Georgia followed him into the CEO's office.

The door clicked shut. Fred stepped forward and lowered his gaze to her. "You know how much that project means to Helena. Why did you have to shoot it down?"

Georgia turned away from him, looking out at the concrete jungle beyond. "I was speaking purely from the company's point of view. I'm not going after anyone."

"Hasn't Helena treated you well? Why choose this exact moment, when she's at her lowest, to kill her project?" Fred's voice held a thread of displeasure.

Georgia turned back to meet his unhappy stare, but she didn't rush to answer. She knew that anything she said too quickly right now would only make her look scheming and petty.

"Mr. Seele," she said with a faint smile. "You're the one who insists the company comes first. I merely raised reasonable concerns, and now you're dragging our personal relationships into it?"

Fred studied her upturned face, seeing a hint of steel in her usual gentleness. He pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly not fond of this kind of confrontation.

"Georgia, you and I both know how critical this project is to the company's future. Felix was very invested in it while he was alive." He emphasized Felix's name. "Helena… Dr. Linden has slaved away at this for a long time. Everyone's seen how much time and effort she's put in."

Georgia moved her gaze away from his striking features. "It's precisely because it's so critical that we should be even more cautious when the data starts going wrong. You agreed to the review committee yourself. Time and effort can't take the place of scientific proof. You understand that as well as I do, Mr. Seele.

"And let's say we keep pushing forward in spite of red flags and the whole thing crashes later. That will only do more damage to her reputation and cause more losses for the company."

Her cool, businesslike tone made Fred stare harder. The woman he'd shared a bed with for years suddenly felt unfamiliar.

In his memory, she'd always been warm and steady. Her feet were always on the ground, and she was thoughtful and considerate. Now, her logic was airtight, and she was soft but unyielding. This was a side of her he'd never seen before.

"Last night, Grandma said she wanted Helena to step down and move abroad. I haven't had a chance to tell you yet," he said heavily.

Georgia's gaze flickered, just for a moment.

Fred's gaze darkened as it bore into hers. "Right now, what Helena needs most from us, as her family, is understanding and support. You two have always been close, and you've backed each other up on every project. Do you really have to choose this moment, when she's falling apart, to hit her where it hurts most?"

Georgia felt her heart sink, but she kept her expression calm and composed. "Mr. Seele, we can't lower scientific standards simply because the project lead is going through a transition, can we? I'm only speaking as a member of the R&D division and from a professional standpoint. The final call is yours."

Fred stared at her in silence for a few seconds, then suddenly turned and sank into his leather chair. He leaned back, fingers steepled, every inch the man in control.

"Georgia." His tone held no overt pressure, but it was unfathomable. "We're a family. Some things are better handled behind closed doors than dragged into the open. With Felix having just passed, there are plenty of eyes on the Seele family and Eterna right now. I don't want a minor disagreement turning us into a joke for outsiders."

Georgia nodded. "I understand. Harmony at home keeps everything else running smoothly, and a stable company is what matters most. That's exactly why we should eliminate scientific and operational risks—because that's how we protect the family and the business."

Fred's brows furrowed. He stared hard at Georgia for a long moment, then waved dismissively, his tone returning to its usual cool distance. "Since you insist on your professional judgment, then do your job properly on the review team. You can go."

"Yes, Mr. Seele." Georgia picked up the files on the coffee table and walked steadily toward the door.

Her hand had just closed around the doorknob when Fred's voice, carrying mixed feelings, sounded behind her. "If you were the one in Helena's position today, I'm sure she would do everything she could to stand up for you."