LOGINI grinned. I had said all that only to push Emin to use his full strength."Then forgive me, Mr. Grimwald!"The moment he heard the word *salary*, a sharp focus flashed in his eyes and he shot toward me with surprising speed."Good. That's exactly what I want."My eyes lit up as I prepared to counter.The next second, Emin reached me and drove a straight punch toward my face. I dodged, but he seized the opening.My world spun and, before I understood what happened, I lay flat on the ground. "You…"He looked genuinely apologetic and hurried toward me. "Mr. Grimwald, I'm sorry, let me help you up." I swept my leg at him instead and laughed. "Your boss is not that fragile. Good work. I didn't react in time. Again.""Alright!" he answered in a deep voice and hopped back, dodging my kick.I had just risen when he rushed in again. I had no idea what kind of grappling skill he used, but my leverage vanished and I hit the ground a second time."Mr. Grimwald—""Stop talking. My foo
When I returned to the front of the pharmacy, Winston brightened the moment he saw that the issue had been resolved."Mr. Grimwald, you always have a way. I really admire you! If it had not been for you, this wouldn't have ended with a simple apology. You saved me again!"Compliments spilled from him as if they cost nothing.I acted as if none of it mattered and gave a light nod. "Mr. Hill, no need to flatter me. If there is nothing else, I'll head out.""Ah, Mr. Grimwald. Shall we have dinner tonight?"He hurried after me and tried to persuade me, but I did not agree. "No."I left with Emin. On the way, I called Naomi."Hello? What is it? I'm busy!" Her voice sounded tired yet excited."How is the progress on your side?" I asked.Judging from her tone, things were going well."You even need to ask?" Naomi sounded even more energized. "With my skills and your money and resources, taking down the Kingsman Group is easy. Breaking your Youngkin enemies will be just as simple."
Anna spoke with helpless frustration. "On the contrary, those scalpers always seem to know ahead of time. They know the exact release window for every rush-sale and even use tech plug-ins that auto-lock orders. Whenever new stock appears, most of it gets taken by scalpers."Not only that, they raise the price to buy medicine back from the public. Many ordinary people want extra income, so they join in. Somebody always manages to grab a few boxes and then sells them to the scalpers for profit."In the end, the patients who truly need the medicine never manage to get any. Their conditions cannot wait, so they buy from scalpers at marked-up prices."Rush-sale drops, tech bots, perfect timing… Every word Anna shared went beyond anything I had imagined.I understood how the system worked, but I had never expected Winston to run a scheme like this behind my back."I had no knowledge of any of this." I frowned. "How much extra do you usually pay when you buy from scalpers?""Eight to te
"Fine, I understand."I let out a muted laugh. I had not expected to find a trace of flustered charm beneath Anna's icy exterior."Hmph. That's more like it." She narrowed her eyes in annoyance and turned to leave.I stopped her. "Wait.""What now?""Your face is healed, but I need to figure out what caused the issue in the first place."Treating the problem was one thing. Identifying the cause mattered just as much. If this started happening to others, I could not massage everyone who showed up."How would I know why my face got ruined? It happened after I used your product. That's the only reason." Anna looked just as confused. "I didn't change any of my other skincare or makeup. My routine has stayed the same. I haven't even stayed up late." I shook my head. "There has to be another reason. You saw my medical friend's skill. She made the paste and the medicine you took. She told me clearly that nothing in those formulas would damage your skin. Think again."Anna frowned at
Hearing my answer, Anna finally let out a relieved breath and hurried out of the room as if she were making an escape.I did not follow her. I lowered my head and stared at the paste smeared across the front of my pants and at my unsteady state of mind. I forced myself to calm down before wiping the area clean.Two minutes later, I had already gone through an entire pack of wet tissues. The paste clung with stubborn persistence, and some of it refused to come off."This will have to do." I sighed, stood, and stepped out. At least my condition had settled enough that I would not embarrass myself in front of anyone.I did not expect to find a row of bodyguards standing with their faces to the wall, lined up in punishment. They were the same ones Anna had brought with her."What are you all…""Miss Shepard asked us to reflect on our mistake. We need to remember to knock next time."They must have noticed how different Anna acted around me. The hostility they showed earlier had vani
I finally understood what Anna intended to do. My legs locked in place. "Miss Shepard, this is not appropriate.""What else am I supposed to do? I can't let my face heal unevenly. Be quiet!" Anna sounded mortified.The closer she leaned, the harder it became for her to keep her eyes open.She had a point. I fell silent and thought, 'This woman lives her life trying to stay in control. Compared to her face, her cleanliness obsession means nothing.'Before long, her cheek pressed against the front of my pants. At first, both of us froze. I kept edging my waist back, which made it impossible for her to reach the remaining medicinal paste.After several failed attempts, she glared at me in frustration. "You're doing this on purpose, right? You're leaning so far back I can't reach anything!"I forced out a strained smile. "If I don't lean back, you'll rub against more than the paste."Anna understood, yet she had no alternatives. She grit her teeth. "Then I'll accept it. Now lift you







