Chapter 5

The next morning, in the CEO's office of QuantumX Biotech, the HR manager placed a stack of folders on the desk.

"Mr. Quinn, these are the candidates for today's interviews."

"Leave them. I have a meeting, so I won't be sitting in."

"Understood."

As Thomas Quinn stood to leave for the conference room, his eyes caught on the name atop the first résumé.

Ellie Winbury.

It stopped him cold.

He reached for the file, and the moment he saw the photo, his professional composure fractured. That face—once so bright with fierce intelligence—flooded him with a complicated rush of memory… and a dangerous flicker of hope.

He had been Professor Chasen's star pupil, a few years ahead of Ellie. During his studies abroad, his mentor's calls were always full of praise for a new prodigy—a brilliantly sharp, naturally gifted young woman in the lab. That academic curiosity had, without him realizing it, quietly morphed into a personal fascination.

He'd returned home eager to finally meet the woman who had so captivated his thoughts, only to learn the devastating news: she was getting married.

He had buried those feelings deep. Until now. Seeing her résumé felt like fate delivering a punchline to a joke he'd never found funny.

Thomas picked up his phone, his voice tight. "Cancel my morning meeting."

When he entered the interview room, the HR team looked up in surprise and quickly offered him the head seat.

"Mr. Quinn."

He gave a curt nod, forcing his voice to remain neutral. "Let's begin."

He sat in silence as the HR managers conducted the interviews. When one candidate finished, a manager turned to him. "Mr. Quinn, your thoughts on the previous applicant?"

"Your call," he dismissed flatly. "Next."

The moment Ellie walked in, his world narrowed to a single point.

She looked tired. The vibrant light he remembered in her photos was dimmed, as if life had been slowly sanding her down.

The HR team asked a series of technical questions. Despite her four-year absence from the field, Ellie's answers were fluent and precise. Her knowledge was still razor-sharp; she had clearly never stopped learning, even while trapped in a stagnant marriage.

Satisfied, the HR manager smiled. "Thank you, Miss Winbury. We'll be in touch—"

Before Ellie could rise, Thomas spoke, his gaze fixed on her. "I see you're married."

It wasn't an accusation—just a desperate, clumsy attempt to understand what had brought her here, now.

The HR manager, misreading his intent, immediately followed up. "Miss Winbury, as we're looking for long-term commitment, may we ask if you have plans for pregnancy in the near future?"

Ellie shook her head.

"I'm in the process of a divorce. Children aren't part of the equation."

Her tone was calm, but her eyes gave her away. Beneath the surface was a quiet ache, a wound that hadn't yet healed.

Thomas froze. The admission pierced him deeper than he expected. What had these four years done to her?

"Miss Winbury, the interview is concluded. Thank you," the HR manager said.

"Thank you."

After she left, the rest of the interviews blurred into meaninglessness. Soon afterward, Thomas walked out.

'Ellie is getting divorced.' The thought pulsed in his mind. For the first time in years, something long-buried began to stir.

…

That afternoon, HR called Ellie with the offer. She would start the following week.

When she told Professor Chasen, he was pleased but not surprised; he knew she had earned it on her own merit.

Heather, however, was ecstatic. "We are not letting this slide!" she declared. "Tonight, we celebrate. You, me, and the town!"

…

That night, at the Mist Bar.

The neon glow, the pounding bass, the swirl of perfume and smoke—it all felt foreign to Ellie.

"Over here!" Heather waved her into a private room.

As soon as Ellie sat down, the manager walked in, leading a row of shirtless male escorts.

Ellie blinked, startled.

"Heather, what on earth—?"

"For your divorce and your new job!" Heather grinned, raising her glass. "You're free now, honey. I ordered them as your celebration gift. Pick one—whoever you like stays and drinks with you!"

Ellie flushed, embarrassed.

"That's really not necessary—"

She'd never been one for parties. Her only love, her only mistake, had been Derek.

"Then I'll pick for you." Heather pointed decisively at the most handsome one.

The man sat beside Ellie, abs gleaming under the light. She didn't know where to look, her face heating as she grabbed her drink for cover.

The man leaned closer, took her hand with a teasing smile.

"Hey, gorgeous, how about you sit on my lap? You can touch my abs as much as you like."

Ellie nearly choked on her drink.

"I—I need the restroom."

She fled.

In the mirror, she splashed cold water on her face, willing herself to breathe. When she finally stepped out, she didn't realize she'd gone the wrong way—straight into the VIP area.

…

Inside one of the VIP rooms, Derek sat casually on a leather sofa, his arm draped around Lisa's shoulders.

Across from them were his childhood friends, Jonathan Fenton and Drew Koleno, both scions of Lyeaton City's most powerful families.

Jonathan raised his glass toward the smiling woman beside Derek.

"Lisa, a toast to you! Derek's never brought a woman to our gatherings before. You're the first!"

Lisa blushed prettily. "Oh, you're teasing me. I'm sure you say that to every woman who shows up."

Jonathan chuckled. "Ask Drew if I'm lying."

Drew nodded. "He's right. Derek's famous for keeping his distance from women. If it weren't for Ellie forcing him into marriage, he wouldn't have even looked her way."

The words made Lisa's heart soar. She lifted her glass with a delighted smile.

Jonathan refilled it immediately.

"Wow, you're a good drinker! Come on, another toast!"

Before she could drink, Derek reached over and stopped her.

"She can't hold her liquor. Enough."

Jonathan laughed.

"It's just two drinks, Derek. Don't be so protective."

Derek took the glass from her hand.

"I'll drink for her."

"No way!" Jonathan grinned wickedly and shoved another glass toward them. "At least toast together!"

Lisa glanced shyly at Derek. "Fine, one drink, but no more after this."

"Now that's the spirit!"

They raised their glasses, his arm wrapped around her waist.

And at that exact moment, the door swung open. Ellie stepped inside.

Her gaze lifted and froze.

The scene was damning. Lisa and Derek were locked in a silent, intense moment. His body was angled toward her as if it were the most natural pose in the world.

The moment Derek saw her, his expression shifted—hardening into a mask of sharp annoyance and unconcealed disgust.

"What are you doing here?"