Even if they could be tracked down, the purity and quality would likely be drastically different.
A slight variation in medicinal quality could completely derail the entire recovery process.
Claire watched Meiko leave, finally able to sink back into her own focused research
in peace.
Owen had officially launched his brand's second major product—the Luminate Luminous Glaze.
The glaze had been released in two distinct tiers, the Youth Edition and the Elite Edition, and both had completely sold out instantly.
Claire and Owen, along with Oakley and Sienna who had thrown in minor seed investments, were all suddenly swimming in staggering amounts of cash.
Several aggressive competitors had tried to muscle their way in for a cut of the profits, but the moment they realized Owen was backed by the formidable power of the Churchill Family, they swiftly backed down.
However, a few jealous rival brands, green with envy over Luminate's explosive debut, attempted to aggressively poach Luminate's entire research and
development team.
Their primary target, of course, was the elusive owner of the core formula.
Unfortunately for them, despite launching extensive corporate investigations, none of them managed to uncover that a young college girl named Claire was the true mastermind behind Luminate.
Forced to settle for poaching the research team, the rivals found that not a single member was even remotely tempted by their offers.
It wasn't just that Owen offered infinitely superior financial packages.
He was the absolute perfect boss for driven, ambitious young professionals.
He was open-minded, incredibly forgiving of mistakes, and possessed terrifyingly deep pockets.
The R&D department could practically set his money on fire during their experiments, and no one would bat an eye.
Fueled by his trust, the R&D team was working themselves to the bone to develop a brand-new, original product.
Having locked in a solid direction, they were pivoting heavily into a specialized medicinal skincare line.
This happened to be the exact niche that the head of R&D, Julian Fisher, excelled in.
Julian had reached out to Claire on multiple occasions to consult with her on highly complex technical theories.
Whenever she knew the answer, Claire provided it on the spot; whenever she didn't, she dug through the campus library or grilled her professors until she could hand Julian the exact solution he needed.
Claire had effectively become Julian's personal cheat code, effortlessly dismantling some of his most agonizing development roadblocks.
Seeing his entire team operating at such a breakneck pace made Owen feel guilty for not pushing himself even harder.
"I've decided to ramp up their corporate perks. I'm upgrading the office gym and rec room to top-tier luxury status,"
"And the bonuses-I'm definitely handing out massive cash envelopes for the New Year."
"We're going to do a live lottery. I'm setting up a cash-grab booth."
"They'll have to use kitchen tongs to grab the bills! Whatever cash they can pull out, they get to keep!"
Owen was swimming in so much newfound wealth that throwing around a few extra thousand dollars meant absolutely nothing to him.
He had even factored the cleaning staff and the cafeteria workers into his wild giveaway plans.
Claire had to reel Owen in. "We haven't even hit New Year's Eve yet. The actual corporate holiday season is still weeks away."
In reality, it wasn't that far off, as most massive corporate galas were held right after the start of the year.
Owen was just in the manic planning stages, aiming to have everything locked down before the official party.
"Claire, you absolutely have to come when it happens. I'll just introduce you to everyone as my little cousin."
"No one is going to stop you from hopping in and grabbing a fistful of cash."
Claire agreed without a second thought; there was no way she was missing out on something that entertaining.
However, wild cash-grab booths aside, her most immediate priority was the upcoming holiday-which meant finally attending Tilda and Van's wedding.
The couple had adamantly claimed they didn't want a massive
spectacle, insisting on a sim ne
elegant reception that felt more like a refined garden party.
But in reality, they had still rented out an utterly breathtaking, exclusive venue.
It wasn't gaudy or excessively lavish, but it absolutely radiated an aura of quiet, untouchable luxury.
The venue itself had been personally secured by Dane.
Tilda and Van were beyond thrilled with the location.
Even the notoriously picky elders from both families were satisfied.
It wasn't an aggressively publicized affair, but they certainly hadn't skipped a single crucial tradition.
They had opted for a deeply nostalgic, vintage ceremony reminiscent of the kind their parents' generation would have thrown.
The officiant and the vows they exchanged carried a profoundly romantic, classic charm.
Just from distening to Tilda excitedly
describe the details over the phone,
and herself bubbling with
eager anticipation for the big day.