"I'll make sure Silas gets the message," Dane replied, instantly understanding her boundary.
Claire smiled, deeply appreciative of how seamlessly they operated together.
They rarely needed to spell things out; Dane always knew exactly where she stood.
The holidays swept by in a flash.
With Meiko and Frederick permanently removed from the board, Claire's life finally stabilized into a peaceful rhythm.
Content with the belief that Agassi and Melissa were alive and serving a greater purpose, Pandora let go of her lingering anxieties and returned home to enjoy her retirement.
Her ironclad resilience was something most young people could only dream of possessing.
Claire escorted her grandmother back to The James Village, staying for just a day before catching a flight to Apex.
Barry had just reported a massive breakthrough: their integration of modern pharmacology with Traditional Medicine had achieved a critical clinical victory.
The experimental drugs were entering production, and Barry wanted Claire on-site to review the latest case studies showing unprecedented remission rates in bone cancer patients.
The entire research team had poured their souls into the trials, and their flawless results had earned them top-tier government commendations.
Barry had ensured Claire's indispensable contributions were front and center in the official reports.
The team had secured both immense funding and industry prestige.
To celebrate, Barry was hosting a lavish, open-bar victory dinner that evening, and Ethan Monroe was already on the guest list.
Claire ran into Ethan the second she walked into the hospital lobby.
He wasn't surprised to see her—if anyone was out of place, it was him.
While everyone else was a core researcher, he was just a spectator tagging along to observe.
If his father weren't the director, he wouldn't have even been allowed past the security gates.
Ethan was perfectly content with his VIP pass.
Listening to the brilliant minds enthusiastically debate their victory over bone cancer,
he felt a surge of genuine excitement for them.
And when the conversation inevitably shifted to Claire's pivotal role in the breakthrough, his admiration only deepened.
She was his age, yet her scientific achievements were miles beyond anything he had accomplished.
Ethan used to think he was at the absolute top of his cohort, only to discover there were levels to genius he couldn't even fathom.
The gap between them was astronomical; he was a brilliant student, but she was a literal prodigy.
Thankfully, Ethan's ego wasn't fragile. He looked at Claire with pure awe and respect, utterly devoid of jealousy.
It was hard to resent someone who operated in a completely different stratosphere.
Instead, he treated her like an
encyclopedic resource, constantly asking her to clarify complex
theories he hadn't mastered.
Barry watched his son's humility with immense pride.
Ethan was a standout talent, and Barry had always worried the boy's head would inflate.
Having someone like Claire around to shatter that arrogance and keep him grounded was exactly what the kid needed.
If Ethan had known his father's inner thoughts, he might have questioned if he was adopted.
What kind of dad used a prodigy to deliberately humble his own son?
Especially during the victory dinner, where the entire room treated Claire like absolute royalty.
Still, understanding the sheer gulf in their abilities didn't make Ethan feel inferior.
What truly blew Ethan's mind was Lawler. For as long as Ethan had known him, Lawler had been a ruthless critic of Traditional Medicine
Tonight, however, the man couldn't stop praising it!
There wasn't a trace of his former disdain.
"Lawler, didn't you say Traditional Medicine was a total scam?" Ethan whispered, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.
Lawler nearly choked on his drink.
Yes, he had said that, but there was no need to publicly drag him for it in the middle of a celebration!
Seeing the genuine curiosity on Ethan's face, Lawler sighed, realizing the kid wasn't trying to humiliate him.
"I was narrow-minded," he admitted openly. "My understanding of it was incredibly flawed."
If he had met practitioners with even a fraction of Claire's talent, he never would have spoken so arrogantly.
In truth, expecting anyone to match Claire's level was absurd.
Half her skill would still be a miracle.
"It's genuinely remarkable," Lawler continued, his tone earnest. "In critical emergencies, modern trauma surgery is still necessary. But have to admit, when it comes to systemic heating, Traditional Medicine repairs the body with an elegance and mínimal toxicity that we simply can't replicate."