It was a masterclass in bureaucratic bullshit.
Serena's smirk deepened into sheer mockery. Her gaze slid deliberately to the terminal clutched tightly against Toby's chest.
The tech's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively tried to hide the device behind his back.
But he was too slow.
Serena chuckled.
The sound was devoid of any warmth.
A cruel frost settled in the corners of her eyes.
"Is that so?" She tipped her chin up, her smile turning predatory. "So, engaging the Overlord Override Key to forcibly breach my door was also for my safety?"
Kaelen was stunned silent.
Toby stopped breathing.
A wave of visible shock rippled through the executives.
None of them could comprehend how she had identified the exact encrypted bypass protocol just by glancing at a shielded terminal.
Who was this woman?
What kind of monster were they dealing with?
Wasn't she just a master chemist?
How on earth could she recognize the proprietary software architecture of Project Zero-Transit in a fraction of a second?
Kaelen's lips trembled. "That... well..."
"It was a ship-wide directive. Strictly for security protocols."
"We couldn't reach you. If you were dying in there and we hesitated to breach, the outcome would be catastrophic."
His voice had lost all its bravado, trailing off into a pathetic stammer as the sweat poured down his face.
But he had to stick to the script.
His only defense was playing the role of the overzealous, deeply concerned host.
As long as he didn't admit they suspected her of orchestrating a riot, she and The Sterling Sovereign might just let him live.
"So, that's the excuse you're feeding me for storming my lab right at the eritical tipping point of synthesis Serena's dark, mocking amusement bled into absolute contempt.
The way her eyes flicked to meet his felt like a physical blow.
Kaelen grew paler by the second, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly like a dying fish.
Serena raised her hand, casually flaunting The Argent Catalyst in his face.
The luminescent silver fluid sloshed teasingly against the glass.
Kaelen's eyes were instantly drawn to the glow.
Serena tilted her head, her tone deceptively airy. "Do you have any idea how much this vial is worth?"
Kaelen swallowed nervously.
He had no idea.
But he knew The Panacea didn't trade in pennies.
"Let me break it down for you. If your little 'welfare check' had triggered the Emergency Shutdown Protocol interrupted the thermal extraction, and crashed the sterile
no?
environment..."
FindNovel.net
"If my last two hours of grueling labor were destroyed—"
"Selling every single asset in this Med-Tech Quarantine wouldn't be enough to cover your debt."
Kaelen wouldn't dare argue.
If anyone else had made that claim, he would have laughed in their face.
But this was The Panacea.
The woman who could subdue an apex threat like Asset 07 without breaking a sweat.
The woman who could extort a hundred million dollars for a single antidote.
The glass in her hand was undeniably worth more than his entire division.
"Yes, exactly!" Kaelen practically folded in half with a subservient bow. We were fools. We let our panic get the better of us and nearly ruined your masterpiece."
"But we were acting purely out of concern. We never meant to insult you."
"The chaos outside just made us jump to the worst conclusions."
"On behalf of the entire Med-Tech Quarantine, I sincerely apologize."
"I swear to you, this will never happen again!"