Lauren's hand, holding her glass, turned white at the knuckles. She had never expected Anastasia to pull such a move.
"How did she get connected with a supplier from Riverton?" she asked, forcing herself to remain calm. Before anyone could answer, she continued, "Anastasia probably just got lucky. If we sabotage their deal, Unison Pharma will have no choice but to come back to the Dempsey Group, and everything will be back on track."
It wasn't a bad idea, but Chasel sneered, "Sabotage them? Do you have any idea who this supplier is? They're from the Austin family in Riverton! Who would be foolish enough to cross them?"
*The Austin family of Riverton?!*
Lauren was stunned. How could Anastasia have such a connection? Her heart filled with a mixture of shock and jealousy.
"Ms. Brennan, what do we do now?!" Rose cried out, more desperate than anyone. The other researchers had only lost a good job; they could find another, albeit with lower pay. But she was different. She had been blacklisted from the industry. If she couldn't return to Unison Pharma, where else could she go?
But Lauren had no time for her. She had only ever cared about Jonas, the one person who was useful to her. She offered a few dismissive platitudes and fell silent.
Rose sensed the shift. As soon as the gathering ended, she cornered Jonas. "Mr. Moore, you can't abandon me!"
Jonas, already annoyed, pushed her hand away. "What can I do now? A while ago, I could have gotten you a job at my family's company, but you know I've broken ties with them!"
He turned and walked away.
Rose's face twisted with bitterness. When she had been useful, Jonas had at least shown her some patience. Now that she was worthless, he wouldn't even spare her a glance.
A reply came back almost instantly.
[Q: It was a small matter. (^_~)]
In this life, Anastasia hadn't formally become his apprentice, but she still referred to Bruno Austin as "Teacher" on the forum. He probably assumed it was just a term of respect and never questioned it.
Seeing the winking smiley face, Anastasia could almost picture her serious yet kind teacher carefully selecting the emoji. A nostalgic smile touched her lips.
Once Harrison was fully cured, they would likely return to Riverton together. Then, she would finally get to meet her teacher in person.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Revenge is My Love Language