Virginia was still shaken by the unexpected moment when she had been brushed aside. Why now? Why is someone knocking at this moment? She seethed inwardly. With a swift motion, she straightened her attire and composed herself, trying to mask her emotions as she followed Lance out of the break room. "Mr. Johnston, there's an issue ... " Lance's assistant, Isaac Jackman's voice filtered through the door before it was flung open. Lance's neutral expression appeared, but as Isaac stepped aside, he saw a woman standing in the office. She wore a crisp white dress. The woman looks so much like Mrs. Johnston! Isaac couldn't help but stare, his curiosity piqued. She possessed an innocent charm, with a purity that made her immediately endearing. Subconsciously, Isaac compared her to Addison. Both had an aura of innocence, but Addison features were more alluring, giving her an almost ethereal beauty. In contrast, this woman seemed gentler, though a trace of coldness lingered around her. Upon a closer look, Isaac noticed they shared a resemblance but not to a striking degree—maybe 60 percent at most. Addison's elegance still stood out. But what's she doing here at such a pivotal moment? Could it be ... Isaac's heart skipped a beat. "What's going on?" Lance's low voice snapped Isaac out of his thoughts. Isaac snapped back to reality, his face flushed with urgency. "Mr. Johnston, there's a problem with the lab!" "What?" Lance's calm facade cracked, a flicker of alarm in his eyes. Virginia turned to him, sensing the change in his tone. "I thought everything was fine after yesterday's meeting. How could this happen now?" Lance's voice tightened, his glare piercing. He was usually composed, but hearing this news clearly riled him. The company had invested countless resources into the cancer drug over the past two years, and its success was crucial for Johnston Enterprise's future. There could be no room for failure. Isaac's heart raced, a cold sweat breaking out. Not only was he working late into the night, but by pure chance, he had stumbled upon a critical failure in the trials of the drug that mattered most to Lance. And, to make matters worse, he had unwittingly uncovered secrets he shouldn't have. A wave of dread washed over him.With some effort, Isaac gathered his words, "There were issues with the clinical trials ... " Lance's frown deepened. "I've given so many orders, and many are supervising it. How did it go wrong? Get the person responsible to my office—now!" "Right away," Isaac muttered, nearly tripping as he rushed out of the office. Lance's gaze shifted to Virginia, the anger still evident in his voice, but his focus was clearly on the news. "I need to handle this. Virginia, please head back to your apartment. "I'll have the driver wait downstairs. Please leave right now." Virginia felt a knot tighten in her chest. Why does everything have to fall apart just when I arrive at the company? And at such a crucial moment, too! Her nails dug into her palms as she clenched her fists. Yet, seeing Lance's grim expression, she dared not protest. She lowered her lashes and replied quietly, "Alright, Lance. Please take care of things. I'll go now ... " She left the office, glancing back a few times before stepping out. Once she was gone, the person responsible for the trials entered, visibly shaking. He looked up to find Mr. Johnston reviewing papers with a thunderous expression. His hands trembled, not noticing anyone had left. "Mr. Johnston, there's an issue with the cancer drug trials—" he began, his voice wavering. Lance's cold voice cut through the tension, sharp as ice, "Stop wasting time! I already know there's a problem. Tell me what exactly went wrong. I need every detail!" "The dosage wasn't controlled properly ... during the combined trials, everything went wrong, causing the entire clinical trial to fail ... " The man bowed his head lower, overwhelmed with fear. Lance's expression darkened further, though his voice remained controlled, "Does this mean the drug's production is delayed? For how long?" This drug was a make-or-break project for Johnston Enterprise. They had never developed their own cancer drug before, and their previous drug, Levosulin, had been licensed from Raven Company. But now, with this new drug failing ... Lance's chest tightened with frustration. "It will be delayed ... at least two years ... " Two years?! That's far too late! Lance's eyes narrowed to icy slits, the air around him practically freezing. "Are you responsible for this failure?" "I am ... " the person in charge stammered, his body shaking uncontrollably under Lance's piercing gaze."Then pack up and leave. Don't ever show your face here again," Lance's voice was ruthless, devoid of any sympathy. He felt that Johnston Enterprise didn't need an employee like him. "Mr. Johnston, I ... " the man opened his mouth to protest, but when he met Lance's unyielding glare, he knew there was no point. He lowered his head and turned to leave in defeat. Lance picked up the phone. "Call all executives. We have a meeting tomorrow morning!" The next morning, in Johnston Enterprise's top-floor conference room. Lance sat in silence as the vice president delivered a grim report on the failed drug development. The room was suffocatingly quiet. "Mr. Johnston, there's one more issue we need to address ... " the vice president continued. Lance looked up, his expression unreadable. "Go ahead." "The contract with Raven for the Levosulin license expires next year. Originally, we intended to release our own patented drug before the contract ended, but now that seems impossible. "With this flagship drug failure, other related drugs are now stalled, and with Levosulin expiring, the future of the company is in jeopardy ... " The room grew tense, the silence almost unbearable. Everyone held their breath. Lance's gaze turned colder, the fury within him building. "Haven't I told you to prepare multiple backup plans? Did you all just ignore my instructions?" No one dared respond, their silence deafening. The weight of the failure was too great. No one had prepared for this scenario, and there wasn't a scientist capable of developing a new drug in under a year. No one wanted to speak up in such a moment of crisis. Word about the dismissal of the person in charge had already spread throughout the company. Lance glared at the executives, his frustration evident. He furrowed his brows. "Everyone out, except the vice president." The executives filed out quickly, leaving only the vice president with Lance. "What do you think?" Lance asked, rubbing his temples in exhaustion. The company's lack of top-tier scientific talent had become a critical issue, and Lance knew it couldn't be ignored any longer.The company can never go back to how it was before Dad passed away. "Mr. Johnston, we have one option left: request to more licenses from Raven's CEO. There's really no other way ... " the vice president suggested, sounding almost resigned. Request more licenses from Raven's CEO? Lance fell silent for a moment, clearly not thrilled by the idea. "Fine. Have Isaac arrange it. Set up a meeting at a restaurant. Don't mess it up." After the vice president left, Lance slouched back in his chair, staring out at the busy traffic below. His face remained as cold and stern as ever, betraying no hint of his inner turmoil.