Chapter 398
Her words planted a seed of doubt in the room. This drug was a holy grail that countless pharmaceutical giants had poured fortunes into developing, without success. And yet, a young woman had done it. The cost was high, but the results were undeniable. Whichever company owned this drug would dominate the market for decades to come.
Elissa met the skeptical gazes without flinching. “What kind of foul play are you suggesting?” She had a clear conscience about this project and had nothing to
fear.
Marcia’s eyes, burning with jealousy, darted from Elissa to the man beside her. “You should be the one answering that! Tell us, what is your relationship with Mr. Murphy p>
A gasp went through the crowd. The reporters’ eyes lit up, their expressions turning from professional inquiry to salacious curiosity. They had come for a drug launch and stumbled upon a massive scoop. Rowan Murphy, famously aloof and seemingly immune to women, had been a journalistic dead end for years. And now, the serious news reporters had unearthed the scandal the tabloids had only dreamed of. And to be fair, they did make a handsome couple.
Faced with such a direct question, the man remained cool and detached, a single brow raised as he watched the woman beside him. The reporters, however, read something else in his gaze: a hint of indulgence, the look of a man waiting for his claim to be staked.
The woman, however, was a picture of composure. “Mr. Murphy and I have a simple, professional partnership p>
“A partnership that extends to the bedroom?” Marcia spat, throwing all caution to the wind. She stared Elissa, her voice dripping with insinuation. “Can you honestly say your relationship with him iso completely innocent? That you don’t have feelings for him? As she she spoke, her eyes accidentally met Rowan’s dark, intense gaze, and a chill ran down her spine. She knew she was burning her bridges with him completely, but she had no other choice. If she couldn’t bring Elissa down, her own life might be forfeit.
One of Marcia’s words seemed to strike a nerve. The color drained from Elissa’s face. Her fingers, resting on the table, tightened until her knuckles turned white. Just as she was about to speak, theman beside her adjusted his cuffs and sald, his voice slow and deliberate, “We are both single. Whatever our relationship may be, what is there to feel guilty about? As for her abilities, I, along with every member of the project team, have seen them with our own eyes p>
“That’s right!” Zachary Jones jumped to his feet, unable to stay silent any longer. “Ms. Carson, you’re implying that Mr. Murphy helped Ms. Drummond steal someone else’s research, aren’t you? Well, let me tell you directly: no one on our team, other than Ms Drummond, could have developed this drug. It was a‹ fact, and there was no shame in admitting it.
Other team members voiced their agreement. “Mr. Jones is right! We may have doubted her at first because of her age, but she’s earned every bit of our respect p>
“Is it genuine respect,” a new voice cut in, “or are you just too afraid of Rowan’s authority to speak up p>
Matriarch Paige Murphy entered the hall, followed by her butler. She fixed her gaze on the team members, her voice loud and clear. “Whoever tells the truth today and exposes this farce will be the next director of the research department p>
She was determined to pin this on Elissa. When the accusations of data fraud had failed, she simply shifted to plagiarism.