Lauren crossed her arms, smirking. "Michael, didn't I warn you about Ruby? I told you she couldn't be trusted, but no—you insisted I was just jealous of that bitch.

"Now look at what's happened. If those formulas fall into the hands of other pharmaceutical companies, the Pharmaceutical Division won't just take a hit—it'll collapse entirely. You might as well prepare to announce its closure."

Michael's face darkened further, his rage building like storm waves, each one crashing harder than th