"I said I can't do it, so please let me go!" Dr Rita's voice echoed through the space for what felt like the hundredth time. Even her throat had grown dry from repeating the same sentence over and over again, yet the words never seemed to reach the man standing opposite her.Dr Jackson remained motionless with his jaw tightened. The veins running along the side of his forehead were visible, as each refusal from Rita only carved another line into his already darkening expression. He had tried everything that would make others fold under the pressure, but the woman wouldn't budge, and her consistent refusal only made his blood boil with both panic and rage. For a brief moment, silence enveloped the room, and the other two employees hesitantly moved towards their desks, their fingers slowly gliding over the keyboards to begin the instructions they had been given.Dr Rita narrowed her gaze back to them doing it! You're willing to ruin life and commit a crime for a man who doesn't care a

The shrill cry of the emergency alarm still echoed through the research facility, shattering the silence of the corridor. Unlike the familiar building-wide evacuation alarm that would usually blare in long, repeating waves, this one came in rapid, concentrated pulses.The distinction was enough to send confusion rippling through every department, and researchers looked up from their microscopes, as such incidents were rare."What happened? Did something explode?" Several voices muttered as the corridor near Room Three slowly transformed within seconds.White-coated staff poured from neighbouring laboratories while office staff hurried from nearby administrative wings. "What is going on?" A young female researcher squeezed through the gathering of employees until she found herself beside an older colleague. Then when she realised where the sound was coming from, she pointed towards the flashing red emergency light mounted above the reinforced laboratory door. "Isn't this Dr Jackson's

Ryan finally shook his head at Dr Jackson. "Tell me", his voice remained as calm as ever, "what kind of internal affairs require a department head to raise his hand against a woman?" The question cast a heavy blanket over the room, leaving only the persistent beeping of the emergency alarm and the distant hum of ventilation fans pushing recycled air through the research floor. Dr Jackson's jaw tightened and his eyes darted briefly around the room. For the first time since the security team arrived, he realised the attention was no longer focused entirely on Ryan. He immediately straightened his wrinkled lab coat, forcing confidence back into his posture. "As head of department, I am responsible for maintaining order in my laboratory." He pointed at Dr Rita. "She refused direct instruction, and when a subordinate refuses, she gets violent because of the discipline I threaten to take." "So your definition of discipline is grabbing her by the wrist hard enough to leave bruises?" Dr

"What is the meaning of this?! I've done nothing wrong!" He yelled at the security men, but none of them paid any attention. He averted his gaze to the commander. “Let me go, Commander! This is abuse of authority!" His protests echoed through the hallway as he was escorted outside. The crowd, noticing the retreat from the room, instantly parted, and the staff who had worked beside him for years stared with disbelief. Some whispered behind trembling hands, and not a single person dared intervene. “Help!” he yelled. “This man is illegally detaining me!” He called out to his former colleagues, but none of them stepped forward. Ryan finally walked behind the officers at an unhurried pace. The commander remained one step behind him. “Mr. Wright, what about them?” He said, pointing back at the two men who were still inside the room. He took one last glance at them. “The departmental board would sort them out,” he responded. The other staff hearing the commander's words narrow

Curiosity instantly masked their faces as they tried to decipher which one of them was the heir of Archer Corporation.“Good morning, sorry for the wait,” Harrison muttered, taking one last glance at the groups already sitting opposite him.None of them reciprocated his greeting, as they all held a little frown across their foreheads. The lawyer tried not to be nervous, but they could see that through their hands.Harrison settled in and let out a small smile, shifting his gaze to the lawyers in front of them. “Why don't we get down to business?" he announced, and the soft click of the latch opening sounded in the quiet room.Harrison studied the three clients. The man was in his early forties, judging by his appearance. He wore an expensive suit, but his nervous fingers repeatedly tapped against his knee.The first woman looked older with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, while the second woman looked younger, perhaps in her late twenties, and kept glancing toward the door as