Half an hour later, she finally arrived at the bustling center of Shadow City, at the Thomas Group. The towering building rose from the ground, with its glass curtain walls gleaming in the sunlight, exuding an indescribable luxury and grandeur.
As soon as she reached the entrance, an assistant in a sharp suit greeted her, "You must be Ms. Sharp? Please follow me, Mr. Thomas is waiting for you."
She nodded slightly and followed the assistant into the lobby, taking the private elevator straight to the president's office on the forty-second floor.
The elevator doors slowly opened, revealing a spacious, bright, and meticulously decorated office.
Raymond sat in his chair, exuding an aura that was impossible to ignore.
Melinda stood at the door, somewhat nervously awaiting the impending storm.
Raymond's gaze was piercing, and his tone carried a hint of skepticism, "Give me an explanation."
Melinda squinted slightly. She knew that Raymond was here to question her after hearing Emily's side of the story. However, she didn't want to explain because, in her view, explanations were often seen as excuses.
She smiled lightly, "I have nothing to explain. I hit Emily, and that's that." Melinda's tone carried a hint of stubbornness.
Raymond's expression darkened slightly. He parted his thin lips and said with displeasure, "Melinda, recognize your place."
Raymond stared at her for a long time, his eyes complex. He slowly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of severity, "Melinda, as long as you admit your mistake, I can let this go."
However, Melinda laughed. She laughed out of anger, "I did nothing wrong! Why should I admit it?"
Raymond's face instantly turned ugly. He said in a deep voice, "Melinda, the lab is your workplace, not a place to settle personal grudges."
"Then I resign." Melinda threw out a sentence and turned to leave.
She didn't believe that she couldn't find a good job elsewhere.
But she had already made up her mind. At worst, she would go back and ask her mentor to introduce her to one of those top biomedical labs in Valeria.
After all, her skills were there, and those labs should be happy to have her, right?
Thinking this, a surge of confidence welled up in her heart.
However, she still hoped to find a satisfactory job through her own efforts, rather than relying on her mentor's connections.
"Stop!" Raymond's stern voice called out to her.
He didn't intend to drive her away, but his tone was severe as he said, "Since this is your first offense, I can let it go this time, but this must never happen again, understand?"
Melinda's steps paused slightly.
She knew that the reason Raymond didn't drive her away was probably because of his grandfather. Thinking of this, the anger in her heart gradually subsided.
She looked back at Raymond and kindly reminded him, "Emily is not a kind person. You'd better be careful."
Raymond squinted at her, saying nothing, but his eyes revealed a hint of deep meaning.
After speaking, Melinda turned and left the office. She knew that someone like Emily would never let things go easily, and she would likely face more trouble in the future. However, Melinda had never been afraid of anything.
The moment she returned to the lab, the atmosphere instantly froze. Everyone stared wide-eyed, but Melinda acted as if nothing had happened and continued with her work.
Her eyes were firm and confident, as if everything was under her control.
"How is it possible?" someone exclaimed, "She didn't get a dismissal notice?"
After all, it was rare for someone who had hit Raymond's girlfriend, Emily, to continue working here.
As soon as these words were spoken, the lab became abuzz with activity. Everyone speculated about the reason. Some believed that Melinda's work performance was too outstanding for Raymond to let her go; others thought she had a good relationship with the leadership, which allowed her to stay.
Such reactions made others even more puzzled and curious about what abilities she had to succeed against the odds.
"Melinda, are you really okay?" Kathy walked over with a cup of coffee, looking at her with admiration, "Everyone outside is talking about you."
"Talking about what?" Melinda put down her pen and asked, rubbing her forehead.
"They're saying you might be Mr. Thomas's lover..." Kathy said.
"Hahaha!"
Melinda couldn't help but laugh, "Even if I were blind, I wouldn't steal Emily's boyfriend! I find it disgusting!"
At that moment, her phone rang. Melinda glanced at the caller ID, "William," and her mood improved a bit.
"Hello?" she answered the phone.
"How's the job you found after returning to the country?" William Barnett's clear voice came from the other end, full of concern.
Melinda looked at her colleagues' strange glances and sighed deeply, saying with a hint of complaint, "I think handling interpersonal relationships is not my strong suit. Doing experiments doesn't trouble me, but I regret it."
Regret was indeed her true feeling.
"Oh? Did something happen? Do you need me to fly over and help you?" William's voice on the other end immediately became tense, asking urgently.
"No, no, it's all resolved. What about you? When are you coming back to Shadow City?" Melinda continued to ask, leaning back in her chair, her mood very complicated.
William responded with an "oh" and told her to wait a few days. He would come to Shadow City after finishing his work.
Melinda hung up the phone, her mind filled with William's handsome face and sunny smile.
William, a name well-known in Valeria's jewelry industry, was two years older than her and the chief designer of the top jewelry company, Jewel Artistry Company. He was talented and charming.
Their encounter was more dramatic than a TV show. That day, William had a car accident, and the vehicle was about to explode. At the critical moment, she rushed over and saved him from the clutches of death. Every time they talked about this experience, William always joked that if it weren't for her, his life would have ended at the age of twenty-five.
Knowing that Melinda was working part-time while studying and had to support Sam, William developed a deeper sympathy and understanding for her, and they gradually became friends who could talk about anything.
"Melinda, you are the most amazing woman I've ever met," William sincerely praised.
Melinda smiled without saying much.
She knew she had to be strong to support her family.
And William's presence undoubtedly brought a ray of light into her life. His care and support made her feel a long-lost warmth and strength.
Melinda was busy organizing her files, preparing to leave work. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen; it was a message from William.
"Tomorrow night at the Shadow City International Hotel, Jewel Artistry Company's first store in the country is having an opening reception. I can't make it, so go check it out for me. If you see any jewelry you like, let me know, and I'll get it for you."
Melinda looked at the text on the screen, her lips curling into a slight smile.