No Ladder To Climb

Christie’s POVBy the time my shift ended, the image of Anna standing outside the lab doors had completely faded from my mind. I was just glad to be out of that building. When I walked down the steps, I saw Lyon’s car waiting for me at the curb. He didn't take me to another loud gallery or a fancy rooftop restaurant tonight. Instead, we drove to a small, quiet diner just a few blocks away from my lab. It had simple wooden booths, low lights, and smelled like fresh coffee. It was ordinary, and that was exactly why I liked it.We sat in a booth near the back, away from the windows. The waiter brought us two plates of simple food and filled our cups with black coffee.Lyon took a sip of his coffee and looked at me across the table. His expression was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp."I received a call from the pack estate this afternoon," Lyon said, setting his cup down. "My mother called from the pack. She wanted to report how things she's handling are going. She's back to having Call

Sort Yourselves Out

Christie's POV The morning sun felt heavy as it filtered through the kitchen window. I stood by the counter, carefully measuring out the precise amount of dietary supplement required for Richard’s morning broth. After his condition worsened, this routine was the only thing that gave me a sense of order. The house was quiet, save for the low hum of the refrigerator and the clinking of my spoon against the glass bowl.Then, the heavy brass knocker on the front door rang out, shattering the silence.I paused, setting the spoon down. Before I could even wipe my hands, loud, hurried footsteps thudded down the stairs. Diane and Anna burst into the hallway, their faces pale and their hair unbrushed. They looked entirely different from the manicured women who had tried to storm the high-society wine gallery just days ago.Diane yanked the front door open. Standing on the porch was a man in a blue uniform, holding a clipboard and a thick stack of neon-red papers."Are you Diane Richard ?" th

Being Used

Christie's POV The drive to the medical lab was quiet. The car moved smoothly through the morning traffic, but my mind was still back at the house. I could still see the look on Anna’s face when she realized the kitchen lights were dead and the water wasn't going to run in her bathroom. I felt a small sense of relief knowing that Richard’s medical wing was safe, but I knew my family wouldn't just sit quietly in the dark. They always found a way to create trouble.I parked the car in my designated spot near the entrance of the lab. The security guards at the gate nodded politely as I walked past. Inside, the lab was cool and filled with the familiar smell of antiseptic. I put on my white lab coat and went straight to my desk to log in my morning reports.I had just pulled up the latest test data for the wolf serum stabilizers when my assistant tapped on my open door."Dr. Christie, there is someone here to see you," she said, looking a bit nervous. "He says he is from Lyon’s corporat

Gaining Grounds

Third POVThe official notice from the City Medical Review arrived early in the week. Christie’s independent research on cellular stabilizers had achieved a major breakthrough. The medical board recognized her work as a significant advancement in the scientific community. Along with the official recognition, she received a formal invitation to an exclusive, daytime press conference held at the Grand City Auditorium. The board planned to award her a prestigious research grant for her work as a lead doctor.On the morning of the event, the auditorium was filled with people. Medical professionals, corporate investors, and reporters with large cameras occupied rows of velvet seats. The lighting was bright, focused entirely on the main stage where the medical board members stood behind a wooden podium.Christie sat near the front, waiting for her name to be called. Her heart beat steadily. She felt a sense of pride because this achievement belonged entirely to her hard work in the lab. She

Legal Defeat

Christie's POV Rickon was too desperate. He was pulling the wrong moves. He was trying to get to Lyon through me and he'd even attempted to buy out my work space, if not for Lyon's intervention.The morning after the press conference, the lab felt entirely different. The bright glare of the media flashbulbs was gone, replaced by the familiar, hum of our laboratory equipment. I sat at my desk, looking at the official notification on my computer screen. The city medical board had officially transferred the research grant funds directly into my lab account. Seeing the balance look so secure brought a massive sense of relief to my chest.My team of lab assistants was already busy in the main storage room. They were opening boxes and cataloging the new inventory of premium glass vials and medical stabilizers that had arrived with the first wave of funding. I stood by the glass partition, watching them check off the items on their clipboards. By mid-morning, a knock came at my office do

I Have The Keys

Christie's POV When I pulled the Bentley into the driveway that evening, the house looked completely gloomy. The windows in the main living room and the upper bedrooms were pitch black. The city power board had kept the main lines cut off, exactly as I had arranged. The only light coming from the entire structure was from Richard's wing. I unlocked the front door and stepped into the dark hallway. The air in the main house was already growing chilly, and the complete silence felt heavy. But as I walked past the kitchen toward Richard’s wing, I realized the house wasn't completely empty.Because the main house had no running water or electricity, Diane and Anna had been forced to move all their personal things into the small sitting area right outside Richard’s door. It was the only part of the building that remained fully powered and warm, relying entirely on the isolated backup lines and water pipes I had secured with my own medical salary.I pushed the door open and saw them. Dia