Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Chapter 756

Edna's lab had been reported for failing a fire safety inspection, and now it was under mandatory renovation. This meant no academic output, no progress, just a whole lot of waiting. The atmosphere in her team meetings had never been more tense.

Slater, usually as fierce as a guard dog ready to snap at anyone, was now silent as a mouse. Even Hertha Sherwood looked troubled. The lab's renovation had crushed her chances of advancing the project she'd fought hard to get from Edna.

When Hertha asked Edna for another project, Edna unleashed a tirade, "Project? Project? I want a project too! But with the lab under renovation, what can I do? And even if I had a project, can you really keep up and deliver something substantial?"

"Biting off more than you can chew is not wise. Not every grad student is cut out for academia, and not everyone in academia can achieve greatness. Do you think you're the next Marie Curie or something?"

Hertha barely dodged Edna's spitfire, her disdain barely hidden. "Ms. Edna, that's not what you said when you asked me to invest in the lab equipment! Let's get something straight: joining the project group wasn't a favor or a plea; it was a deal. I paid, you promised me a spot. Business is business."

Hertha had lost all respect for Edna, seeing her as a "greedy," "narrow-minded" academic fraud. "And don't even try to manipulate me with your words, because -"Hertha stated firmly, "I won't fall for it!"

me within two weeks. I don't care if it's yours or someone

was crucial for her final grades. Edna had taken enough from her, and it was time

Edna was shocked that the usually meek Hertha was

can see it that

what if I

you for extorting students. You've already

might mean saying goodbye

University."

"You-"