CHAPTER 20: CHAPTER 20: TARGETED, COOPERATION LOST

Victoria Sinclair tightly clutched the backpack strap, remaining silent, her chest felt crushed by a heavy rock.

"No, with your kind of personality, how could you provoke anyone? It must be me who offended someone." Angela Austin muttered to herself.

Just then, a deep male voice came from behind, "Miss Sinclair, you’re here. Perfect timing, I have something to discuss with you."

Upon hearing this, Victoria Sinclair turned around and saw the property manager approaching, nodding politely, "Hello, Manager Yue."

Manager Yue said, "Miss Sinclair, I just got a call from the landlord; your pharmaceutical research institute’s lease will expire in August, and it won’t be renewed. I hope you can find a suitable place to move out as soon as possible."

Angela froze, her mouth twisted in discomfort, almost on the verge of tears.

Victoria Sinclair’s expression remained unchanged as she faintly replied, "Okay."

"I’ll be going now." Manager Yue left with his hands behind his back.

The morning light was like a torch, shining on Victoria Sinclair, yet she felt waves of cold rising from her heart.

Angela walked up to Victoria Sinclair, eyes filled with tears, "Victoria, I really don’t know who I’ve offended."

"It’s not related to you." Victoria Sinclair gave a bitter smile, raising her hand to touch Angela’s aggrieved face, then took out a contract from her bag and handed it to her.

"What’s this?" Angela took it, looked at it, shocked: "The Vaughn Group’s investment contract?"

Victoria Sinclair nodded, "Yes."

"How is this related?" Angela couldn’t wrap her mind around it.

Victoria Sinclair reminded, "She probably doesn’t want Eugene Vaughn to help me."

Angela suddenly realised, an anger surged to her forehead, shouting, "It’s not that pick-me girl right? She’s trying to mess with you."

Victoria Sinclair remained as calm as water, "I’m not sure if it’s her yet, but with her abilities, she can’t do all this alone; someone must be helping her."

Angela angrily grabbed Victoria Sinclair’s hand, "Let’s go find Eugene and tell him about this."

Victoria Sinclair withdrew her hand, her tone sank, "What’s the use of finding him?"

Angela stomped in frustration, "Even if it doesn’t help, at least someone should manage this pick-me girl. I’m furious."

Victoria Sinclair felt sour and bitter, her eyes wettened, and her voice grew increasingly weak, "Angela, a child favored by someone, even if they commit murder and arson, they’ll be forgiven and protected. A child who’s not loved, even breathing is wrong."

Angela looked at Victoria Sinclair’s reddened eyes, although unable to truly empathize, she felt very sorry for her.

Angela stepped forward and hugged Victoria Sinclair.

The unexpected embrace warmed Victoria Sinclair’s troubled heart at that moment.

Tears couldn’t be held back any longer, quietly arriving, crystal-clear drops slipping down her fair cheeks.

She had wanted a hug for so long, resting her face on Angela’s shoulder, her voice soft yet resilient, "Angela, my achievements today are the results of my own hard work, step by step. I don’t need a man’s pity. I’ve paid all my taxes, and I have all the necessary legal documents. I, Victoria Sinclair, might not be an extraordinary woman, but I will never be easily defeated."

"Indeed." Angela patted her back gently, comforting, "Since meeting you in college, you’ve always been my role model, the Victoria Sinclair I most admire, a girl with a gentle personality but a resolutely strong heart."

Victoria Sinclair stepped out of Angela’s embrace, turned, and discreetly wiped away the tears in her eyes, taking a deep breath, "Let’s go inside and chase out the people inside."

After saying this, she stepped inside.

Angela followed, worried, "Those people are hard to deal with; they’re clearly here to cause trouble."

Victoria Sinclair was indifferent.

Inside the office.

Several middle-aged men sat on the sofa, red-faced, arguing with the salesman over animal protection issues.

As soon as Victoria Sinclair entered, the salesman seemed to see a savior, introducing, "This is the company’s legal representative; about whether to release the animals, she has the final say."

Seeing Victoria Sinclair, just a young, fragile woman, the men’s arrogance intensified; just as they were about to threaten, Victoria Sinclair spoke first, "You can release these animals, but the consequences will be entirely your animal protection association’s responsibility."

The older man was particularly domineering, "We’ll be responsible."

Victoria Sinclair said, "My laboratory has hundreds of monkeys needed for experiments, over half of which have rare viruses, highly contagious. The other half are suffering from diseases, my medication used on them is both treatment and experiment; without my pharmaceutical research institute, within two weeks they’ll all die. If you handle this poorly, you’ll be the first group infected by rare viruses, and I can’t estimate how far the virus will spread afterwards."

Everyone exchanged looks, their faces pale, appearing somewhat panicked.

Victoria Sinclair noticed their unease and asked calmly, "Do you still want to release them?"

The older man hesitated, ultimately afraid the experimental animals would carry viruses, causing a large-scale epidemic, something he couldn’t bear the responsibility for, angrily exclaimed, "You’ll be waiting for a lawsuit."

Saying this, he left with his people.

The salesman sighed in relief.

Angela, smiling slightly, walked up to Victoria Sinclair, happily giving her a thumbs up.

Victoria Sinclair couldn’t bring herself to smile.

She felt this was just the beginning; more hellish difficulties would surely follow.

The next day.

The debris in the fire escape was cleared.

After the tax audit, there were no issues whatsoever.

As for the animal protection association’s lawsuit, it was even more absurd, and Victoria Sinclair didn’t take it seriously at all.

There were still months until August; she could apply to the government for a new laboratory to be arranged through them.

——

Night deepened.

The moonlight was beautiful, spring breeze gently stirred, rustling the light window curtains, in the bright and tidy living room, Victoria Sinclair, having bathed, dried her long hair, was sitting in the living room reviewing research data analysis.

The clock on the wall showed 9:05, the sound of a door opening was heard.

Victoria Sinclair lifted her head from the documents.

Eugene Vaughn changed his shoes and walked in.

His handsome face looked tired, his steps heavy, while walking, he took off his suit jacket and tugged at his tie, his deep gaze fixing on Victoria Sinclair’s face.

They looked at each other, yet could never understand what the other was thinking.

Victoria Sinclair didn’t greet him, and he seemed disinclined to speak.

He directly headed towards the room.

Victoria Sinclair picked up the contract beside her and quickly stood up, "Eugene."

Eugene paused with his back to her.

Victoria Sinclair walked up behind him, handing the contract, "The contract you left on the coffee table this morning has been signed, you should also sign it."

Eugene exhaled lightly, turned to look at Victoria Sinclair, then lowered his head to glance at the contract she offered, "Let’s put this on hold for now."

Put on hold? Victoria Sinclair’s heart was like being pricked by needles, aching painfully.

In other words, the collaboration was off.

Eugene Vaughn wouldn’t be investing in her company.

Nothing could be more ironic than this.

"Alright." Victoria Sinclair had no intention of salvaging it, turning towards her room.

Suddenly, a force on her wrist stopped her; she halted.

A warmth spread from the skin on her wrist, her body tensed, turning her head towards her wrist.

Her gaze followed the man’s long arm up to lock eyes with Eugene Vaughn’s deep black pupils, an inexplicable pang in her heart.

Eugene Vaughn slightly frowned, "Aren’t you going to ask me why?"