Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 136

Hazel paused for a second before her calm, detached voice rang out. "I found a better platform."

A soft scoff drifted to her ears. Marcus lounged in his chair, his fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest. His striking eyes narrowed slightly, swirling with an emotion she couldn't quite decipher.

"So Dr. Garrison is jumping ship? Whatever they're offering, I'll double it."

Hazel gave a faint smile. "It's not about the money. Our vibes just align better. But I will never forget your kindness, Mr. Thornton. I'll find a way to repay you for helping me last time."

She was the type of person who hated owing favors. The man sitting across from her was already notoriously unpredictable, and right now, his darkened expression made him impossible to read.

Marcus's eyes turned freezing cold for a fleeting moment before he let out a harsh laugh, as if he had just realized a joke. He nodded slowly. "You really do constantly surprise me, Dr. Garrison."

He picked up the resignation form from his desk, flipped through a couple of pages, and tossed it back down without signing it. Leaning back, he fixed her with a dark, emotionless stare.

"Resignations take a month to process. You stay here for the next thirty days, finish your current projects, and then I'll let you go."

Hazel didn't argue. She simply nodded. "Understood."

She turned and walked out. The moment the office door clicked shut behind her, she pulled out her phone and messaged Evelyn.

"I've submitted my resignation, but I have to stay for a month-long handover period."

Evelyn had just walked out of the lab. Checking her screen, her lips curled into a nasty smirk.

Only one month left. In thirty days, she would be the sole lead researcher in this entire facility.

Before she could type a reply, the elevator chimed, and Hazel stepped out.

Their eyes locked. Evelyn let out a mocking laugh. "Hazel, looks like you finally know you can't beat me."

Someone yelled, "The data feed is crashing!"

Evelyn rushed in from behind, shoving Hazel out of the way of the terminal. Her voice hit a shrill pitch. "Everyone step back! Raina, assist me!"

Raina practically sprinted over, holding out a clipboard. Hazel, pushed to the sidelines, didn't say a word and simply stood back to watch.

Evelyn crouched in front of the terminal, her fingers frantically flying across the control panel.

The data on the screen glitched faster, a cascade of red error prompts multiplying by the second.

A thin layer of sweat broke out on Evelyn's forehead. Her keystrokes grew frantic and erratic, but not a single red warning vanished.

As the seconds ticked by, no one else in the lab dared to breathe. The only sounds were the heavy hum of the failing machinery and Evelyn's increasingly ragged gasps.