She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 71

Hearing Hulda's order, Abby froze, her immediate instinct to push back. "Director Atherton, everyone is swamped right now. Calling an impromptu meeting might not be appropriate."

Never mind the senior researchers; even as a junior assistant, she was buried in work and had no time to waste on Hulda's whims.

Hulda wasn't bothered by the obvious dismissal in her assistant's voice. Her tone remained level, yet carried an undeniable authority. "Just do as I say. If I don't see everyone in the main conference room in thirty minutes, they can deal with the consequences."

Without giving Abby a chance to argue, she hung up.

Abby sat at her desk, staring blankly at the dead phone in her hand.

"What's with that look, Abby?" another junior researcher in the office asked, noticing her stunned expression.

Abby slammed the receiver down, her brow furrowed. "Director Atherton wants everyone in the main conference room in thirty minutes."

"What? Do we have to go too?"

A collective groan echoed through the open office when Abby confirmed it.

In any workplace, there was nothing worse than a manager calling a massive, unexpected meeting.

It was one thing if it was a boss who actually had something to say. It was entirely another when it was someone with an empty head who just wanted to throw their weight around.

They would talk in circles forever, a complete waste of everyone's time.

And in their minds, Hulda was exactly that kind of boss.

While an irritated Abby was dialing extensions to notify every office, one of the institute's most senior researchers came bursting into the room. He made a beeline straight for her desk, looking breathless.

"Abby, where did you get that summary you just sent out?"

Abby blinked, instantly growing uncomfortable. She assumed he was there to reprimand her; after all, she had forwarded Hulda's notes without even bothering to read them.

"Dr. Lynch, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It was Director Atherton..."

"The new nepo-hire? Hulda?" In an instant, Dr. Lynch's expression mirrored her own sheer disbelief.

...

With less than two minutes to go, the main conference room was packed. Displeasure was etched onto almost every face.

Ursula Delaney was the last to arrive, complaining the second she walked through the door. "I am incredibly busy. My new project is at a critical stage, and I really don't have time to indulge this woman's little power trip."

As she spoke, she confidently sat down in the front-row seat specifically reserved for the Director of the R&D Center.

She had always claimed this spot during meetings. Brandon had his own seat as the Deputy Director, and being a laid-back guy, he never cared much about seating arrangements.

Harvey Dalton watched Ursula casually take Hulda's chair and was just about to point it out when Brandon walked into the room.