She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 6

Once the other students had cleared out, Fernand turned to Loyce with a dark expression.

“You’ve really outdone yourself,” he said coldly. “My lab doesn’t have room for you. Expect an official notice—you’re out.”

Loyce only shrugged, completely unfazed. Fine by her. That meant she could leave, right?

Before she’d even made it down the corridor, a woman appeared out of nowhere and practically pounced on her—more accurately, on the clear vial in Loyce’s hand. “Is that Nexo-7?!”

Loyce glanced down at the clear glass bottle. A pale blue liquid swirled inside, faintly fluorescent. “Yeah. Why?”

“You made it?” The woman’s voice trembled with excitement. “How did you do it?”

Loyce shrugged again. “I just followed the formula.”

That only made the woman more worked up. She grabbed Loyce by the wrist. “I tried for three years in my lab, failed more times than I can count. I even ran out of raw materials. Could you look at my notes? I really need this compound!”

Leanna Yost had recently heard that Lucian Shapiro had a rare genetic disorder. Only Nexo-7 could ease the symptoms. But compounds like this weren’t something just any chemist could mix; even a tiny deviation could ruin the effect.

And the gene therapy vial in this girl’s hand—color, clarity, everything—looked perfect.

Leanna didn’t just want it. She needed it, because that kind of medicine could be traded for an absurd, life-changing payout.

Loyce frowned, her tone flat. “It’s not complicated. Control the ratios and follow the measurements exactly.”

Leanna clearly didn’t believe her. She hurriedly pulled out a business card and pressed it into Loyce’s hand. “I’m Leanna Yost, from the biomedical institute next door. Are you interested in joining my team? I can get you published in top-tier journals, even put you in charge of your own project. You’ll have funding and resources—plenty of both.”

Quiana, who’d been nearby trying to calm Fernand down, froze the moment she heard the name. Her jaw tightened.

Leanna Yost was a world-famous scientist. Why did Loyce deserve her attention? Over one stupid vial?

Quiana immediately put on a fragile, hesitant look and spoke softly. “Ms. Yost… that vial was actually something our lab worked on together in our spare time. Loyce took it out without getting permission from our advisor.”

Leanna blinked, then turned to Quiana and the two senior students beside her. Suspicion crept into her eyes. “Is that true? She didn’t synthesize it herself?”

Loyce didn’t care what anyone thought. She could do those tests in her sleep. Before, she’d intentionally scored low to play along with Quiana. She wasn’t doing that anymore.

She soon rode her motorcycle off campus and headed to CoreWell Pharmacy. With the Nexo-7 in hand, she pushed open the glass door trimmed in gold. A soft herbal scent mixed with high-end fragrance drifted over her.

The lobby was spacious and bright, with soaring ceilings and a massive crystal chandelier overhead. Light scattered through countless facets, glittering like starlight. To an outsider, it looked less like a pharmacy and more like a luxury hall from another era.

Loyce walked calmly toward the counter and ran into Byron coming out. His first reaction was to frown and snap, “You actually followed me here? Do you even know what this place is? Get out now.”

Loyce rolled her eyes. “I didn’t follow you.”

Byron’s voice turned icy. “At least make your lies believable. You’re a student. What business do you have at CoreWell? Without VIP status, you think you can just walk in?”

His expression tightened with disgust. “You trailed me here, just to beg me to plead with Hamilton to let you return to the Sampson family? ”

He shook his head, full of resistance. “Forget it. You’re not coming back unless you admit you were wrong.”