Rose was also surprised by Grace’s warm reception.
She immediately nodded. "Of course. It would be my pleasure."
Watching the smile on Rose’s face, Samantha bit her lip.
A flash of resentment crossed her eyes.
Rose’s smugness was practically overflowing.
Just because Grace had shown her a little special attention, she was already acting so pleased with herself.
In Samantha’s mind, Rose was simply taking advantage of Caleb’s connection to Grace Morris.
Without Caleb, what qualifications did Rose even have?
Even James was surprised.
He understood his grandmother’s temperament better than anyone.
Grace rarely showed appreciation for others, let alone such obvious warmth and friendliness.
Something felt off.
No matter how influential Caleb was, there was no way he had that much pull with Grace.
After Rose accepted the invitation, Grace didn’t spare Samantha another glance.
She turned and headed directly toward the judging panel.
It was as though Samantha had been invisible from beginning to end.
The realization left Samantha deeply uncomfortable.
Ryan narrowed his eyes slightly, though he didn’t dwell on it.
Grace had always conducted herself this way.
*****
"President Byrne, aren’t you worried that bringing Rose to an event like this will cause resentment among the G.S. research team?"
Samantha frowned as she looked at Caleb.
"She’s only here to pad her résumé. She was even removed from the final phase of the clinical trials. What right does she have to be here?"
Caleb smiled. "Ms. Hill can launch a product without obtaining all the necessary approvals simply by relying on President Knight’s support. Why can’t Rose attend a conference?"
His smile widened. "Surely we shouldn’t apply double standards."
Samantha hadn’t expected Caleb to openly refuse to give her face.
Her expression stiffened.
She immediately turned toward Rose.
What exactly had Rose been saying about her behind the scenes?
"Take your seats. The conference is about to begin."
Ryan finally spoke.
Rose ignored the exchange completely.
She simply sat down beside Caleb.
Nearby, Oliver walked over to James.
"What did Grandma Grace mean back there?" he asked quietly. "Sam was so embarrassed she nearly exposed Ryan’s marital situation."
If Samantha’s affair had been revealed on the spot, how would she ever show her face publicly again?
James glanced at him. "You really think my grandmother didn’t see through everything?"
His expression was meaningful. "Can’t you figure out why she chose not to say anything?"
Oliver was immediately speechless.
He could only offer an awkward smile.
*****
Samantha was still in a bad mood.
After sitting down, she leaned toward Ryan and whispered, "Ryan, does Chairwoman Morris dislike me? Maybe there’s some misunderstanding."
Ryan tapped the face of his watch with his fingertip.
"It would be a good idea to visit her sometime."
Samantha instantly understood.
Ryan was willing to help arrange a meeting.
A sweet smile immediately appeared on her face.
She glanced at Rose before leaning closer to Ryan, her red lips nearly brushing his ear as she whispered something private.
Rose sat directly beside them.
Even if she wanted to ignore them, she couldn’t help noticing what was happening right in front of her.
The two of them looked remarkably intimate.
Turning away, Rose began discussing the drug’s classification and rating with Caleb.
Watching Rose pretend to be knowledgeable, Samantha secretly curled her lips.
She really knows how to promote herself.
As though the final outcome of this project had anything to do with Rose.
Today’s event was nothing more than Caleb bringing Rose along to broaden her horizons.
*****
Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived.
The approval results appeared on the massive screen.
When Rose saw G.S. ranked first in its category, she exchanged a smile with Caleb.
The rating had been finalized.
Highest tier.
A wave of astonishment swept through the room.
"They reduced the side effects by this much?"
"And lowered the price by twenty percent?"
"Did G.S. hire some legendary expert to lead the project?"
Exclamations erupted everywhere.


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