Moreover, the invitations were selective.
That meant James had genuinely reserved a spot for Rose.
The realization left Samantha deeply unhappy.
After all, James and Oliver were Ryan’s closest friends. They should have been firmly on her side, presenting a united front against outsiders.
She didn’t want that dynamic to change.
They were supposed to support her—always.
James didn’t notice the change in Samantha’s expression. Twirling a pen between his fingers, he said, "G.S.’s new cardiovascular drug has been generating a lot of attention. It’s the kind of project that wins awards. Rose is the first author, so it wouldn’t make sense not to invite her."
He didn’t mention his personal reasons.
The moment he brought it up, Samantha’s expression stiffened slightly.
She knew exactly what the successful development of a new drug represented.
Drug development was notoriously difficult, and once successful, it brought tremendous prestige.
Yet Rose had somehow ridden the project’s success straight into the spotlight.
At least, that was how Samantha saw it.
Then she glanced at James.
What he said sounded perfectly reasonable on the surface.
Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something about his attitude toward Rose had changed.
He seemed more patient with her.
More attentive.
And that made Samantha uneasy.
"Mr. Taylor, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you."
A calculating look flashed through her eyes as she hesitated briefly.
James looked up. "What is it?"
******
The negotiations with New Hope ultimately fell through.
Rose didn’t consider it much of a loss.
After all, she wasn’t dependent on those people to get the job done.
Back at G.S., she had barely stepped into the pharmacology lab when her phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID.
It was Dr. Nathan.
Assuming Ariel needed something, she answered immediately.
"Old Nate?"
Dr. Nathan sounded like he was in the middle of a card game.
"Six of hearts!" he shouted before speaking casually. "Has NYU School of Medicine contacted you yet?"
Rose laughed. "Why would they contact me?"
Dr. Nathan snorted. "I sent them a recommendation letter. Your recent cardiovascular drug research has received extremely high praise from the national review committee. You reduced side effects, increased efficacy by eight percent, and kept the cost affordable for ordinary patients. That’s a major achievement."
Rose looked confused. "So what? What’s the recommendation for? I’m not going back to school."
"Who said anything about going back to school?" Dr. Nathan snorted again. "You’re being considered for a special appointment as an associate professor."
Rose froze. "Me? Me? A rookie like me?"
"What’s wrong with that?" Dr. Nathan replied. "At your age, you’ve already developed a Class I new drug, secured NMPA approval, completed clinical trials, and served as a core inventor. The two top-tier papers you published years ago also meet the requirements. On top of that, you have the Aetheris Medical AI Database—a treasure trove of research data. Add my recommendation letter, and you’re more than qualified."
Rose was stunned.
Dr. Nathan, however, sounded completely unconcerned.
"If you’d joined the National Center for Biomedical Innovation back then, you’d probably already be a tenured professor."
He checked his card again before continuing. "This is a significant appointment, so NYU School of Medicine still needs to complete its formal review process. But someone your age with your accomplishments? There haven’t been many like that in recent years."
Rose let out a low whistle.
After all, this was NYU School of Medicine.


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