Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 66

A few people were busy at their workstations and looked up at the commotion.

Assistant Alden clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Everyone, this is Dr. Hazel Garrison. Starting today, she will be your Lead Researcher and will guide the team through our upcoming projects."

Silence instantly blanketed the room.

The staff exchanged doubtful glances. A woman in a lab coat set down a test tube and sauntered over.

She looked to be in her early thirties, her hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her eyes were sharp, scanning Hazel up and down as if inspecting a defective product.

"Dr. Garrison?" Her tone was lukewarm at best. "From the Capital Research Institute?"

Hazel nodded calmly. "Hello."

The woman didn't bother to introduce herself. After giving Hazel one last dismissive once-over, she glanced at the clock on the wall and sneered. "You're late. Showing up late on your very first day? That's incredibly disrespectful to the rest of the team. Even if you are a doctor from the Institute, you should have some basic professionalism."

The rest of the room kept their heads down, no one speaking up, but the air was thick with a quiet, collective hostility.

Hazel met her gaze, completely unfazed. "Assistant Alden informed me of the schedule later than expected. I had no intention of disrespecting anyone."

The woman, Audrey Jennings, choked on the firm, unyielding response. Her expression soured.

Snatching a massive stack of files from a nearby desk, she slammed it down in front of Hazel, dropping all pretense of civility.

"Well, then get to work. I need this data consolidated in twenty minutes. We're using it for the next phase."

Hazel glanced at the towering stack. It was easily dozens of pages thick, crammed with raw data and complex charts. She didn't reach for it.

Instead, her cold, clear eyes locked onto Audrey. The stare was perfectly calm, yet somehow incredibly intimidating.

Audrey shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny. Her voice involuntarily went up a pitch, her brow furrowing. "What are you staring at me for?"

Hazel's voice carried zero intent to please. "Since it's my first day, I absolutely need to review these files to catch up on your progress. But you do not get to speak to me in that tone. I don't owe you anything."

Audrey froze, clearly stunned by the blunt pushback.

The office went dead silent. A few researchers peeked up from their monitors. Audrey's face cycled between red and white before she forced a strained, sarcastic smile.

"You're completely misunderstanding me. I was just stressing how critical these documents are and asking you to expedite the process. Considering your exceptional skills, you're the only one here who could possibly consolidate them that fast. We certainly couldn't."

"Yeah, exactly," someone chimed in from the back. "Don't take it the wrong way, Dr. Garrison. Audrey is just looking out for the project."

Hazel looked at Audrey's fake smile and saw right through it.

When a person's malice was that obvious, they weren't even trying to hide it.

Without another word, she picked up the stack of files and walked into the private glass office at the back.

In sheer disbelief, she grabbed the files and flipped through them. Page after page, the data was flawlessly organized, impeccably categorized, and the key metrics were highlighted perfectly. It was better than she could have ever done herself. Her face turned an ugly shade of gray.

"You're finished?" Her voice came out dry and strained. "Already?"

Hazel looked at her, her voice deadpan. "Was there anything else?"

Audrey opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Pin-drop silence filled the room as shocked stares bounced between the two women.

Hazel swept her gaze across the room, making eye contact with everyone. "If there's nothing else, I'm going to familiarize myself with the lab equipment."

She said, turning to head deeper into the lab.

Audrey stood frozen, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the files.

A coworker leaned in and whispered, "Audrey, did she really finish all that in ten minutes? Do you think she just scribbled nonsense?"

Audrey ignored her, glaring daggers at Hazel's back. Her eyes turned ice-cold, her fists clenching tight.

It seemed this woman was going to be much harder to crush than she thought.