She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 706

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you..."

Preston naturally reached out and pulled Melanie into his arms.

Enveloped in his comforting body heat, the frantic pounding of Melanie's heart gradually calmed down.

She had let her thoughts spiral too far earlier, exhausting herself until she finally passed out.

"It's okay, it's not your fault..."

Melanie took a deep, shuddering breath.

"A nightmare?"

Preston asked gently.

"Yeah..."

Melanie nodded.

The dream felt surreal, yet suffocatingly real.

Especially that truck accelerating toward her mother, and the sheer amount of blood that had blurred her vision when she was hit.

Sensing the faint tremors wracking her body, Preston immediately pulled her tighter against his chest.

"Don't be afraid... I'm right here with you..."

"Okay..."

Melanie nodded again, lightly closing her eyes as she melted into his hold.

"Honey..."

"I'm listening."

"If I told you... that my mom was murdered because of her research, would you still let me stay in this industry?"

Tilting her face up, Melanie watched Preston and caught a fleeting spark of sheer panic in his eyes.

But the panic vanished in a flash. Melanie rubbed her eyes, figuring her exhausted mind was just playing tricks on her.

Preston's gaze had already returned to its usual composure, as calm and steady as a windless sea in the dead of winter.

"You aren't even doing research right now!"

At his words, Melanie froze for a second before letting out a dry laugh.

"That's a very fair point!"

Preston likely had no idea she was Schrödinger's Pill.

He probably also didn't know that the joint diabetes drug project between the Royce Group and Stellaris PharmaTech was relying entirely on the advanced bio-pharmacology blueprints she was secretly feeding the R&D Department.

Stretching her arms over her head, Melanie felt her heavy mood lift slightly.

"What time is it, Honey? Have you had dinner yet?"

Preston glanced at the clock and answered,

And it was highly likely she had relived a horrific memory.

Preston knew Talia's death was a jagged, infected thorn buried deep in Melanie's heart.

For the longest time, he had desperately wanted to help her pull it out.

But his investigation had ultimately pointed the finger straight at Stellaris PharmaTech.

What if...

What if the Whitmore family was actually behind it...

A suffocating wave of dread crawled up from the soles of his feet, settling like ice in his veins.

One week later, the Aldoria Medicinal Gastronomy Championship, hosted by the Sterling Integrative Wellness Lounge and co-sponsored by the Lockridge Convalescent Home, officially kicked off at the Lexington Gastronomy Convention Center.

The convention center supplied all the premium cookware and base ingredients, while the Royce Group was responsible for the specialized medicinal herbs.

Melanie attended as one of the elite judges, having been personally invited by Shawn Sterling.

Dominic Hale was also present, securing his VIP seat through his status as a key sponsor.

The rest of the judging panel was packed with industry heavyweights.

It featured a renowned professor from the Lexington University of Bio-Pharmacology, a master of heritage cuisine, international food critics, a notoriously ruthless food blogger, and even a couple of minor celebrities.

Down in the audience, sitting dead center in the front row, was Preston Whitmore—with Daphne Morrell seated right beside him.