The arrival of Drake Trent sent a stir through the room. The women immediately started shrieking, instantly turning into a crowd of adoring fangirls.

Nearly all the single young women from the branch office flocked forward to greet him.

Drake Trent was undeniably handsome, with strong brows, large eyes, and sharp, well-defined features that gave him a composed and mature air.

He had changed out of the black suit he wore during the day and into a new one. This textured suit, with its subtle pattern, made him seem even more dazzling.

He radiated the aura of a man at the pinnacle of the elite.

As he entered, he seemed to carry an invisible presence that utterly eclipsed every other man in the room, reducing them to dust.

"Mr. Trent—"

"A toast to Mr. Trent!"

"I’ll toast him, too!"

Aurora Sinclair also picked up her glass and eagerly trotted forward to toast Drake Trent, her eyes sparkling.

Drake Trent accepted the glass his secretary handed him, raised it in a toast to everyone in the room, and offered a few pleasantries, encouraging them all to continue their hard work.

Just then, a gunshot suddenly rang out from outside. Drake Trent’s expression changed in an instant as he hurled his glass in the direction of the shot.

As the wine glass shattered in midair, everyone screamed, dropped to the ground, and cowered with their hands over their heads.

Drake Trent glanced at Aurora Sinclair, who was already cowering and trembling on the floor, before engaging his attacker.

The man was dressed in a venue staff uniform. His face was devoid of expression, and at first glance, he was completely unremarkable—the kind of person typically cultivated as a death warrior.

"Seal the room!" Drake Trent shouted as he fought.

His bodyguards sprang into action, blocking the door and pointing their guns at the men inside the room.

"Die, Drake Trent!" the man shouted. He wasn’t from Veridia.

"Look out—!"

With a shout from Drake Trent, Aurora Sinclair was sent flying backward, toppling five or six tables and ending up buried beneath the pile.

Alvin Morgan’s expression changed drastically, and he rushed forward to rescue her.

A complex look flashed in Drake Trent’s eyes. He suddenly quickened his pace and subdued the foreigner.

"It’s over. Everyone is safe now!"

He strode toward Alvin Morgan. "Finn, go get a Martial Healer—quick!"

Alvin Morgan pulled Aurora Sinclair from beneath the pile of tables. Her eyes were shut tight, and a dark bruise was already forming on her right arm where she’d been hit.

"Oh my god! Cecelia, are you okay?"

Having recovered from the shock, Shauna gasped and covered her mouth at the sight of Aurora Sinclair’s terrible state.

The Martial Healer arrived quickly. After a brief examination, he announced, "She fainted from shock."

"Is that all?" Drake Trent asked in disbelief. "Nothing else is wrong?"

"Ah! Cecelia’s Jade Token... it’s broken!" Shauna, who was squatting beside Aurora Sinclair, cried out in disbelief as she picked up a fragment of the shattered jade.

Drake Trent suddenly knelt, lifting the hem of Aurora Sinclair’s shirt. A rectangular purple bruise was visible on her abdomen.

Alvin Morgan’s expression soured. He swiftly snatched her shirt from Drake’s grasp and pulled it back down to cover her.

The Martial Healer took a silver needle from his medical kit and inserted it into the acupoint just below Aurora Sinclair’s nose.

A moment later, she gasped as if surfacing for air. Her eyes flew open, filled with terror, and she shrieked, "Help me—!"

But she quieted down slightly upon seeing everyone around her staring.

Drake Trent seemed to be in a poor mood. "You’ve had a scare," he said, his tone indifferent. "How do you feel now?"

Clutching her abdomen, Aurora Sinclair cried out that it hurt.

Drake Trent immediately looked to the Martial Healer, who said to Aurora, "Come to my office in a bit, and I’ll give you some medicine for the bruising."

"Ah! My Jade Token!" Aurora Sinclair’s shriek cut the Martial Healer off. She picked up the token, now in several pieces on the floor, and began muttering erratically, "I knew I shouldn’t have traveled so far from home... That old fortune-teller was right..."

Drake Trent’s brow furrowed. Seemingly at the end of his patience, he said in a low voice, "Since you’re fine, I’ll be leaving."

With her head still lowered, a dark glint flashed in Aurora Sinclair’s eyes.

Once outside, Drake Trent glanced back into the room one last time. "You don’t need to watch her anymore," he said finally.

’If she weren’t so unhinged,’ Finn Trent thought, silently pitying the girl, ’the young master probably wouldn’t have lost interest this quickly.’

Meanwhile, Alvin Morgan was helping Aurora Sinclair to the Martial Healer’s room to get her medicine.

"You’re a very lucky young lady," the Martial Healer, a kind-voiced man in his fifties, told her. "Next time you see a fight break out, don’t get so close to the action." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Aurora Sinclair nodded obediently.

Once they left the Martial Healer’s room, Alvin Morgan could no longer contain his anger. He pulled her toward a remote, deserted corner.

It was a perfect blind spot for the security cameras.

Alvin Morgan held her tightly, apologizing into her ear. "I’m sorry, Aurora. I let you get hurt again."

Aurora Sinclair buried her face in his chest, inhaling his faint, clean scent, and felt her heart fill with warmth.

She gently shook her head.

"We have to be more careful from now on. The Trents, father and son, are naturally suspicious. This should put their doubts to rest for now."

"Mmm..."

「The next morning」

Finn Trent came to check on Aurora Sinclair again and brought her a small gift. With that, the matter was considered closed.

Seawell Pharma’s annual conference lasted a full week and was divided into two parts. The first three days were for the all-hands summary meeting.

This involved summarizing the year’s performance, appointing and promoting senior executives, and holding smaller departmental review meetings.

The next two days were for employee recreation and entertainment, starting with a banquet and performances, followed by free time. Afterward, employees from the various companies and departments would head home in scheduled batches.

「7:00 AM.」

Led by their department directors, the branch office employees found their assigned seats according to the chart.

The Technology Department was seated next to the Administration Department. Whether by some intentional matchmaking or pure chance, Aurora Sinclair and Alvin Morgan finally ended up sitting together.

「8:00 AM.」

Victor Trent and the senior executives of Seawell Pharma Group finally made their appearance.

Because the branch office seats were farther back, anyone with poor eyesight couldn’t see the front clearly and had to rely on the large LED screens set up behind the stage.

A middle-aged man walked beside Victor Trent. The two were talking and laughing, appearing quite close.

The man had a kind, gentle face and wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He was quite thin and dressed casually in a simple white shirt and black trousers, with no tie.

His presence was so restrained that he gave off the illusion of being a university professor.

Only Aurora Sinclair could sense the formidable "Power" hidden within him.

He was a High Rank Martial Cultivator, the strongest person she had encountered on the island so far.

His cultivation was at least at the level of an Advanced Martial King.

Aurora Sinclair’s gaze flickered. She discreetly touched Alvin Morgan’s leg and began tapping out their prearranged code.

’Pay attention to the man next to Victor Trent. He’s very strong, at least an Advanced Martial King.’

Alvin Morgan’s expression shifted slightly. That man was famous in Veridia. His name was Linden Grant, and he was once Professor Young’s star pupil.

Now, he was Seawell Pharma’s chief medical scientist, an S-level researcher. It was said that he was the one primarily responsible for the collaborative project with IBG.

If he was that powerful, it would be a major obstacle to their future plans.

Alvin Morgan took out his phone, typed a string of numbers and letters, and sent it to an unknown number.

Gradually, the circular plaza filled with people. At half past eight sharp, the host took the stage to open the event and invited Victor Trent to speak.

Speeches from leadership were always soporific, especially since everyone had arrived so early.

This was where the advantage of seats in the back became clear; many people had already closed their eyes to doze off.

Aurora Sinclair also lowered her head, feigning sleep with her eyes closed.

After some time, a sudden cough, infused with "Power," pierced the air and jolted everyone awake.

"Now, I believe it’s my turn to say a few words..."

Aurora Sinclair’s eyes snapped open. She sat bolt upright, her gaze fixed on the front of the stage, a barely suppressed storm brewing in their depths.

’It’s actually him...’