Chapter 46

Ada blocked Betsey with a swift movement, batting away the nanny's hand. "You really have some gall! My own nanny never dared to make decisions for me,let alone treat me this way."

Bending down, Alexia extended her phone toward Betsey. "If saving this cat really matters to you, talk to your mother yourself. Tell her what's happening. After that, I'll bring it to the vet."

Tension stiffened the older woman, and Betsey looked completely thrown, uncertainty flickering across her features.

Alexia fixed her with a sharp stare. "No one else can do this for you. If you want change, you've got to be the one to act first."

Betsey's gaze dropped. "But Mommy's so busy. She's always at work, always in some meeting. I don't know if | can..."

The woman lunged for the phone. "Why bother?Betsey's mother is the general manager of Cosmo Biotech. She barely slows down long enough to breathe, let alone deal with a pet. She won't care about any of this!"

Alexia reacted quickly, pulling her phone away just in time. "If you refuse to call, there's nothing left to say.To be honest, this cat doesn't have much time. You might want to start thinking about where you'll bury it."

As the words hung in the air, small fingers tugged at her skirt. Betsey, eyes brimming with tears, whispered,"I'll make the call."

Alexia offered her the phone without another word.

Meanwhile, Cosmo Biotech's conference room felt heavy with pressure.

At the head of the table, Serena Adams wore a crisp black suit, her attention fixed on the presentations unfolding before her.

"Our latest innovation made it through development,but now we're up against fresh trouble. There's a mysterious group out there spreading rumors and attacking our reputation. They've joined forces with hedge funds, shorting our stock and trying to sink our value for their own gain."

"They're betting against us! At this pace, we might be heading for disaster. Who did we cross to deserve this?"

A worried voice rose from the group. "Ms. Adams,what's our next move?"

Serena paused, her silence stretching across the table."When you stand above the rest, you're the first to get hit. This wave has already knocked over several biopharma firms, here and overseas. Now, they're coming straight for our new launch. We have to brace ourselves."

Resigned sighs echoed among the shareholders."That's easier to say than to pull off.Where would we even turn for backup? We're in the middle of major changes. We're nothing like those financial heavyweights-we're just scientists and developers.This isn't our arena!"

"If we want someone who can actually outmaneuver Wall Street, it has to be Luna. She's at the top of the game right now. There's no one better."

Just hearing Luna's name sent a ripple of energy through the room.

Skepticism quickly followed. "But Luna's a legend for a reason-nobody's met her, not in person. How would we even get her attention? Big-money players have tried and failed, offering fortunes just for a meeting Nobody's figured out how to contact her."

"Let's not waste time chasing shadows. We should look for answers within reach."

Tension hung heavy over the table as Serena's phone started to buzz.

Her frown deepened at the sight of an unfamiliar number, but she rose from her seat and slipped out to take the call.

"Hello?" Serena answered, uncertain.

"It's me, Mommy." Betsey's voice sounded small on the other end.

Relief softened Serena's features the moment she recognized her daughter. "'What's the matter, love?"

"Ginger fell off the balcony and hurt his leg really bad.There's blood everywhere. I want to ask the lady downstairs if she can bring him to the hospital.Would that be alright?"

"Of course it is. But you really don't have to bother someone else. Couldn't Chloe handle it instead?"

Betsey hesitated before replying, "Chloe probably won't want to help."

Serena's concern grew as she listened, a frown knitting her brow. Something about this felt wrong.

Alexia then took charge, her voice steady as she spoke into the phone.

"Yes, Ms. Adams? I'm Alexia. I'm giving you my number. I'll look after thecat for now. As for the vet bill, you can forget about it. But if you really want to pay me back, you can compensate me for the headache instead."

While she spoke, Alexia glanced sideways at Chloe Barnes, the nanny, who looked as if she might bolt at any second.

"To be honest, I couldn't believe what I saw. Your nanny strutted around, tossing out commands like she ran the building, and the poor girl kept apologizing.For a minute, I almost mistook Betsey for her maid. So you can imagine how surprised I was to learn she's just a nanny."

Chloe's cheeks drained of color at the accusation."That's not true! I never acted that way! How could you twist my words like this?"

Alexia clicked her tongue. "See that? She's coming unglued all over again."