Chapter 331

With doubts in her mind,Verena grabbed her phone,scrolled through her contacts, and searched for William Cohen's name.

William stood out at her hospital as someone everyone turned to for answers about pharmaceuticals. His reputation for dissecting drug formulas and leading groundbreaking research made him the go-to expert.

As soon as the line connected, William's calm voice greeted her. "Evelyn,it's late. Did something happen?"

Verena got straight to the point. "William, I've run into an issue. I'm looking at a pill that's supposed to fight this year's new/ flu, but it reminds me of the usual cold medicine. The project lead keeps saying there's something special about it. Can you tell me if that makes sense?"

William paused to think it over before responding,"Evelyn, I can't give you a clear answer without seeing it for myself. Drug development is full of surprises Even a small tweak in the ingredients or how it's made can completely change how it works." He paused for a moment before adding, "To get to the bottom of it, you'll need proper lab analysis and full testing. That's really the only way to know what this pill is about."

Verena understood right away what she needed to do."William, I'll ship the pills to you first thing tomorrow.Could you take a look and figure out what's actually in them?"

William didn't hesitate. "Of course, Evelyn. Just send them my way, and I'll start testing as soon as they arrive."

When morning came, Verena wrapped the medication with extra care and mailed it off to Shoildon.

She had just finished going over the last file on her desk when her phone chimed. A message from William waited for her.

She tapped it open and found a detailed report,each section neatly labeled.

Inside, she saw crisp photos of the pills, comparison charts next to standard cold medicines, and line after line of technical data.

As Verena reviewed the findings, her concern deepened. "The ingredient ratios in this formula match standard cold medicine, but the only difference is the appearance. There's also a painkiller mixed in that just masks the symptoms, so people feel better for a bit but the illness stays. And on top of that, the pill contains substances that aren't allowed in the market.Some people might experience heart palpitations or dizziness, even if it's rare."

Verena's eyes locked on her phone as she scrolled through the list of problems, and heat flared in her chest. Fury started bubbling up inside her.

The nerve of Molly took her completely by surprise.

She pushed herself up from her chair, moving with determination as she left her office.

Molly lounged at her desk, taking her time with a cup of coffee.

Without warning, the door crashed open. The sound echoed through the office like a clap of thunder.

Molly jolted upright, sloshing hot coffee onto her pants and letting out a sharp yelp.

Staring in disbelief, she met Verena's dark glare from across the room.

Dread washed over her, and she bit back whatever insult she had been ready to throw.

Trying to cover her irritation, Molly asked, "Mrs.Bennett,what brings you here?"

She set her coffee aside and started dabbing at the stain with a tissue.

Verena stormed across the floor and slammed her phone down in front of Molly.

The screen lit up with William's lab results, impossible to miss.

With her eyes blazing, Verena blurted out, "You call this 'giving every detail your full attention'? Explain this disaster."

Molly's attention flicked to the screen. She only needed a second to realize what she was looking at.

A flicker of anxiety crossed her features before she put on a calm smile and said, a hint of sarcasm in her tone, "So you went behind my back and had the pills analyzed."

Seeing no remorse in Molly's eyes, Verena's stare grew colder,cutting straight through her.

Planting both hands on the desk, she leaned in and shot Molly a glare. "If I hadn't checked the pills myself,I'd still be in the dark about what you've been up to. You're passing off regular cold medicine as some miracle cure? And adding all those extra chemicals-are you even thinking about how dangerous this could be for people?"

Molly met her anger with a slow, dismissive lean,folding her arms and giving her a cold look. "You're making this way bigger than it actually is. The formula works. Patients actually feel relief, so what's the problem? And those so-called extra ingredients?Nobody's dropping dead. If there are any side effects,they're barely worth mentioning."

Verena clenched her jaw as her frustration reached a breaking point.

She straightened up and locked eyes with Molly, her voice cutting through the room as she put weight behind every word. "The review isn't even close to being finished. Do you really believe the pharmaceutical bureau is going to turn a blind eye?Are you seriously treating the entire approval process like it means nothing? A drug with this many issues won't slip through thecracks. Once it's submitted,their experts will tear it apart. And when that happens,we're not just looking at a failed launch. We're talking lawsuits, massive penalties, and damage the company might not recover from."

She fixed Molly with a cold smirk. "Do you really believe your little schemes are going to fool everyone?" A sly grin tugged at Molly's lips. "Fool people? I know exactly what I'm doing. I've got friends at the bureau,so I'm not worried."

The boldness of that statement left Verena stunned for a second. Then she let out a bitter laugh, her voice sharp with contempt. "You actually said that out loud?You're proud of breaking the law? You have guts, but you're risking everything-our patients, our reputation,and the whole company."

Unmoved, Molly just shrugged. "Risk? Come on. We're here to turn a profit, and the truth is, most folks out there won't notice a thing."

She spoke as if they were talking about the weather,her attitude completely relaxed.

For a moment, Verena could hardly believe the naivety in front of her.

Fixing Molly with an unwavering stare, she said, "You might think the average person won't catch on,but there are experts everywhere, and we're not the only pharmaceutical company in Ochrerayd. Our competitors are watching us. Whatever favors you think you can call in, they won't stand a chance when the authorities get involved. The moment this blows up, nobody will have your back, and the company's name will be dragged through the mud. Headquarters will be in chaos when the stocks take a hit because of your recklessness."

Even after hearing all this, Molly looked unconvinced,acting like Verena was turning a small issue into something much bigger than it really was.

She placed all her faith in the web of contacts she'd built, believing they could smooth over any obstacle.

With an impatient flick of her wrist, she asked, "So tell me, what's your big plan then?"

Without hesitation, Verena's answer was steady and direct. "Shut the project down. Right now."

That order was enough to send Molly flying to her feet,her face a mnask of shock.

"You can't be serious-the team's already put in so much work! Why would you pull the plug now?" Her voice cracked with urgency and disbelief. "Is this really about the company, or do you just want to throw your weight around? What about the effort the team has put into the project? Have you even thought about what this means for everyone involved?"

A sharp smack rang out as Verena's hand hit the desk,rattling papers and sending the coffee cup trembling across the surface.