At this moment, though, everyone's attention was on lan-no one noticed what Eleanor was doing.

lan's unexpected arrival had thrown Roland's team off balance. Even Roland, who just moments ago looked composed and confident, now wore a trace of awkwardness and tension.

Despite his youth, lan's wealth spoke for itself, and combined with that commanding presence of his, authority seemed to radiate from him without effort.

Jude Vaughn, whose usual calm hid a simmering anger today, managed to steady himself and addressed Roland. "Mr. Yeaton, regarding the issue I mentioned this afternoon-do you have any suggestions or thoughts on how we should

proceed?"

Roland sighed, frustration flickering across his face. "I'm truly sorry for the situation we've found ourselves in. I constantly remind my team how crucial it is to ensure rigorous product inspections, yet mistakes slipped through in the rush. I can only apologize for the trouble this has caused your lab."

Eleanor gave a silent, cynical laugh. Roland put on a convincing show, but incidents like this wouldn't happen without his approval. Did he really expect anyone to believe his staff would act so recklessly on their own?

He turned to Eleanor then, wearing a look of gratitude. "It's thanks to Miss Sutton's sharp eye that we caught the problem in time and could sit down together to find a solution."

Eleanor held up her tablet. "I've documented several faulty instruments we've discovered so far. I think everyone should have a look."

She handed a USB drive to her assistant. "Could you play this for us?"

The assistant hesitated, but after catching a subtle signal from Roland, she took the drive and plugged it into the laptop.

Eleanor took the computer, opened the files, and pulled up the issues she'd found earlier that afternoon.

She went through each problem methodically, laying out her findings one by one. By the time she finished detailing the faults in over a dozen machines, Roland's face had flushed red with embarrassment. His staff looked even worse, beads of cold sweat gathering as Eleanor's sharp words left no room for excuses.

She didn't just point out the flaws—she laid out the serious consequences that would follow if nothing was done.

When she finished, Eleanor looked across the table at lan. Their eyes met suddenly; his gaze flickered, and his expression grew stern as he swept his eyes toward Roland's team. "You all heard Miss Sutton. I don't need to spell out how serious this is."

Roland was quick to chime in, nodding eagerly. "Absolutely. Miss Sutton's insights are invaluable for helping us improve. We welcome her guidance and will take her recommendations seriously."

Eleanor unplugged the USB, handed the laptop back to the assistant, and addressed the room. "I've pointed out the problems. Fixing them is down to you."

All eyes turned to her. Though Eleanor was a brilliant researcher, she was still young; most of the people in the room were senior executives at Yeaton Holdings. Her bluntness could easily be read as disrespect.

But Eleanor's face showed no sign of wanting to please anyone. There was a cool, clear independence in her expression-one that didn't flatter or fawn.

"Eleanor is our most outstanding medical researcher," Jude Vaughn said, his tone grave. "I urge you to take her concerns seriously and correct these issues. This lab is a major project, funded by Mr. Goodwin and strongly supported by the city. The public is watching. The future of medical research is at stake. We cannot afford a single mistake."

Eleanor took a sip from her water bottle and set it aside, glancing at the stack of equipment reports in front of her. She idly flipped through the pages.

Roland immediately launched into a long-winded, polished speech about his commitment to improvement.

lan, meanwhile, stayed silent and listened, making no move to interrupt.

Then, quietly, he reached out and picked up a bottle of water, twisting off the cap and taking a drink as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Roland's assistant, who had been watching him closely, suddenly realized the bottle lan held was the very same one Eleanor had just used. For a brief moment, she was utterly stunned.