Chapter 7 No Point Saving Money
Everyone was busy speculating about Queenie’s relationship with Nathan and trying to figure out who she really was.
“Hi, Professor Emerson.” Sean Shaw, the head of the R&D Department, walked over.
Sean had also been at the dinner party yesterday, so Queenie knew him a bit.
Nathan said, “Mr. Shaw, I’ll leave Queenie in your hands.”
“No problem,” Sean answered promptly.
After giving his instructions, Nathan turned to Queenie, his tone softening. “If you need anything, call me.”
“Okay,” Queenie said with a nod.
Nathan had other matters to attend to, so he didn’t linger in the R&D Department. After giving his instructions, he left.
Sean personally helped Queenie set up her new desk. “Queenie, you’ll be working with Lab Team One from now on. They’re currently working on an anti-allergy drug. I’ll make sure they send you all the latest research data so you can get started right away.”
While Sean was a research-focused guy, he also knew how to navigate office dynamics. He wasn’t sure what Queenie could do, but since Nathan was keeping such a close watch on her, Sean wanted to ensure she was treated well.
Lab Team One was the top-performing team, and placing her with them showed how much Nathan valued her.
When Lab Team One heard that Queenie was joining, everyone had their own opinions. They looked at her with clear bias because of her looks, assuming she only got the job due to her appearance. Her mysterious background raised further doubts about her abilities.
“Leo, Queenie’s joining your team. Please send her the research data later and help her if she needs anything,” Sean said.
Leo Shaffer, the leader of Lab Team One, replied coolly, “Sure.”
He didn’t care about Queenie’s background. If she could handle the work, he would welcome her. But if she couldn’t, he would kick her out, no matter who she knew.
As soon as Sean and Leo left, the members of Lab Team One, along with a few from other teams, gathered around Queenie.
“Queenie, what’s your connection to Professor Emerson?” one person asked.
“You both have the same last name. Are you his sister?” another added.
Some of the bolder ones blurted out their questions.
Queenie smiled softly. “A lot of people have the same last name in Zenilia. I was Professor Emerson’s assistant for a year.” She kept her answer brief, not revealing much.
Seeing she didn’t want to discuss it, everyone took the hint and walked away.
It had been a while since Queenie had been around people, so she still felt a bit nervous. Once they had all left, she sighed in relief.
Just as she settled into her chair, Leo brought over some research data. “Here are the latest results from our current project. Look it over. We’ll have a meeting this afternoon to discuss the next steps.”
“Okay,” Queenie responded, taking the files.
Just as she was about to start reading, Sam Nelson, Nathan’s assistant, approached her with breakfast. “Ms. Emerson, Professor Emerson asked me to bring this to you.”
Nathan had noticed that Queenie rushed in without eating, so after leaving the R&D Department, he told Sam to buy something for her.
Queenie hesitated for a moment, surprised, and she accepted it. “Thanks,” she said.
Watching Sam bring her breakfast in person only strengthened the R&D Department’s belief that Queenie was depending on her looks. However, with Nathan in her corner, they weren’t foolish enough to cross her. Instead, they simply treated her as if she were invisible.
Queenie didn’t care what they thought. After finishing her breakfast, she dove into her work, reminding herself.
*****
Queenie spent the entire morning going over the data Leo had given her.
After lunch, she added some notes. When she got the notice about the afternoon meeting, she joined her teammates on Lab Team One, and they all headed to the conference room together.
The meeting focused on developing the anti-allergy drug, and things got heated right from the start.
Queenie stayed quiet, listening as everyone shared their opinions. By the time the meeting was halfway through, no one had come to any agreement.
“Leo, can I say something?” Queenie finally spoke up.
Immediately, all eyes were on her. Some looked skeptical, while others seemed eager for drama, and a few were truly curious about what she had to say.
Leo nodded. “Sure, go ahead.”
“Okay,” Queenie replied, opening her notes. “I went through the data you gave me this morning, and honestly, I think we can’t move forward because we made a mistake from the start.”
As soon as she said that, the room buzzed with chatter.
If she wanted to convince them, Queenie needed solid evidence. She pointed out several mistakes in the data and shared her interpretation of the issues.
After she finished, Leo looked genuinely surprised. His view of her changed completely.
“You actually reviewed all the data I gave you this morning?” Leo asked, still in shock. Not only had she read it, but she had also highlighted the problems and taken notes.
“Yes,” Queenie replied with a nod.
Leo looked at her with newfound respect. It would have taken him a full day to go through all that data, but Queenie managed it in just half a day.
The rest of Lab Team One began to see her differently. The “pretty face” stereotype quickly faded, and they started discussing the project with her.
Queenie shared her insights, and everyone agreed to begin a new experiment the next day.
*****
By the time they left the conference room, it was already time to clock out.
Nathan texted Queenie to let her know he was waiting in the parking garage and that she could come down whenever she was ready.
Queenie packed her things, said goodbye to her coworkers, and headed down to the garage.
Nathan’s car was parked right at the entrance.
Queenie got in.
“So, how was your first day? Are you getting used to everything?” Nathan asked.
Queenie nodded. “Yeah, it’s actually easier than I thought it would be. I’m settling in pretty well.” After all, it had been seven years since she’d dealt with anyone besides the Melendez family.
Nathan grinned. “See? I knew you’d be fine. Who are you? You’re my sister!”
Queenie laughed, unable to hold it back.
*****
As soon as Nathan walked into a dealership with Queenie, he quickly spotted a pink supercar.
“Queenie, what do you think? I think it suits you a lot. Didn’t you use to love supercars? Why not go for this one?” he asked.
Queenie looked at it and shook her head. “That’s way too flashy. I need something for commuting. I don’t want all that attention.” She pointed to a regular BMW. “This one is much better.”
Nathan glanced at the price tag, which said 300 thousand dollars, and frowned. “Isn’t that a bit plain? Back home, you never drove anything under 10 million. No need to save money, Queenie. I’ll buy it for you.”
“Nathan, you’re missing the point. It’s not about saving money. I think differently now. I really don’t need anything fancy. This one is good, low-key and perfect for getting to work,” Queenie replied.
Seeing that Queenie was set on her choice, Nathan didn’t argue. He respected her decision. “Swipe the card,” he said, handing a card to the salesperson.
But Queenie took Nathan’s card back and offered her own. “Nathan, I’ll pay for it myself.”
Nathan looked at her, ready to say something.
Queenie smiled and said calmly, “If I don’t spend the money, someone else will, right?”
Nathan chuckled and put his card away.
