From His Wife to His Uncle's Wife novel Chapter 62

Since getting married, Eleanor hadn’t really interacted with other men. At work, everything was strictly business, and she wondered if other people acted like Max or if he was just an exception. The world said he was cold and out of reach, but every time she ran into him, he seemed a little mischievous, almost like he was playing a part only she could see through.

Still, it was true that Max had helped her more than once. Criticizing him didn’t really feel right.

...

In the Horizon Collective conference room, the mood was tense. Peter looked furious as he stared down the head of R&D for the first time in ages.

“We spent 9.4 billion on R&D in the first half of the year, up ten percent from last year, but our revenue actually dropped eight percent. Care to explain that?”

The department head looked frustrated. “Mr. Clarkson, the R&D costs were high, yes, but nearly half of it went into developing the recombinant protein drug. Now that the gene patent has been revoked, everything’s on hold.”

Peter’s eyelid twitched, and his chest felt tight. “So you’re telling me we just flushed 4.7 billion away?”

“You have two hundred people in your department. Are you saying not a single one of them can come up with a new patent?”

He was dangerously close to calling the whole team useless.

Jessie’s face turned pale. Peter’s words felt like a slap, especially since she was the one who’d squeezed Eleanor out for this role.

Jessie quickly spoke up. “Mr. Clarkson, I’ve been in touch with Dr. Bates at Stonemont College. He’s working on a new gene patent. If his application goes through, we could talk partnership and maybe recover some of our losses.”

Peter rubbed his forehead, trying to push away the headache. “Fine. Do it. That’s all. Meeting’s over.”

The second Peter left, the R&D folks shuffled out, looking defeated.

“Jessie, what’s with Mr. Clarkson today? He’s terrifying. My heart’s still racing,” someone grumbled.

Max grinned. “Dr. Bates, you’re teasing me. Compared to your setup at Stonemont College, this is nothing.”

“Enough with the sweet talk.”

Daniel Bates’s gene patent was already in high demand, even before the certificate had been issued. Tons of biotech companies were reaching out, and as it happened, the two biggest rivals both had the last name Clarkson.

Daniel glanced around, then paused when he spotted a woman in a white lab coat behind the glass. Her hair was tied back, showing off her smooth forehead, and though she wore a mask, her bright eyes gave her away instantly. Wasn’t she one of Tim’s students?

“Mr. Clarkson, is she part of your research team?” he asked.

The head of R&D jumped in with a friendly smile. “Yes, Dr. Bates. That’s Eleanor, one of our newest hires. She’s got a real knack for independent research and is already working on a new project.”