"She's a glorified coffee runner who put on a lab coat."
"She is a senior researcher," Harrison said, his voice cooling several degrees, "hired through the proper process, with results on her first day that justify every step of it. If you have a formal complaint, take it upstairs. I'm done with this conversation."
Serena stared at him. He had already turned back to his screen.
She left.
The executive elevator up to the top floor felt too slow. She stepped into Phineas's outer office, told his assistant it was urgent, and was waved through before she could second-guess herself.
Phineas was standing at the window with a document in his hand. He didn't turn around when she walked in.
"I want to talk about the new researcher in Bio-Tech," Serena said.
He turned then. His eyes were alre
