Xaviera’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Oh? My Sissy is priceless too. If you bow to it and promise to mourn for seven days and nights, maybe I’ll consider giving you back this so-called treasure.”
I refused to waste another word on her and lunged forward, trying to snatch it away.
Xaviera’s eyes flared with rage. “You dare try to grab it?!”
She spun and tossed the tube to Zack. As I rushed toward him, Zack casually lobbed it back to her.
I stumbled frantically between them, back and forth, not even noticing the curtain slipping dangerously from my body.
With malice in her eyes, Xaviera stretched out her foot and pressed down on it. The curtain slid away in an instant.
“Ah!” A sharp cry escaped me. Realization hit and my cheeks flamed with shame. Tears stung my eyes.
Xaviera, having enjoyed my humiliation long enough, suddenly raised her hand high, then let go.
The glass tube shattered with a crisp crack, blue liquid spilling across the floor. Three years of painstaking work, gone in an instant.
“Oops!” Xaviera covered her mouth in mock surprise. “Sorry, my hand slipped.”
I collapsed to the ground, eyes burning red as I stared at the fragments, a heart-wrenching cry tearing from my throat.
Xaviera only covered her ears with impatience, lips curling in disdain. “What are you screaming for? Think you’re loud enough to sing soprano at the welcome ceremony? Don’t flatter yourself.”
Professor Laird smirked and came over, nudging me with her toe. “Don’t play dead! Weren’t you loud just a moment ago?”
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway.
The dean’s respectful voice followed. “This is the laboratory donated by your group. We built it specifically for Heidi. In fact, this entire building was designed for this lab, to ensure she has top-tier experimental resources.”
“Why are there so many people here?” the dean asked, puzzled.
But when his eyes fell on the scene inside, his expression froze in horror. “What’s going on?!”
I slowly lifted my head. The dean and the Bulwark Group representative both caught sight of my face. “Heidi?!”
