Did he forget to ask something? Ethan wondered. The drumming didn't stop yet. He desperately tried to recall. Then a thought flashed in his mind. The cause of his boss's weird behavior is his interest on Ms. Diana Winchester.
Ethan cleared his throat.
"Mr. Cook, if you don't mind me asking, how does Hopton Research Institute take care of its employees?" His voice was nonchalant as if he was only asking it just to make conversation.
"Eh? Our employees are being well-guided. Our Institute provides plenty of benefits and is for the employee's career advancement." Bryan sang praises for his company. 'He's probably checking if our institute is in alignment with their institute's ideals.'
"I see. That's good to know. I heard that your Institute has recently accepted a new intern?" Ethan asked, drinking a few sips of water. Lucas's drumming stopped.
Bryan and Clara were shocked at this, even more so for Bryan. 'It couldn't be that Diana's mistake from yesterday has already been leaked so fast, even reaching to outsider's ears?'
'Damn it.' He cursed in his head. He could strangle Diana if she was in front of him now. 'This is all her fault!'
Bryan gritted his teeth and clenched his fist and the other clamped on Clara's thigh, causing her to wince.
Everything was going well. It can't be that because of Diana's mistake, they will not invest, right? Diana is only an intern anyway. They can always fire her. Then, they rest assured that Hopton Research Institute only has professionals in the field.
"Yes. We do. I believe she won't be staying in our workplace for long though." Bryan stated. On the side, Clara smiled victoriously. Seems like her generosity towards Bryan was worth it.
Ethan was surprised. Usually, interns will try to stay longer in their job in order to gain more experience. He wondered why her stay was shorter than usual. 'Did something happen? Well, if she quit there then it would be easier to bring her over.'
"Oh? Why is that? Is the environment not suitable?" Ethan asked, tapping his nail against the glass.
"Not at all. The Institute is very suitable for interns who are eager to learn and prove that they are the best in our field." Bryan said confidently.
"Now you got me curious, I've heard that the intern is a Top notcher this year. I would expect for her to be very eager to prove herself as a professional, don't you think?" Ethan asked, slyly.
"Tch. She probably gained a lot of favors that's why she got what she has up until now." Clara huffed, tilting her head to the side, an eyebrow raised.
The atmosphere in the restaurant suddenly became cold, even Clara's hair on her body stood up. She rubbed her arms.
"Are you okay?" Bryan asked. He was going to reprimand Clara later for revealing Diana's circumstances. But when he noticed that she was feeling cold, he forgot his earlier disappointment and just took off his suit and put it on her.
This did not go unnoticed by Ethan. This was not a normal relationship between workers.
Bryan sighed. "It's like this Mr. Taylor. The Intern made a grave mistake yesterday, causing multiple errors that could potentially endanger lives. Fortunately, our colleague here, Clara, was able to help out. Ms. Diana Winchester's reputation is not favorable in our Institute and in the Hospital now. That is why I said that she might not work there for long."
Bryan finally revealed the intern's name. This is like nails in the coffin. There's no going back now. Once Diana's name is out and is associated with a grave mistake made, her reputation would surely be tarnished. A top facility like Forrest Research Institute will definitely avoid such workers, and with them having a hand in most laboratories, it will be hard for Diana to look for another job once she loses this one.
This was Clara's objective. To destroy Diana's reputation so she won't be able to compete with Clara in terms of beauty, brains, skills, and status.
Lucas slammed his empty glass on the table in anger. He had tried to cool down his fury by drinking water. The glass is already empty but his anger has not subsided.
Ethan heard this. He almost jumped in his seat but tried his best to keep his composure.
"I see." He glanced at his watch, pretending to look at the time. "Anyway, thank you for meeting me today. I will get back to
you as soon as the President makes his decision."
Bidding farewell, Ethan left the restaurant and looked for Kyle.
"Whew. That was nerve-wracking. I was really worried that their decision will be influenced just because of Diana. Damn it. How did others know about her already?" Bryan rubbed his face.
"It's alright. At least because of what you said, they'll know that we don't tolerate mistakes like that." Clara comforted him, caressing his thighs.
Bryan's mood perked up immediately.
"Mmmn--you're right. I should tell HR to fire her soon." Bryan nuzzles his head against her neck, breathing in her scent. Clara shivered, turned on by his act in public.
"That's a great idea. You're so smart, Bryan." Clara cooed, letting Bryan bury his face on her chest. Their booth was in a secluded area so she was not at all too worried about being seen. They could flirt as much as they want and people won't notice. "Hmm--I think you're forgetting that we're supposed to have dinner."
Bryan lifted his head. "You're right. But first, let's go to a hotel. Here's my card. Pay for the drinks for me. I'll go get the car. Meet you out front."
When Bryan left, Clara signaled to the waiter that she was ready to pay the bill.
"Oh. Clara. You're so devious. But so smart. Tampering those specimens was enough to destroy Diana. That will teach her to stay in her place." Clara muttered, chuckling.
After paying, she got up and left, meeting up with Bryan. She didn't take notice of the man sitting in the other booth, only that the atmosphere became significantly colder.
Lucas's eyes were downcast. Tapping on the table, he stared at his phone, showing the Recording App.