Chapter 4

Ayla Warner POV:

My gaze locked onto Ashley Riddle as she sauntered into my desecrated lab, her smile sickeningly sweet, the tray of donuts a grotesque offering. My lab. My sanctuary. Now her playground.

"Ashley," I said, my voice low, dangerously calm. "Get out."

Her smile faltered slightly, but quickly recovered. "Dr. Warner! I was just bringing some snacks. Craig thought everyone could use a pick-me-up." She gestured grandly with the tray.

"This is a sterile environment, Ashley," I responded, my words clipped. "Food is strictly prohibited. You know that. It contaminates the workspace."

She paused, feigning surprise. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn' t realize!" Her eyes widened innocently, but I saw the malicious glint beneath the facade. Then, with a theatrical gasp, she stumbled, her tray tilting precariously.

The donuts, coffee, and sugary crumbs cascaded down, splashing directly onto my pristine lab coat. Her hand, in a clumsy attempt to "steady" herself, brushed my arm. It wasn't an accident. I felt the deliberate brush, the subtle smear of sticky sweetness.

A collective gasp echoed from my remaining lab staff. Maria rushed forward, a look of horror on her face.

Ashley immediately burst into tears, her face crumbling into a mask of distress. "Oh my god! I'm so, so sorry, Dr. Warner! I'm such a klutz! Let me help you clean that!" She reached out, her hand sticky with glaze.

"Don't touch me," I snarled, pulling back sharply. "Just get out, Ashley. Now. Before I do something I regret."

Before she could respond, the lab door swung open again, and Craig strode in, his face a thundercloud. He took in the scene – Ashley, crying, me, covered in coffee and donut bits.

"What is going on here, Ayla?" he demanded, his voice a dangerous growl. He grabbed my arm, his grip bruising. "Why are you always tormenting her?"

My arm throbbed, a familiar pain now. "She did this on purpose, Craig! She contaminated the lab and ruined my coat!"

He barely glanced at the mess. His eyes were fixed on Ashley, who was now sobbing dramatically. He scooped her into his arms, cradling her head against his chest. "My poor girl," he murmured, glaring at me over her shoulder. "You're always so cruel to her, Ayla."

He then turned to my stunned team. "Listen up, everyone. Ashley Riddle is now officially joining the lab as a senior research fellow. Effective immediately. And anyone who has a problem with that can just pack their bags."

My blood ran cold. This was his twisted revenge. To force me to work with the woman who destroyed my life.

I felt a crack inside me, a final fissure in the last vestiges of my heart. The memory of our baby, the pain of the miscarriage, the total annihilation of my work – it all coalesced into a cold, hard resolve. Craig was truly lost.

"Fine," I said, my voice eerily calm. "If Ashley is a 'senior research fellow,' then she can clean up her mess. And if she's so brilliant, she can tell you exactly how much this contamination will cost to sterilize and reset the entire lab. This is a level 3 bio-containment facility, Craig. Her little 'accident' just cost you a fortune."

Ashley, still nestled in Craig' s arms, sniffled. "It was just a few donuts, Craig. She's exaggerating."

"Is she?" I challenged, my eyes boring into Craig. "Or is your new 'senior researcher' just too ignorant to understand basic lab protocols? Go on, Ashley. Tell him the cost. Or should I get the accountants to draw up the bill?"

Craig frowned, looking at Ashley. There was a brief flicker of doubt in his eyes.

Ashley, sensing his uncertainty, quickly recovered. She squirmed out of his arms, wiping her eyes. "I'll clean it up," she declared, grabbing a paper towel. She then deliberately swiped it across a sensitive diagnostic instrument, knocking it askew.

A shrill alarm blared through the lab. Red lights flashed. The delicate hum of the machinery died down to an ominous silence. Maria cried out, "No! The spectral analyzer! She just disconnected the power mid-run!"

The lab descended into chaos. My researchers rushed to stabilize their experiments, their faces pale with panic. One of them, Dr. Chen, a brilliant young microbiologist, reached for a delicate sample to secure it. In his haste, he accidentally bumped into Ashley.

Ashley shrieked, dramatically throwing herself backward. She crashed into a display case, sending shards of glass and preserved specimens scattering across the floor. She lay amidst the glittering debris, sobbing hysterically.

"He pushed me! He pushed me down! He broke everything!" Ashley wailed, pointing a trembling finger at Dr. Chen.

Craig's face turned beet red. He rushed to Ashley's side, scooping her up as if she were made of glass. He glared at Dr. Chen, his eyes blazing. "You're fired!" he roared. "Get out of my lab! You lay a hand on Ashley again, and I'll make sure you never work in this field again!"

"Craig, no!" I stepped forward, putting myself between him and Dr. Chen. "He didn't push her! She threw herself! And she just destroyed critical equipment! Not to mention contaminating the entire facility!"

Craig shoved me backward. "Don't you dare defend him, Ayla! You're just jealous! You can't stand that Ashley is here, contributing! You're always trying to undermine her!" He tightened his arm around Ashley. "I'm so incredibly disappointed in you, Ayla."

"Disappointed?" My voice was raw with disbelief. "You're punishing my team, Craig! You're destroying years of research based on the lies of an incompetent, malicious intern! Have you lost your mind?"

"I've lost nothing!" he countered, his voice booming. "You will pay for all the damage, Ayla! Every single cent! And if I hear one more word about you 'targeting' Ashley, you'll regret it even more!"

"Targeting Ashley?" My laugh was mirthless. "This isn't about targeting her, Craig! This is about the integrity of scientific research! This is about finding a cure for a devastating disease! Don't you care about that anymore?"

He rolled his eyes, adjusting Ashley in his arms. "Oh, save the dramatics, Ayla. It's just a lab. We can rebuild. What's important is Ashley's well-being. She's clearly distressed because of your constant attacks."

Ashley, still whimpering, looked up at Craig. "I... I don't blame her," she said, her voice faint. "She's just stressed. But my poor donuts... they're all ruined." A fresh wave of tears flowed.

Craig' s face hardened further. He turned to one of the burly security guards he'd brought in. "Make sure every scientist in this room eats one of those ruined donuts. Every single one. And if they refuse, they're fired."

My team exchanged horrified glances. One young intern, tears streaming down her face, picked up a soggy, coffee-soaked donut.

"Craig, you can't do this!" I cried, trying to intervene. But the security guards immediately stepped in, blocking my path.

Ashley, relishing the scene, caught my eye. A smug, triumphant smile spread across her face. She mouthed two words: "You lose."

A hot, searing anger, fueled by grief and utter disgust, coursed through me. I didn't think. I just acted. I kicked the security guard closest to me, hard, in the shin. He grunted, stumbling back.

Then, I grabbed a handful of the ruined donuts and flung them, with all my might, directly at Ashley's face.

"Eat them yourself, you parasite!" I screamed.

Ashley shrieked, covered in sticky glaze and crumbs. Craig, momentarily stunned, reacted instantly.

"Grab her!" he roared, his face contorted in a mask of pure rage. "Now!"