"Ms. Williams!" Lewis called out as he ran up from behind.Sylvia halted and frowned upon seeing Lewis. "What's the matter?"Sylvia was somewhat repelled, especially by men who had a high opinion of themselves. Besides her and Eric's family, she maintained a cold and distant demeanor toward outsiders. She didn't even wish to exchange pleasantries with unfamiliar women, let alone men."I won't be here later—"Before Lewis could finish his sentence, Sylvia interjected, "What does it have to do with me?"With that, she turned and left.Even when interacting with the Williams and Innova employees, Sylvia always kept her distance, particularly from male employees.In her view, as a married woman, she should maintain a boundary with other men. Even if Lewis was outstanding, what difference did it make? She had equally capable friends, so befriending Lewis was unnecessary.Observing Sylvia ignore him and leave, Lewis clenched his fists. Besides his slightly superior medical skills, he

Everyone eagerly anticipated the news, especially Amelia, who understood Sylvia's struggles with conception. Although she would have been happy with either a boy or a girl, knowing the gender would bring peace of mind."Is everyone so concerned?" Eric's smile was infectious. "It's a girl!"A collective sigh of relief swept through the room.Henry joined in, his face beaming. "That's wonderful! Girls are cute and adorable and not as mischievous as boys. I prefer granddaughters!"Amelia was quick to challenge him, saying, "If it were a boy, you'd definitely say you prefer grandsons! When Sylvester, Brook, and Connor were born, you kept praising how good boys were! Have you forgotten how unhappy you were then?"Henry felt embarrassed under Amelia's direct scrutiny. "It's been so many years. Can we not bring it up anymore? Our family has a strong genetic predisposition for sons. It'd be a shame if we didn't have Sylvia, so granddaughters are great!"His words left Amelia unable to re

However, Eric still harbored doubts. It seemed entirely unnecessary for the Oberdeens to orchestrate such a scheme. If they truly possessed a cure, a modest amount of promotion would guarantee market demand. Not only Dortmund City and Salt City but also other cities would likely vie to procure it.Contemplating this, Eric stumbled upon a dilemma. It occurred to him that perhaps the Oberdeens had foreseen the outbreak and subsequent spread of the virus well in advance. They could be waiting for the number of infected individuals to reach a critical threshold before introducing the cure, thereby maximizing their profits.Eric even dared to entertain the notion that the Oberdeens might have deliberately instigated the virus in Dortmund City, as it would directly benefit them the most.Yet, uncertainties persisted. If indeed the Oberdeens were behind this, why would they risk introducing a cure so hastily? Such actions would undoubtedly arouse suspicion!Eric shook his head and headed

Grace put considerable effort into traveling to Salt City under the guise of a business trip.This marked Queenie's first encounter with Eric's family in King City. She had long been familiar with Grace's reputation. Among the major families of King City, Grace held even greater renown than Alexander.Naturally, some individuals looked down on Alexander. Despite being the eldest of the Montgomerys, he allowed a woman to manage the family business. However, Grace had proven herself adept at the task.Under Alexander's leadership, the Montgomerys might have maintained their position as a major family yet struggled to advance to the top-tier echelons.At present, the Montgomerys hovered between major and top-tier status, boasting substantial financial resources.There was also another scenario: had the Montgomerys entrusted Alexander with leadership, they might have descended to a second- or third-tier prominent family.Some admired Alexander's audacity—few among the prominent famil

Eric headed to the stadium immediately after seeing Grace off.Since the outbreak in Dortmund City, he hadn't experienced a single day of rest. However, a sense of relief washed over him as he recalled Winston's reassuring words from the previous day and the news that Amelia was no longer restricting Sylvia's diet.Around noon, Kirk paid him a visit. He took advantage of the lunch break and discussed matters with Eric as the hospital was sending over some items.During their conversation, the topic of the newly established laboratory at the hospital arose."I've heard that Dortmund City has also set up a laboratory and has made significant progress in virus research," Kirk mentioned, his gaze fixed on Eric. "Hol. Johnson, do you think our two laboratories can collaborate? Our advancements could be substantial with such a partnership."Eric, though amiable, understood the importance of discretion. The Dortmund laboratory, being personally funded by the Combat Department, dealt with