[This chapter is dedicated to Roberta_Perkins for being the new top 2 fan of our book. Thank you so much for the support.]

---

She stood stiffly next to Luke as the head of the research team they belong to finally showed up in the laboratory. She tried not to grimace with the pounding pain in her temple due to a hangover.

She got a terrible hangover from last night because she and Luke drank different kinds of alcohol. Drinking brandy then champagne and then tequila was asking for death. She wished this head researcher would finish talking since she badly needed to use the restroom.

"Miss Zimmerman,"

"Yes, Dr. Sison?"

"Follow me in my office," she shifted her gaze to Luke, "You will be working with Lim."

"Yes, ma'am." he turned his head to look at Lim. He's a Chinese guy and the newest member of the team. He wished he was paired up with a senior member but he can't choose since they are just an intern.

"That's all. You may all go back to your tasks," she clasped her hands behind her back and turned around, "Miss Zimmerman," she called her before she left the floor.

Jess quickly gave Luke a small wave of goodbye and followed Dr. Sison to her office at the inner part of the laboratory.

Dr. Sison is a stout woman in her fifties. She is wearing thick rim black eyeglasses. Jess likes her because she has a strict expression on her face, and she reminded her of her grandmother.

They walked the narrow hallway until the end to the rooms that were used as offices. One of the rooms was Dr. Sison's office, the one on the right was for the senior researcher of the team, the other room next to it was a file room.

There is another small room next to the file room which the other team members use as a sleeping quarter. She knew all of those rooms because, on their first day, Lim toured them not just in their laboratory but with these private rooms.

She saw the sleeping quarter because Lim was proud of that room since the other team doesn't have their own sleeping area, except for the sleeping area located on the third floor, where everyone in the building has access.

She smiled and acted amaze with their private sleeping room, but at the back of her mind, she would never lie down on those beds where everyone sleeps. She would rather sleep in her car.

But, she smiled and pretended to be excited because she doesn't want to be called a snob.

"Sit down, Miss Zimmerman."

Dr. Sison's voice jolted Jess from her thoughts. She scanned the room and the corner of her lips twitched. There were mountains of papers on every surface of the room. She looked down and there were folders on the floor.

She grimaced inwardly, thinking where does Dr. Sison wanted her to sit down? She picked up the folder and added it to the pile of folders that was sitting on the chair in front of her desk.

"You don't like papers?" Dr. Sison chuckled.

Jess glanced up, surprised that the old woman could laugh in such a jolly manner. She saw her standing with her back to her, making coffee in a small coffee area under a window at the far right corner of the room.

"I like papers," she replied in a small voice. She wondered if she was called here to file documents. That would be such a bummer, she thought.

"I need someone to work on my files…"

Jess sighed and thought 'Oh my god, I was right.'

"...Miss Zimmerman, what do you think of working under me?"

"Excuse me?" She was stunned by what she heard. "I mean, I'm sorry, but...you mean," she stupidly pointed to her face, "...you want me to work as…" she was lost for words.

She wanted to ask if Dr. Sison wanted her to work as her assistant. But that would be so presumptuous. She was just an intern! Dr. Sison is the head of their research team and she heard from Lim that Dr. Sison was also a member of the research committee of ANAT.

Thus, she was the one who was sent to India for the plant and the laboratory that ANAT was going to acquire as part of the expansion of the company.

"I want you to work as my assistant."

The coffee was bubbling on the coffee maker and the aromatic smell of coffee permeated the small room, but Jess was standing rooted on the floor with her mouth agape.

She couldn't believe what she heard! She would be working directly under the head researcher of their team. She wanted to scream and call Dana and Ellise.

And then, a small part of her brain was thinking, 'Does Noah have something to do with Dr. Sison choosing her?'

"But why me? If you don't mind me asking," she said in a hesitant voice. When she saw Dr. Sison arching her brow, she added, "I mean, I'm just an intern...I'm sure there are more suitable for the position…"

"You don't want it?"

"Yes! I mean, no I want it. I want it so much but it was just so overwhelming to be offered such a position. I'm not sure if I deserved it." she smiled awkwardly when she saw the crease on Dr. Sison's eyebrows.

"Get yourself a paper cup, over there," she said, whilst pouring herself coffee on a funny-looking mug. "You can bring your own mug if you accept my proposition."

Jess did what she was told and followed Dr. Sison when she disappeared to the wall behind her office chair.

She was surprised to see a cozy receiving area behind the wall. The whole wall of the room is bookshelves full of leather-bound books. The small room has an overhead window that bathes the room with abundant natural light.

There were two armchairs and a small divan around a small glass coffee table.

"Sit down, Miss Zimmerman, and let's talk."

She sat down on one of the armchairs. Dr. Sison sat across from her on the divan with her eyes fixed on her as she held her paper cup.

Jess never felt so intimidated her whole life.

"I have read your research study from your uni. No wonder you were chosen in the hundreds of applicants that ANAT received. But I am not asking you to be my assistant because of that…" she stopped to sip her coffee.

Jess couldn't help but squirm on her seat. The pounding in her temple was gone and the need to use the bathroom was forgotten.

However, sitting here with Dr. Sison made her heart pound in excitement.

"I saw your notes," she said, putting her funny-looking mug on the coffee table. She picked up a thin folder that was on the side table next to a tall reading lamp. "This," she said.

Jess looked at the folder that Dr. Sison pushed in front of her. She gently put down the paper cup that she was clutching in her hand and picked up the folder.

She looked at Dr. Sison, and when she nodded, she opened the folder in her hands. She saw her familiar scrawling on the documents.

It was one of the papers that were given to them to read on their orientation. They found it strange at that time why they were given such random research study to read with just an instruction to read the file and note down their thoughts about it.

She followed the instructions, and she could see her notes of the files that she read at that time. She wondered why Dr. Sison has it.

"Miss Zimmerman, why do you think some information was missing in that research?"

Dr. Sison picked up her funny-looking mug again, asking in such a serious tone that Jess felt like she was being tested.

She flipped the pages of the notes and heaved a deep sigh. She wondered if she should be honest with Dr. Sison. She asked Oliver and Luke about it before, and they said they just do the usual noting down on the paper and nothing else.

They said it was just the usual research paper, and they were just probably testing if they knew how to put notes on the paper, which Jess found strange. Every student learns how to put a note on research papers. It was common knowledge. Why are they being tested on that?

"When they gave this to us," she shook and put down the folder she was holding, "we were told to just put our notes on it based on what we read. But, this file at first glance, seems like just a random study from one of the file cabinets, yet, when I read it, the research was incomplete. Like some part of it was taken out."

"A lot of researchers here read that file. None of them saw what you saw." she smiled. "And that's the reason why I am offering you the position to work as my assistant -- if you want it."