[This chapter is dedicated to Chereta_Braddock. Your support for our story is greatly appreciated. I can't thank you enough.]

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Jess had no time to retouch her makeup again. Not even reapplied her lipstick. She got out of Noah's car and without looking back headed to the elevator.

She knew Noah waited for her to enter the elevator because she didn't hear a car drive by as she waited for the elevator.

She glanced at her wristwatch when she stepped inside the elevator, the time now is ten minutes before two. She looked up at the red lights on top of the elevator door and silently urged it to hurry.

She closed her eyes and prayed that Dr. Sison wasn't in the office yet. She scolded herself that she didn't set an alarm for one o'clock. She should know better. She can't be late for the orientation because she was the only intern that would join as Dr. Sison's assistant. The rest of the team were all senior researchers.

If she is late, they will have a negative impression of her. And she doesn't want that to happen. It was already difficult for her to get used to the fact that Dr. Sison chose an intern like her to be her assistant.

She exhaled a relieved sigh when she entered the lab and saw Luke. "Is Dr. Sison already in her office?" she grabbed Luke's elbow, still gasping for breath as she ran the short distance from the elevator to the lab.

"No. She wasn't in yet. And the other researchers were at the canteen. I overheard them talking about Dr. Sison running late."

"Oh, thank god!" Relief washed over her body from what she heard from Luke.

"Where have you been? Don't tell me you just arrived?" He gave her a reprimanding look after glancing around the room.

He pulled her in the direction of Dr. Sison's office. "Stay here and pretend that you were busy doing something and not running late because you went to the big boss's office."

"Why?" Her relief was replaced with worry when she saw Luke's anxious behavior.

"You have to be careful. I was with the team that would join Dr. Sison in India and you have to be careful with one of them. A guy named Patrick. He has a lot of opinions about the 'pretty face' that Dr. Sison chose to be her assistant. Apparently, last year he showed interest in wanting to be Dr. Sison's assistant but he was rejected. And from what I heard, with the way he talks, he was still sour-graping about being rejected. Be careful!"

"Thanks for the heads up," she patted Luke's arm.

"I have to return to my microbes. Those babies have to be taken care of."

"Okay, thanks." She entered Dr. Sison's office to act as if she has been cooped up in the office all morning just as Luke suggested.

While she was glad that Dr. Sison was running late, therefore the orientation was delayed, she felt a little concerned about what Luke said that someone from the team had already formed a negative opinion of her.

If she wasn't thinking of Noah, she wouldn't give a shit about other people's opinions, but she doesn't want Noah to be dragged into it. She is used to people giving her shit just because they don't like her attitude. And she's okay with it, but she doesn't want Noah to get a bad reputation because of her.

She was still thinking about those things while she was making herself some coffee. As she was pouring herself a cup of black coffee she got startled when she heard Dr. Sison's voice.

"Jessica, pour me a cup too."

"Good afternoon, Dr. Sison." She greeted the old woman, getting her quirky mug to pour her a cup of coffee. It was a good thing she made a lot because she was planning to bury herself in reading before the orientation, but now she can't do that anymore.

Dr. Sison is already here.

She carried Dr. Sison's coffee to her table and put it down gently. She was about to return to the inner office to have her coffee when Dr. Sison asked her to have her coffee with her.

She quietly sat down on the chair in front of Dr. Sison's desk and they sipped their coffee in silence. When Dr. Sison was done with her cup, she smiled at her, and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I can be," she chuckled lightly. She knew to herself that she wasn't ready. She reads as much as she can. Studying all the research that was on Dr. Sison's files but she never felt ready. Her greatest fear was that she would mess up, and Dr. Sison would regret choosing her.

"Don't fret, Jessica. You'll do fine." She smiled reassuringly as though she read her mind.

She smiled because she has no words to say.

"Let's go. The orientation would be in one of the meeting rooms on the third floor."

Jess grabbed her laptop and followed Dr. Sison. As usual, the old woman was her energetic self. She had a lot of stories about her day and Jess nodded as she quietly listened to her story.

They didn't take the elevator for Dr. Sison wanted to exercise because she was so busy that she wasn't able to do her yoga.

Listening to Dr. Sison's rambling, Jess realized that her mentor has a busier and healthier lifestyle than her. Dr. Sison's exercise while she didn't even bother. She used to attend a dojo but nowadays she doesn't feel like going. Maybe she should go back to it.

Dr. Sison continued her story, but she only listened to her with one ear as part of her brain also daydreamed of going back to the dojo. She was thinking if she should contact her old instructor - Moler.

When she entered the room where orientation would take place, she did not pay attention to any of the people in the room.

She simply followed Dr. Sison and sat in the chair on her right. As soon as she sat down, the hair of her arms stood up when her nose was assaulted with a familiar scent.