Chapter 476
Mirabella eyed Vincent with a mix of amusement and Impatience as he hemmed and hawed before her, a far cry from the unflappable, straight–shooting guy she was used to. “Spit it out, Vince,” she urged, cutting through the awkward silence.
Vincent leaned back against the corridor’s railing, drawing out another minute of silence before he got to the point. “My grandpa… he wants to take you on as an apprentice.”
A twitch tugged at the comer of Mirabella’s mouth. That stubborn old Donald hadn’t given up on the idea?
Clearing his throat, Vincent, now sounding almost sheepish, which was rare for him, added, “You don’t have to feel pressured. Just… give it some thought, okay?”
Mirabella was silent for a moment before replying, “I got it. I’ll have a chat with your grandpa and set things straight.”
“Alright, I’ll see you later tonight,” Vincent said, and with one last lingering glance at her, he was gone.
Mirabella headed back to class, barely settling into her seat when her phone buzzed from within her pocket. Pulling it out, she saw it was a message from Adler on Messenger.
[Hey boss, did you get my message last night? If not, I can resend it.]
Adler had been waiting for a response since the morning, plus through the lunch break at Parkside High School, and it was only now, with a bit of chagrin, that he reached out again.
He then copied and pasted his previous message, [Boss, any insights? How can we make this data seem a bit more ‘up to snuff?], and hit send again.
Quick as a flash, Mirabella texted back. [No insights.]
Adler. [Seriously, I could use your help.]
Mirabella leaned on her desk, her eyes half–closed as she pondered, then straightened up and typed. [Have you guys cracked the viral vector yet?]
Adler’s gaze shifted to the sealed lab that had been his world for nearly fifteen hours straight, a heavy look in his eyes. He quickly typed back. [Not yet…] Though they were close, he didn’t have the heart to say so.
Mirabella had a hunch. After a brief pause, she rifled through her desk drawer, pulling out a piece of paper with a simplistic list of steps scribbled on it–her work from the previous night.
She snapped a photo with her phone and sent it to Adler. [You can use this
When Adler opened the image Mirabella had sent, he zoomed in, and his a reference. No guarantees, though.]
even take the time to reply before darting off to the break room.
face transformed from shock to elation so swiftly. He didn’t
There, with the printer humming to life, he printed the photo and then settled into a chair with pen and paper from the drawer, diving into calculations.
Half an hour later, Adler dropped his pen, his unkempt appearance mirroring the stunned expression that took a while to fade as he emerged from the depths of the data.
Three years of grappling with the RO strain had yielded nothing for their research institute. The synthesis of the viral vector was notoriously complex.
When some in the institute proposed radical methods for the experiment, Adler, ever the conscientious scientist, disapproved and sought Mirabella’s help instead.
Taking a deep breath, Adler couldn’t help but marvel at her brilliance. Despite her youth, Mirabella’s prodigious talent was leagues beyond his own–her insights had completely clarified what had baffled him for two days. This wasn’t just exceptional; it was downright otherworldly.
Adler wiped his face, reminding himself that comparing oneself to others could be a frightful thing.
Shaking off his reverie, he grabbed the papers from the desk and made a beeline for the lab, ignoring the curious glances from his colleagues as he punched in the code and made his way inside the lab with a newfound determination.
