Page 26 of Petals and Fangs

“There are too many things that can go wrong tonight. It might be anything,” I say, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

“What did the security guard tell you?”

“He says that some girl is too drunk to leave the premises. She is creating a ruckus, refusing to pay her bill, and now she is threatening the staff with a bottle.”

“Jesus Christ,” Nick mutters.

“Exactly.”

“Well, at least it is not what I thought. Things like that happen in nightclubs all the time, Ethan. It is part of nightlife.”

“Not in my club. Let's make this quick. I must leave soon take care of it,” I take the last sip of my drink and switch my attention back to Perry, my attorney.

“Ah, yes. The FDA,” Perry groans.

“How serious is it this time, Perry?”

“They have filed an injunction against your product. They claim that there is not enough evidence that the product is safe.”

“The FDA is a joke. They don't know the purpose of this company,” I snap, my frustration growing.

“The thing is, Perry, we know our customers by heart. We know their needs, and what they want. And we deliver. We doubt whoever is misusing our products is one of us,” Nick says.

“That's not what the FDA thinks. Your latest drug, Lamilofen, still needs FDA approval. If the injunction is granted, it will be illegal.”

“That drug is going to be revolutionary. It is one of our best-selling drugs, and it's the newest. It helps people to control their thirst and cravings. We haven't even released it yet and the FDA is already on our backs,” Alfred says, his voice rising.

“That is odd,” Perry says as he adjusts his glasses.

“The FDA has no idea how this can help the lives of people. And if they do, then they are simply doing this to annoy me. This is getting ridiculous. They have never acted like this.”

“Remember last time, Perry?” Nick clears his throat.

“Yes, that was quite an ordeal. This time is a bit different, though,” Perry nods, grimly.

“How so?” I say, but my eyes spot a phone call from Lily.

“This time we need to act as soon as possible to mitigate this situation, before it escalates too quickly.”

“We’ll need to assemble a team—discreetly. Start with a thorough audit of all your recent trial data, focusing on Lamilofen. You should also-” Perry says but quickly pauses.

“Ethan?” Nick asks, his voice so faint.

“Is everything all right, Mr. Rothschild? You seem preoccupied with your phone?” Perry questions.

“It is nothing. Just a call from… never mind. Please, continue. You were saying about the audit?”

“Right. As I was saying, we will start with the audit. We should also have a talk with customers that consumed Lamilofen.”

“They are only a bunch, and I know them by heart since our drug is not on the market yet,” Nick says, almost interrupting.

“Right. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, we need to-”

Perry is interrupted by another sharp ring from my phone. The two of them look at me expectantly.

“My apologies. I really must take this.”

“Of course, take your time,” Perry says, nodding in understanding.

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