Page 33 of Carmine

“Orders from my mother?” I asked, and Liz grinned. “I guess Mom’s all over this.”

“What do you think?” Liz replied.

“Damage control coming up.”

“And careers will be ended by tonight,” Liz agreed.

“Good old Mom.”

Molly

In disbelief, I stared as Mother and Father waltzed in and informed Susan they were now in charge. Susan laughed in their faces and continued issuing orders. Moments later, Phoe marched in with security at her back.

“I’m the boss, not Dr Jones-White, who clearly has had a lapse in her judgement,” Father announced to everyone. People paused, puzzled and conflicted.

“I very much doubt you are. Without my money, the project cannot proceed. And as this is privately funded, I decide who is in charge. And it’s not you,” Phoe stated.

“Lady, you’ve no right to interfere in a GS team survey,” Mother snapped.

“Nope. However, I have the right to withdraw funding for something I pay for. And I don’t like you. You leaked those details to the press to get back at Molly for defying you. You messed with the wrong family this time. The moment you appeared, Dr Jones-White and I prepared for this.

“You’ve no rights here, and you’re not taking over and claiming the credit that your daughter deserves. There is a press conference lined up within the next hour, and you’re not welcome,” Phoe snarled at them.

“You can’t stop us talking to the press,” Mother argued.

“Nope. And I’m sure the press will want to talk to you about how you can’t read a fucking report. But that’s between you and them. You attempted to make a fool of my son’s girlfriend, and that was your mistake.

“All you want is the glory, and you don’t care how many lives or careers you destroy. What eats you up is knowing Molly discovered something nobody else has. And you want to claim that as your own. You don’t want Molly to get the accolades she’s entitled to.

“And that makes you the most selfish, ignorant, greedy assholes around. By the time I finish with you, people willwonder how you got your doctorates. Because neither of you has a unique idea inside you. Molly has made a one-in-a-million discovery. By the way, the press will want to know why you all didn’t hear her out and study her data before ridiculing her and tearing her down.

“Then they’ll wanna know how you can live with yourself, putting people’s lives at risk like you all did. Dr White better start looking for another job, because he led this. We could have done something about this phenomenon, but it’s too late,” Phoe spat.

My parents went pale.

“My reputation is unblemished. People won’t listen to a crackpot,” Father shot back.

“No? You know what the public will listen to? The truth! Now get out, you’re not in charge here, and I don’t give a flying fuck what Dr White says. He is not funding this, I am. And remember, he’s not financing this because he doesn’t believe anything is happening despite the readouts and data rolling in. Which makes me question, just how qualified is he for his job?” Phoe retorted.

Mother and Father sent me a furious look before drawing themselves up.

“This isn’t over,” Father hissed.

“It is for you,” Phoe said, determined to have the last word.

Everybody watched them leave before all eyes turned to Phoe.

“We have a press conference in an hour. Would everyone, apart from those invited, please continue with what you were doing?” Phoe asked softly.

Heavily, I sat down, my hands shaking. I could only imagine that Phoenix was furious I’d dragged Carmine into this mess. Phoe approached me and grabbed a chair.

“Are you okay?” she murmured, reaching out and holding my hands.

“No. I made a mistake allowing Carmine to be nice to me. I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“Why are you apologising?”

“Because I made Carmine seem horrible in the media,” I replied softly. “I didn’t mean that much to him. Carmine didn’t kiss me properly either.”

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