The police were thorough, not leaving until they had escorted Ruby to a hotel and ensured her safety.

Once inside the room, Ruby felt a fleeting sense of security after locking the door and drawing the curtains. She sat at the edge of the bed, still visibly shaken, her face pale from the ordeal.noveldrama

After sitting in silence for a while, she went into the bathroom to shower.

As the warm water streamed over her, she made up her mind-she was going to sell the apartment.

She knew it was selfish but also knew that this was the only way to break free from her oppressive family.

The next morning...

Ruby contacted a realtor and listed the apartment for sale.

The property, located in the heart of the city, quickly attracted interest.

Within three days, it sold for 1,800,000 dollars.

When the money hit her account, Ruby stared at the large sum in disbelief. Her emotions were a turbulent mix of relief and unease. This was more money than she could ever hope to make in a lifetime as a pharmaceutical researcher.

Without wasting time, Ruby began the process of applying to schools abroad and preparing to leave the country for a Ph.D.

As her focus shifted entirely to planning her departure, her performance at work began to suffer.

She made mistake after mistake in the lab, drawing Nyla's ire, who eventually lost her patience.

"Ruby, if you can't get your act together, don't bother coming back!" Nyla reprimanded her in front of the entire lab.

Ruby pressed her lips together and met Nyla's gaze. "You're right. I'm not fit to continue here. I've been meaning to resign but kept putting it off. I'm sorry for holding up everyone's progress. I'll resign now. Thank you for looking after me."

Disbelief and anger flashed in Nyla's eyes. She demanded, "Say that again?"

Ruby had come so far, rising from her small-town beginnings to get where she was. Nyla couldn't believe she would throw it all away over a few words of criticism.

Seeing the disappointment in Nyla's eyes, Ruby hesitated for a moment, then steeled herself. "I said, I'm resigning. I don't think I need to repeat myself."

"Follow me to my office!" Nyla snapped.

Without waiting for a response, she stormed off, her anger evident in every step.

Leon grabbed Ruby's arm, trying to reason with her. "Ruby, are you crazy? You're really going to quit?"

Ruby shook him off, her tone calm yet detached. "That's none of your business."

"Do you realize how good your position here is? Where else are you going to find something like this?" Leon reminded her.

"That's my concern, not yours," Ruby replied.

She brushed past him and walked to the office.

At the door, she took a deep breath before pushing it open. "Nyla."

Nyla's expression was cold as she said, "Give me a reason."

Ruby had been fine before. Recently, however, she was constantly distracted in experiments and had even considered resigning. Nyla

couldn't understand what Ruby was thinking.

"I just feel like it's time for me to move on. I've decided to leave Saintornia," Ruby replied.

Nyla studied her carefully, disbelief in her eyes. "Does this have something to do with Sullivan?"

Ruby's fingers clenched involuntarily.

After a long pause, she finally spoke. "No. This has nothing to do with him."

"Really? He gets arrested, and

suddenly your work is riddled with mistakes, and now you're resigning? How am I supposed to believe it's unrelated?" Nyla questioned

OUMS

Ruby looked her in the eye and replied firmly, "My decision to resign is mine alone. I don't think I have to explain the reason. Whether you believe me or not, I'm still leaving."

UMS