Chapter 404 Charlotte’s Condition

Chapter 404: Chapter 404 Charlotte’s Condition

The sarcastic female voice made both Rose and Alicia turn around.

Charlotte was standing in the doorway.

Judging by the way she carried herself, she’d clearly been there long enough to hear everything.

An Hermès bag hung from one hand, and her striking features were set in an expression of cool disdain.

The moment Alicia saw her, she instinctively stiffened.

Charlotte walked into the room in a pair of high heels. She was roughly the same height as Rose, but the eight-centimeter heels made her tower over Alicia.

She stopped in front of her.

“First, you throw yourself at a man in public, and then you come running to his ex-wife to play the victim. Should I call you shy, or just shameless?”

Charlotte had been the centre of attention her entire life.

She wasn’t the type to swallow an insult for the sake of appearances, nor did she believe in dressing up her feelings in polite words.

If something bothered her, she said so.

Plain and simple.

Alicia’s fair, doll-like face turned bright red.

She glanced nervously at Rose before lowering her eyes.

“Miss Mercer, I know you’re angry with me. What happened that day was my fault. I shouldn’t have interfered between you and Mr. Knight. You have every right to be upset with me.”

“What else would it be?”

Charlotte’s lips curled.

“The fact that I haven’t slapped you again should be enough to show how reasonable I’m being. You should be thanking me.”

Alicia’s face burned even hotter.

She couldn’t find a single argument to defend herself.

Charlotte’s words left her humiliated.

Rose could understand why Charlotte was angry, but she also knew this conversation was heading somewhere ugly.

“Miss Mercer, what brings you to NYU?”

Charlotte’s attitude softened slightly when she turned to Rose.

“The Mercer family has a partnership with NYU on a medical research project. I’m overseeing it, so I came by for a meeting.”

Rose nodded.

So, the neurological research project was connected to the Mercer family.

Charlotte glanced at Alicia again before speaking.

“Miss Bennett, if I can give you one piece of advice, keep your distance from people like her.”

Her tone was matter-of-fact.

“You never know when someone who looks harmless will suddenly show their teeth. Don’t let a sweet face fool you.”

After what had happened at the dinner, Charlotte certainly no longer believed Alicia was as innocent as she appeared.

Rose didn’t agree or disagree.

She already had her own suspicions.

Until recently, Alicia had always acted like a harmless, cheerful girl around her. But knowing that she was Victoria and Derick’s daughter had already made Rose cautious.

Seeing Alicia in that state beside Ryan at the dinner, however, had changed something in her.

She couldn’t look at Alicia quite the same way anymore.

Alicia bit her lip.

“Miss Mercer, I understand that you’re possessive, but you’re blaming everything on me. You even slapped me. I feel wronged too.”

Her eyes reddened.

“Didn’t Mr. Knight try to explain anything to you?”

Charlotte gave a cold laugh.

“Are you talking back to me now?”

Alicia immediately lowered her gaze.

Her timid expression made it look as though Charlotte were the one bullying her.

Rose’s eyes hardened.

She stepped between them.

“Miss Mercer, the meeting is about to start. I’ll take you there.”

As an outsider to their conflict, Rose knew exactly where this was heading.

Alicia kept backing down and making herself look vulnerable.

The more Charlotte argued with her, the worse Charlotte would appear.

Charlotte understood Rose’s intention immediately.

She patted Rose lightly on the shoulder and smiled.

“All right. Business first.”

Alicia took a quiet breath.

Since she was an intern on the research team, she had no choice but to follow them.

*****

By the time they arrived at the conference room, people were beginning to file in.

After a round of introductions and small talk, everyone took their seats.

The research project was a major one, and several companies were eager to become involved. The Mercer family, as one of its key partners, had access to resources that could make a significant difference.

Today’s meeting was primarily about discussing those resources and the project’s next stage.

Charlotte sat back in her chair, crossing her legs.

“Everything looks fine to me. I can even authorize additional resources if necessary.”

The project leader’s face lit up.

“That would be fantastic.”

Charlotte smiled faintly.

“But I have one condition.”

She turned her head toward the back of the room.

Alicia was sitting there, quietly taking notes.

“I want her removed from the project.”

Alicia’s head snapped up.

She stared at Charlotte in disbelief.

Removed?

This was a prestigious, state-funded project.

For a student, being part of something like this could become one of the strongest achievements on a résumé.

Even if she wasn’t part of the core research team, simply seeing the project through to completion would have been an invaluable experience.

Rose also raised an eyebrow.

The project leader looked stunned.

“You mean... that student?”

Charlotte smiled.

“Yes. I want her off the project.”

The room fell quiet.

Alicia’s face drained of color.

Rose knew that some professors personally selected students for their research teams, while others were admitted through university competitions or internal recommendations.

The students weren’t necessarily part of the core team, but participation alone was highly valuable.

Alicia had probably worked hard to secure her place.

Charlotte’s demand immediately triggered a wave of whispered discussion.

Finally, one of the male students couldn’t hold back.

“But Alicia is Dr. Grace’s granddaughter. If you remove her like this, wouldn’t that be disrespectful to Dr. Grace?”

Most of the students had learned about Alicia’s background through rumors.

She had never gone around announcing it herself.

But once they discovered that she was Dr. Grace’s granddaughter, everyone had been stunned.

Dr. Grace was one of the country’s most respected figures in medicine.

Naturally, people had assumed Alicia’s position on the research team was practically guaranteed.

Alicia slowly lowered herself back into her chair.

Her eyes were red, but she didn’t say anything.

Charlotte knew exactly who her grandmother was.

She let out a quiet scoff.

“That wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Alicia’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

Had Charlotte finally backed down?

Then Charlotte continued.

“Let me put it another way.”

She turned toward the others.

“Instead of saying ‘remove her,’ let’s call it a flexible reassignment. We’re simply transferring her to another research group.”

Her smile was almost pleasant.

“Does that sound better?”

Alicia hadn’t expected this.

She immediately stood.

“The university has its own rules. Miss Mercer, please don’t single me out because of a personal issue.”

Charlotte nodded.

“Then let me ask you something.”

Her voice sharpened.

“Would Dr. Grace interfere with the university’s arrangements for you? Did she ever say you had to be part of this project? Did she personally pull strings to get you here?”

Alicia’s face went pale.

Charlotte leaned back.

“Because if she didn’t, then stop using her name as a shield. Otherwise, you’re the one damaging her reputation.”

Alicia’s fingers tightened around her pen.

Her grandmother’s name had helped her get here.

But now it had become a burden.

She couldn’t openly rely on that connection without making it look as though she had used her grandmother’s influence.

The administrator turned toward Rose.

“What do you think?”

Rose leaned back in her chair.

“Let the university make the final decision. As long as the core research team remains unchanged, the students can be evaluated based on their abilities and reassigned where necessary.”

The director nodded thoughtfully.

The student positions had originally been intended primarily as training opportunities. None of them were essential to the project’s core work.

And with the Mercer family now serving as a major partner, accommodating their request over one student wouldn’t affect the project itself.

“Then we’ll proceed with that arrangement.”

The leader glanced at Alicia.

He could tell Charlotte had made up her mind.

At a moment like this, creating unnecessary conflict would only complicate matters.

“Alicia, the university can transfer you to another research group so you can continue your training.”

Alicia’s face went completely pale.

She had expected Charlotte’s so-called “business meeting” to be about the research project.

She hadn’t expected it to end with her being pushed out.