Chapter 86
To Grow in Different Soil
"Doctor Merrill, I… I can't accept this."
I stumbled over my words as the heat rushed to my face. "This deal agreement is already more than fair. This is too much. It's..."
"It makes sense and is practical," he cut in, clear but not cruel. His tone stripped the moment of sentiment before it could become too much. "You are racing a deadline that can ruin careful planning. Financial strain causes haste. Haste causes error."
He slid the envelope closer by a precise inch. "I am investing in the stability and success of my product line."
I stared at it, my vision blurring despite my effort to keep control.
"You will produce exclusively for this shop for six months. You will maintain your standards. And you will go to the university on Monday and retrieve what is already yours. Those are the terms," he continued.
Tears pressed hot and sudden against my eyes. I blinked hard, refusing to let them fall.
