"Gwen, so… you staying at the company for the internship today?" Ryuuto asked, tugging gently at her hand and teasingly flicking her nose.
"I need to get familiar with the place. I'm afraid I can't keep you company," Gwen replied, smiling apologetically.
"No worries. I'm heading back too—otherwise Katie Dee and Susan will worry themselves sick again. See you later!"
"Goodbye! Stay safe!" Gwen called after him, her voice carrying warmth.
Ryuuto embraced her for a brief moment before striding out of Osborn Industries with his usual casual confidence.
Inside the top-floor office, Norman Osborn sat behind his massive mahogany desk, flipping through financial documents with one hand while tapping impatiently on his phone with the other. His gaze was sharp, piercing, and entirely unapproachable.
"Come in. I have questions."
"Yes, Chairman!"
A tall, poised female secretary hurried inside, forcing a polite smile against the chill of Norman's presence.
"Is something wrong?" she asked carefully.
Norman didn't look up. "How are the company accounts lately?" His voice was cold, clipped—enough to make the office feel suffocating.
"Everything seems normal, but…" She hesitated, lips pursed. The sharp glare of Norman's eyes forced her pause mid-sentence.
"'But' what? I don't have time for idle chatter!" His tone was like ice, unmoved by the tension in the room.
Norman's legendary coldness wasn't just professional; it had roots in his childhood. One story circulated among his employees: as a boy, when asked about the family dog that had gone missing, he calmly confessed to killing it days prior—without a trace of guilt. That eerie composure stayed with him, making him a man no one dared approach lightly.
"Yes, Chairman. I've noticed that the company's finances and resources have been depleting unusually fast recently… almost as if someone with specialized technical skills is siphoning them." Her voice trembled slightly as she confessed, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead.
Norman's eyes flickered, piercing into her. Silence stretched uncomfortably.
"Continue. I want the point." His voice, even colder than before, carried weight that made her shiver.
"You're smart. You know what I expect to hear."
"I… I think Dr. Storm has been acting unusually lately. Frequent in-and-out visits, inconsistent with his usual research patterns." She forced the words out in a single breath, lowering her gaze. Anxiety gnawed at her. Could she even survive this conversation?
Norman leaned back for a heartbeat, then waved a dismissive hand. "Alright, noted. You may leave."
"Yes, Chairman!" She practically sprinted out, high heels clicking against the polished floor.
Alone, Norman's calm facade vanished. He flipped through the documents again, brow furrowing.
"Huh… someone dares embezzle my resources? Do they really think I wouldn't notice?" He slammed the files down on his desk, the sharp noise echoing through the office.
Norman moved with decisive fury, storming through the corridors. Employees instinctively stepped aside, heads down, hearts racing. No one dared intervene.
He arrived at Storm's private lab without hesitation, the door swinging open to reveal neatly organized chemicals and experimental setups, each gleaming under the fluorescent lights.
Norman's eyes locked on the desk drawer. He didn't care about experiments—he wanted evidence. Swiftly, he opened the drawer, rifling through its contents.
"Huh? What is this?" His voice was low, incredulous. Among the files, he uncovered a hidden blue folder marked with Storm's signature, meticulously dated and labeled.
And then—his heart skipped. A single test tube rested inside, carefully labeled "Human Body Strengthening Formula."
For a man always in control, this discovery jolted Norman's pulse. He scanned the lab, ensuring no one was nearby. Satisfied, he slipped the test tube into the sleeve of his jacket, erased any trace of fingerprints, and replaced everything exactly as it had been.
A sly sneer tugged at the corner of his mouth. Norman shut the door firmly behind him, moving quickly to exit before anyone could notice the disturbance. The game had just begun.