Chapter 15 - Crown of EmbersThe new laboratory in Boston was a marvel of glass, steel, and light.
Dr. Nora Vance—having officially legally reclaimed her grandmother’s maiden name, now known to the world as Dr. Nora Sterling—stood before the clean-room window, watching the automated synthesis line produce the first commercial batch of the tissue regeneration compound.
Her hair had grown out into a short, stylish crop that accentuated the sharp, intelligent line of her jaw. She looked at her reflection in the thick glass pane. The scars on her neck were visible, but they looked different now—they looked like the roots of a powerful tree that had broken through the concrete to reach the sun.
Her phone buzzed on the counter. It was a message from the FDA: Fast-track approval granted for Phase III clinical usage in all regional trauma centers.
Lila entered the lab, carrying a folder of international press requests. "The world wants to talk to the woman who rewrote the rules of medicine, Nora. Time Magazine wants a cover story."
Nora turned from the window, a soft, brilliant smile breaking across her face. She walked to the desk, took the folder from her sister, and set it down next to Grandmother Evelyn’s old leather journal.
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"Tell them I’ll do the interview," Nora said, her voice resonant with absolute, unyielding clarity. "But tell them the cover photo won't be airbrushed. They’re going to show the scars. Because the world needs to see exactly what a queen looks like when she builds her empire from the ashes."
She walked out of the laboratory door, her heels clicking a steady, victorious rhythm against the polished floor, stepping into the bright, limitless expanse of her own future.
