A few hours ago.


    Ansel mightily strutted inside the Research Lab, steps filled with purpose and annoyance.


    A lot of women were naturally staring at him, but in contrast to how it usually was, he didn''t even greet them back.


    His handsome face had furrowed into a frown, his teeth gritting, and his teeth clenched.


    Ansel… was very mad!


    As an elder and the lord''s younger brother, he could naturally access most of the Research Center. He was also updated about the ongoings and could even influence which items were to be prioritized.


    His request, the phonographs—which was already approved, by the way—had been pushed back!


    He knew that Winona''s team had been developing it until yesterday. They changed to insulation cups. Why the sudden change?


    How were insulation cups better than the phonograph, anyway? Sure, it can keep cold and hot drinks, right? While its main use was for his entertainment industry, with phonographs, they could record trainings and educational materials! They would also be able to record some music and the like!


    Well, okay, both weren''t that needed for survival, but he requested first!


    He abruptly opened the door to Winona''s office. She was currently on her desk, finalizing something he probably didn''t like.


    Ansel couldn''t help but pause as he looked at her. When Winona was working, even he had to admit she was particularly attractive.


    However, this little daze was quickly shooed away and he slammed the door closed to get her attention.


    She lifted her head to look at him but went back to whatever she was doing.


    Being ignored was one thing, being ignored by this woman was a different level of annoying!


    With gritted teeth, he romped his way through her 50 square meter office. He walked past her sitting area and to her desk, pretty much slapping the table with his palm.


    "What are you doing developing that insulation bottle before my phonograph?" Sёar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My research team, my decisions!" She said. "Besides, the tools and machines needed for your phonograph is too time-consuming. It will also need glass, which is still under production.


    "What about my Lithography! I was sure that was next to the line." With that, their printing press could have images!


    "Insulation cups are much more useful to do now."


    "How?"


    "It can help with extreme weather changes!" Winona said. "Think about it, you brat, if sudden cold or sudden hot weather happens, imagine having hot or cold drink ready in your space? Plus the technology can be used in building materials, too!"


    "..."


    Ansel''s annoyed stance calmed a little, but his pride didn''t really allow him to completely let go.


    In retrospect, if he was calm, he would''ve thought of it himself. However, being disregarded—especially by this woman—really irked him.


    "Noisy old hag," he muttered under his breath before planning to go, lest he humiliated himself even more.


    Winona gasped and stood up, fisting his head. "I''m only a few years older than you are!"


    Ansel annoyedly rubbed his head, glaring at the woman who was now right next to him. "Still old!"


    "At least I don''t have a sister complex! Disgusting!"


    "You!!" Ansel exclaimed, gritting his perfect teeth. "You''re no less clingy with Althea than I am! You go to her and always rub your overly big breasts against her arms! Are you lesbian?"


    Winona gasped. She had a few lesbian friends, but she wasn''t going to let Ansel taint her pure love for Althea. "It''s called showing attention! I am straight and I have had a few boyfriends."


    "Heh," he sneered. "Those scumbags after your money and sex?"


    Of course he knew her story, she sobbed to Althea with all the details whenever she was visiting. She sobbed loudly too so he inexplicably knew about them as well.


    He didn''t listen on purpose! Even if he did, it''d be for the fun of gossip!


    Winona flushed in shame, and it made Ansel pause a bit, suddenly feeling guilty (just a little) for running his mouth.


    Winona had dated a total of two other men other than that fiance (another scumbag, arranged by parents) of hers.


    One had tried getting her to buy a lot of things, even a car, and she did give a few until Althea and the others told her to be careful.


    Because Winona revered Althea so much, she hired a private investigator to check on him just to reassure her.


    But what they found was that he was really using her for money! He even had a girlfriend he had been dating for a long time.


    The other one was a handsome sunofabeach too. He was a nouveau riche and Winona thought that she wouldn''t have the problem of gold diggers this time.


    However, his family started using her own as leverage in business deals. He had also been trying to get her to bed, apparently in an attempt to baby trap her.


    There was almost a time he almost raped her and she escaped by using her mostly-unused self-defence skills. That was when she cut things off, and Winona was single once again.


    The thing was, that guy had apparently taken her half-naked photos and saved them on his phone. These were taken during the few times she tried to give him what he wanted, albeit she backed out halfway.


    That guy was vindictive and shared the photo with his circle of friends, which then spread to more and more people. It was a huge scandal and for a while, Winona became a laughing stock in the upper circles.


    Of course, she got her family to destroy his so there was that.


    And finally, there was the fiance her family set for her. He was a douchebag she never liked, but she went out with him anyway as per request.


    "At least I was sincere! I''m not a shameless casanova like you who plays with girls'' hearts while pining for his sister! Gross!"


    "YOU!"


    At this time, their faces were only an inch apart. They didn''t have the mind to react to the body heat the other was emitting. They just thought their heads were too hot that everything else was!


    "Those men must''ve broken you so you ended up swinging the other way, right?"


    He loomed over her and they stepped back to the sitting area without noticing. "You probably like girls! I will tell my sister you''re having impure thoughts! Better yet— I will tell Garan."


    This made Winona gasp loudly. "You dare! Then I will tell him all the advances you made to Althea when he''s gone!"


    This time Ansel gasped. "I did no such thing!


    "I never had perverted thoughts for my sister!" He added with a passion. It was a bit ambiguous, but in retrospect… it was more like an imprint than anything else.


    However, being questioned like this repeatedly still gritted at his nerves.


    It was time to put this old hag back to her place!