Chapter 15

By the west lawn of the medical academy, Gianna found a warm spot to sit beneath a red maple tree. The sterile scent of disinfectant still lingered in her nose. She loosened her collar, inhaling the crisp outdoor air as she scattered crumbled pieces of whole wheat bread toward the gray-and-white pigeons. It had been three months since she arrived at the medical academy. Once she entered the lab, she often stayed inside for an entire day. Her access card, which was always in her pocket, felt like it was about to leave a permanent imprint on her white coat. Most people wouldn't be able to endure this level of intensity, but for Gianna—who had already survived so much—this was nothing. In the new drug research team, she worked alongside some of the most brilliant minds in modern medicine. They were masters of the field or even pioneers of groundbreaking research. For now, she was just a lab assistant. But in these three short months, she had learned more than she had in over 20 years