"I can't consider this experiment a complete success," Lily said lightly. Rhea was so bewildered by Lily's reaction that she was speechless, wondering why Lily wasn't responding as she usually would. As Rhea stood stunned, she heard Lily say, "Didn't I tell you not to move?"

That single sentence jolted Rhea back to reality. She flung the tray aside, the contents clinking and clattering. "Why can't I move? What temperature are you talking about? You're toying with me! You might have cheated on this experiment, too!" Her arm ached from holding the tray, and Lily's unexpected behavior fueled her anger and jealousy, resulting in a torrent of incoherent words.

Lily's response nearly sent Rhea over the edge. Lily nodded solemnly. "You're right. I was pulling your leg."

Rhea was speechless.

"There's no such thing as a constant human body temperature," Lily continued. "You've studied medicine for years and conducted countless experiments. How could you not know we can regulate our temperature at will? We could have created a vacuum environment; why would I need an actual person to maintain a constant temperature?"

Though Rhea doubted Lily's words, her lack of perfumery knowledge left her compliant. Lily held more sway within the organization; enduring Lily was the price of her continued employment and involvement in the project. But Lily's pointed questioning made Rhea feel foolish. She was so oblivious, so easily tricked. "But you said—" she began, but Lily interrupted. "So, you believe everything I say? If I said you have a low IQ and are unfit to work here, let alone study medicine, would you believe that?"

Rage swelled within Rhea; she almost slapped Lily. Past encounters with Lily's violence held her back, however, and she stood with clenched fists, her gaze burning into Lily.

Lily remained unfazed, a smile playing on her lips as she continued her provocation. "You're so silly. You've studied medicine almost your whole life and don't even know something so basic? I tricked you. And you couldn't even complete such a simple experiment? What's the point of your studies? Maybe you should try waiting tables; you're quite good at holding trays."

Each word was a pointed insult. Rhea's fear of Lily's kickboxing skills no longer held her back. Lily's taunts struck at her vulnerabilities, profoundly undermining her self-esteem. Always proud and arrogant, her past failures had already wounded her pride; Lily's mockery pushed her over the edge. She launched a vicious punch at Lily.

"Stop!"

A cold shout halted Rhea's attack mid-air. She froze, her hand suspended. Snapping back to reality, she lowered her fist and reported, "The experiment is a success."

"I know," Rick replied flatly, his tone suggesting prior knowledge.