The air in the White Pharma Inc. press lobby crackled with anticipation. Rows of reporters filled the high-ceilinged room, their cameras and microphones poised like loaded weapons. The banner hanging above the podium read:
"Innovation Forward: White Pharma's Next Leap in Natural Therapies."
Katherine Samuel stood at the center, drenched in confidence and designer polish. Her crimson power suit hugged her like a second skin, tailored to exude both sophistication and authority. Today, she was here to steal the spotlight—and something more.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she began, her voice velveted with poise, "thank you for joining us for this special announcement. White Pharma is proud to unveil an upcoming line of herbal-based treatments—affordable, sustainable, and revolutionary."
A soft ripple of applause.
"This initiative," she continued, "was born from a concept I've been nurturing for some time—a synthesis of ancient botanical wisdom and modern biotech precision."
Click. Flash. Pens scribbled. But then the questions began.
A hand shot up. "Katherine—Melissa Yuen from Global Health Weekly. Can you tell us a bit more about the herbs used? What kind of traditional knowledge was the foundation for this idea?"
Katherine blinked—just for a second too long.
"Well," she smiled, tilting her head slightly, "we've been looking into... um, herbal remedies commonly found in Eastern medicine. Things like... turmeric. And ginger. Very effective anti-inflammatory properties."
There was a pause. Another reporter asked, "And where did you learn about these herbal integrations? Do you have a background in traditional medicine or plant sciences?"
Katherine's lips twitched.
"No formal background, per se, but I've always had an interest. I've read a lot of wellness journals and... traveled extensively."
There was a beat of polite silence. But the energy shifted. Some reporters looked at one another. The vagueness of her answers was becoming obvious.
"Was there a particular personal experience or motivation that led you to develop this idea?" another reporter asked.
Katherine's smile faltered for just a moment.
"Of course. I believe in healing naturally. My own grandmother used to... she used to boil herbs when I had a sore throat. So it's... always been part of my worldview."
Her voice wavered. The anecdote landed flat. A cough somewhere in the back.
Then came the question that sliced through the haze like a blade.
"Excuse me—Arjun Rai, The Pharma Watch. There are rumors this concept was originally submitted by a contestant in White Pharma's Young Innovator Program—someone named Kiefer Samuel. Is there any truth to that?"
The air stilled.
Katherine's spine straightened like a snapped rod.
"I—No," she said a bit too quickly. "That idea was... entirely different. And the Innovator Program isn't relevant to this launch."
"Are you saying the similarity is coincidence?" Arjun pressed. "Because her prototype pitch, which has circulated online in fragments, includes nearly identical integration methods and herbal combinations."
More murmurs. A few reporters instinctively looked toward their screens, searching for the original pitch deck.
Katherine's eyes flared for half a second. She gathered her smile again. "Let's not focus on rumors. The development process is confidential, and White Pharma only moves forward with vetted internal projects."
But the room no longer felt like hers.
---
Back in the Lab
"She did it," Raavi said bitterly, lowering the phone. "Even the reporters are suspicious."
Kiefer stood in stunned silence for a heartbeat longer, then lifted her chin. Her voice was low and precise.
"She doesn't understand the herbs. She doesn't understand the science. And she definitely doesn't understand me."
Raavi raised a brow. "So... what now?"
Kiefer's eyes hardened.
"Now?" she said, already moving. "Now we play her game—but by my rules."