In the bathroom, noticing Winona’s unusual quietness, the girl quickly redirected the conversation. “Winona, we were just joking. Don’t take it to heart. Being pretty doesn’t mean much. You’ve got so much talent. Next month, when you become Mr. Griffin’s disciple, how can she compete with you?”
“Seriously, there’s no one like her among Seacrity’s socialites. Where did she even come from?”
Winona forced a casual smile as she dried her hands. Trying to sound relaxed, she replied, “Rebecca is the real campus beauty. I’m heading off to watch Victor play basketball now. See you later.”
“They have a friendly game with Baity University, right?”
“I’m so jealous, Winona. You get to hang out with Mr. Carter. He’s so handsome!”
“Winona and Mr. Carter are a perfect match!”
“Totally!”
Winona pretended indifference, but inwardly, she was pleased. Their compliments made her feel on top of the world.
“Let’s go together, Winona!” a girl suggested.
Despite wanting to refuse, Winona let them tag along. She knew they just wanted to snag a rich boyfriend from Victor’s wealthy friends. But having these girls around only highlighted her beauty and elegance. After all, why else would she be hanging out with these daughters of new money?
Tobias Sunderland had gone straight from Argrol University to graduate school, eventually landing a teaching position under Simon. After years of hard work, he was feeling the strain. Now in his thirties, with no romantic prospects, he’d hoped to avoid taking on new students. But Simon insisted he take one more, and with no choice left, he reluctantly agreed.
After reviewing Yvette’s file, he thought, Is it too late to back out? What’s this? Aside from her name and birth information, the rest of her file was blank! How could someone not even list elementary school experience?
Later, he learned from his colleagues that Yvette was the Chambers family’s child, lost for over twenty years and recently found. She got into the university after the family donated fifteen million dollars in lab equipment. Tobias sighed in frustration. Just the perks of capitalism!
Now, it seemed he’d have to take a hands-on approach. Given Yvette’s background, it looked like she’d need to start from scratch. Tobias couldn’t help but lament his parting plans for this year’s matchmaking.
Tobias looked at Yvette. She was undeniably beautiful, but an icy aura made her seem distant and hard to approach. Her posture wasn’t even typical for a girl. He felt a headache coming on. After some thought, he decided to break the ice. “Yvette, did you pick the physics department because you really like the subject?”
Yvette was slouched with one leg bent, her voice low and a bit hoarse. “Not really.”
“Oh. If you like it, then… Wait, what did you say? You don’t like it? So why choose Physics?” Tobias asked.
Yvette yawned, barely lifting her spirits, and after a moment’s thought, she decided to be honest: “It’s simple and not a hassle.”
“Simple? Not a hassle? Physics is simple? Is she out of her mind, or am I mishearing?” For the first time, Tobias had no idea how to respond. He had encountered plenty of people who struggled with the subject, but she was the first to insist it was a breeze. Did she even know what physics was?
Tobias remembered she was from the countryside, so he tried to soften his tone. “Yvette, physics is pretty complex. It’s not as easy as it seems. But don’t worry. Since Simon assigned you to me, I’ll do my best to help you out. You just need to put in the effort. How about I give you a few basic problems to work on at home? If you have any questions, just reach out to me.”
“Mr. Sunderland, I’m actually pretty good at physics, I just—” Before Yvette could finish, a loud knock interrupted her.
During the Argrol University basketball game, a player from the physics department, John Lester, accidentally bumped into Victor, costing their team the game. Embarrassed and furious, Victor blamed John for ruining everything and was determined to teach him a lesson. Other physics students hurried to Tobias’s office to fill him in on the situation.
Victor had a notorious reputation for being ruthless. Over the past two years, anyone who crossed him faced severe consequences. Some ended up in the hospital; others dropped out.
The worst incident involved a guy who was bullied by Victor and spiraled into depression. He fell from the fourth floor, suffering life-changing injuries. Even after his family called the police, nothing came of it. The Carter family just paid some hush money and moved on, which only fed Victor’s arrogance. Now, he ruled Argrol University like a king.
“Mr. Sunderland, Victor is about to beat John. You need to see this!” a student burst into the office, panic written all over his face.
“Victor! The son of the Carter family?” Tobias’s heart raced. He quickly followed the student to the basketball court, completely forgetting about Yvette.
In an instant, Yvette was alone in the office. She looked down at the scattered papers where Tobias had rushed out. After a brief moment, she decided to pick them up and place them back on the desk before leaving.
Just then, Patrick stepped out from the nearby room and noticed Yvette leaving the physics department office by herself. He remembered it was her first day at the university, and given he had just seen Tobias dash off, he wondered, “What’s she doing here all alone?”
On the basketball court, Victor—about five feet six inches tall, with sandy brown hair and a blue earring in his left ear, dressed in designer clothes and expensive sneakers—viciously stomped on another guy’s leg.
The girls nearby watched in fear, not daring to speak up. Winona was Victor’s fiancée, and everyone present showed her respect. If she didn’t say something, it would reflect poorly on her reputation. So, just before John was about to get hurt, she pretended to plead for mercy. Victor was furious but still had some feelings for Winona. He reassured her with a few kind words and then let her step aside. Winona wasn’t serious about intervening, so she followed.
“You punk, you’re actually fighting back?” Victor sneered.
John couldn’t take it. He spat on the ground, and coincidentally, his spit landed right on Victor’s shoes.
Seeing this, one of Victor’s goons slapped John again and rushed to clean up the spit.
Victor smirked at this display of loyalty and said condescendingly, “Good job. Just wait for news about your case.”
The lackey bowed and thanked him eagerly.
John struggled with despair on the ground. He had worked so hard to get into Argrol University, his dream school. But in the eyes of this rich crowd, he felt worthless.
When Tobias showed up, John was already beaten and bloodied, his face bruised and his head bleeding. He cradled his left leg in pain.
“Stop! Stop!” Tobias shouted.
Victor and his lackeys were too caught up to notice Tobias. He lifted a baseball bat high, ready to swing at John’s right hand.
The bystanders held their breath, not expecting Victor to be this ruthless. If that bat hit, John could lose his right hand, ruining his future.
Tobias’s heart raced as he realized he wouldn’t reach John in time. But suddenly, a rock came flying in from the entrance, hitting Victor’s wrist. Victor yelped in pain, and the bat fell to the ground.
Silence fell over the court. Tobias, still running, turned to see Yvette standing at the entrance. Everyone else’s gaze followed his.
In the bright light stood Yvette, in a simple white T-shirt and long pants paired with worn-out canvas shoes. Her long hair was tied back, and her stunningly beautiful eyes glinted coldly. She approached, capturing everyone’s attention, except for one.
Winona tilted her head to look at Victor, who was just as stunned. Her heart sank—her worst fears had come true.