Chapter 17

At that moment, she felt as if her previously muddled life had reconciled with her now enlightened self. She felt complete.

She worked until dawn. Staring at her completed thesis, she decided to seize the moment and submit it to Science, one of the top three academic journals worldwide. It represented the highest achievement ever attained in the investigation of natural science.

Miranda wasn't confident it would be accepted. Researchers from various fields and subjects existed across the globe. Who was she to them? Still, she wanted to try.

Before sunrise, Miranda shut down her laptop and took a quick nap.

At 8:00 a.m., she woke up on time. After washing and having breakfast, she gathered her revision materials and headed for the library.

But as she left the house, she bumped into Paul, who had just returned. It was raining; his closed umbrella dripped wet.

"Good morning. You… didn't stay up all night, did you?"

"I did. We're in a rush to collect data from the experiment." Even though Paul had just returned from the lab, he had to hurry back after getting something.

"This is for you." Miranda handed him a glass of warm milk. "It'll keep you warm."

Paul paused before thanking her. "Thank you."

"Remember to change out of your wet clothes," she said, pointing at his shoulder. Paul looked and saw it was wet.

"I'm leaving now," Miranda smiled and left.

It wasn't even 9:00 a.m., yet the library was already crowded. As she put away her umbrella, she heard a familiar voice just before entering.

"Miranda!"

Tina had come to speak with the college's higher-ups about the postgraduate program. She happened to be passing the library when it started raining, stranding her. She hadn't expected to see anyone she knew.

"Why are you at the library? Another side hustle? You must be short of money lately. Don't worry, I told Hans to be more generous with you. So, you'd better stop your side hustles. It's more important to take good care of Hans. I heard he had gastritis again yesterday. You—"

Before Tina finished, someone interrupted, "Tina, who are you speaking to?"

A tall, elegant woman approached. As she drew closer, Miranda recognized the latest haute couture from Covetus' spring collection. Her well-cared-for face was wrinkle-free, and she carried an Hermès Kelly clutch.

Evelyn walked to Tina and glanced at Miranda. Surprised, she sized Miranda up. Wasn't this Hansel's so-called girlfriend? A look of disgust crossed her already sour expression.

Miranda wore only a T-shirt and jeans. She wore no makeup and hadn't styled her hair. How embarrassing!

Evelyn glanced at the library and then at the two books in Miranda's hands. Her gaze became thoughtful.

"What a coincidence, Ms. Sutton," she said, emphasizing "coincidence." In other words, she believed Miranda was desperately trying to ingratiate herself with a contrived encounter.

"You tried your best; I'll give you that," Evelyn sighed. "Still, an imposter remains an imposter, no matter how hard she tries. Stop pulling these tricks. I won't fall for them.

"Since we've met, I'll be clear. Hansel will never marry you. However, you've worked hard to care for him these past few years. Your efforts won't go unnoticed. After he marries, you'll still be able to see him.

"That aside, squash any wishful thinking. You can only maintain this relationship if you know and accept your place. Do you understand?"