Chapter 106: Hand in His Palm

“Don’t worry, Dean. Elvis Augustine is my legal husband.”

Director Hudson leaped from his chair, staring at Olive in disbelief. What was she doing?

The dean wasn't surprised. Medical researchers generally avoided involvement in personal lives.

“Oh my,” he said. “I didn’t expect Elvis Augustine to have such foresight, but Olive, go ahead and live your best life, my girl. Life is short.”

“Thank you, sir,” Olive replied with a smile.

“Alright, Olive, have a nice day,” the dean added.

“Thank you, sir. You too.” Olive handed the phone to the stunned director. The dean immediately resumed his stern demeanor.

“Director Hudson. I trust you can handle this. Do not allow anyone to disturb Olive. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Dean. I understand.”

Director Hudson ended the call. He needed time to process the shocking news. He turned to Olive, studying her again. He couldn’t comprehend how she had earned the dean's favor. He still didn’t understand her relationship with Elvis. “Olive, if Elvis is your husband, what about the man you married at the Red Villa?” He felt a splitting headache and demanded an explanation.

Olive’s bright eyes met Hudson’s.

“Director Hudson, it’s simple. All of Los Angeles knows I’m married at the Red Villa, but what you don’t know is that the Red Villa is owned by Elvis Augustine.” She spoke calmly, with a hint of pride.

Hudson was dumbfounded.

“Olive, uhm…” Director Hudson stammered, searching for words. “This is too sudden. I can’t process this. Since you claim Elvis Augustine is your legal husband, then invite him to the institute. I need to speak with him.”

“Oh, just that?” Olive asked, pulling out her phone and dialing Elvis’s number.

The call was answered almost immediately. Elvis’s deep, magnetic voice filled the line.

“Missed me already?”

Olive smiled faintly, then remembered her purpose. The smile vanished. “Mr. Augustine, are you free? Director Hudson wants to see you.”

“Why? Are you finally introducing me to the public?” He must have known about the incident, yet still allowed her freedom.

“Mr. Augustine, are you coming?” Olive asked impatiently.

“Hold on, I’ll be there soon.”

Director Hudson’s office corridor was crowded with eavesdropping students, awaiting his verdict on Olive’s fate. Pamela was also waiting, confident in her own assumptions.

“I heard Olive called President Augustine and asked him to come,” one student whispered.

“No way! Is Mr. Augustine really coming?”

“Pamela, is President Augustine coming?” The students swarmed Pamela. She smiled subtly.

“Now that Olive’s supposed infidelity has been revealed, this is the calm before the storm. I doubt President Augustine will come. Men are tempted, but once they regain their senses, they end such relationships.” Pamela subtly insinuated that Olive had seduced Elvis, a conclusion she reached due to her inability to understand how Olive captivated him.

The students nodded in agreement.

“That’s true. President Augustine is a tycoon. He wouldn’t be summoned so easily. He definitely won’t come!”

A confident smile touched Pamela’s lips.

Suddenly, someone gasped. “Pamela, look!”

“What’s wrong?”

“President Augustine is here!”

Pamela’s heart leaped. She looked out the window and saw a Rolls-Royce Phantom speeding into the institute. A tall, handsome figure emerged—Elvis Augustine.

He was impeccably dressed in a black suit, his commanding presence silencing the onlookers. Pamela’s pupils dilated. She hadn't expected him to come. He had come for Olive.

Elvis closed the car door and walked toward the office. Olive was already standing by the door. The students parted to let her pass. She raised her eyes to Elvis, extending her hand.

He took her hand, squeezing it gently, then led her into Hudson’s office.

Silence fell over the hall. The students were stunned. Pamela felt a wave of icy despair wash over her. Elvis Augustine had actually come! Why? How had Olive managed this?

Elvis’s arrival settled everything. Director Hudson politely dismissed Olive. Although the students were dismissed, they awaited the final judgment.

“Everyone, return to your classes!” Director Hudson ordered impatiently.

Pamela, pale and dejected, called out weakly, “Director Hudson…”

Director Hudson still favored Pamela, remembering that the Hart family daughter intended for the Red Villa was Pamela, not Olive—a fact Pamela herself was unaware of, meaning she had missed her chance to become Mrs. Augustine.