Celine sat upright, saying, “Go back and check the Sacred Herbal Codex, Volume Ten, page 4008. You made a mistake.” Her tone was earnest and weighty. “We, as medical practitioners, must be meticulous. A small error could have catastrophic consequences.”

James, towering over her, seemed to gain an advantage from his height. But Celine’s back was straight, her intelligent eyes meeting his with the authority of a lecturer.

He was stunned. Was she lecturing him? His lecturer could only be Dr. C! He felt the world had gone mad. Before he could reprimand her, she said, “That’s enough, James. You can go now.”

He was flabbergasted. The audacity of her using his full name rendered him speechless. He left without a word.

Back in the principal’s office, James fumed. This was absurd! He couldn’t have been wrong. He immediately consulted the Sacred Herbal Codex. It didn’t take long to find Volume Ten, page 4008. Celine had been perfectly right. He had made a mistake!

Just then, Bailey entered. “Mr. Lambert, what’s the matter?”

James, dazed, stared at Bailey. “One of my students slept through my lectures, but the moment she opened her eyes, she pointed out my mistake. What do you make of that?”

Bailey beamed. “Mr. Lambert, that student must be a genius!”

A genius? Celine? James was astonished.

Class ended, and Celine’s phone rang. It was Samuel from Hattard University, inviting her and Adam to deliver a keynote speech at the upcoming Pinnacle of Academic Symposium.

“Celine, you’ve been in Mercity all this time. How is it Mr. Alvarez doesn’t know you?” he asked curiously.

She smirked. “Mr. Peyton, I know him; he doesn’t know me.”

“This symposium is the perfect opportunity for you two to meet. It’s time Mr. Alvarez found out who you are.”

She and Adam were divorced, strangers. Perhaps this was fitting—a new beginning. She agreed.

That evening, at Club 1996, Benjamin exclaimed, “Adam, is it true? Is Miss Genius C finally going to appear?”

Adam, in a black shirt and slacks, exuded a cold composure. Carly and Melody sat beside him. Carly’s mood soured, witnessing Benjamin’s enthusiasm. She knew he was interested in “Miss Genius C” and wanted to pursue her.

The others laughed. “Ben, are you smitten with Miss Genius C?” one teased. Another added, “Looks like Ben, who’s charmed countless women, has finally met his match.”

Carly masked her displeasure, saying, “Benjamin, this sounds like falling for an online persona. How do you even know what Miss Genius C looks like? I’ve heard these scholarly prodigies from prestigious families aren’t much to look at. They’re average; nobody dates them, so they focus on their studies.”