The green light turned on, and Auden Hughes’s Porsche rged back into the traffic.
Zachary York glanced at his boss’s expression and cautiously asked, "Should I call your wife?"
Elias Langley slowly leaned back, closed his eyes, concealing his surging emotions beneath his drooping lashes.
"No need."
"Then..." Zachary hesitated for a mont, "If you’re going to the base this afternoon, and if you can’t make it back tonight..."
"The schedule proceeds as usual." Elias Langley’s voice revealed no trace of emotion.
Auden Hughes took Juliana Jacobs to a secluded garden-style restaurant.
The waiter led them through a winding bamboo corridor to a private room.
"The braised Nine-Winger Pheasant and the clear soup Bird’s Nest are pretty good here, restored to the original imperial recipes," Auden introduced.
Juliana gave a very faint smile, "I’m a country bumpkin, never been here, you decide."
Auden gave so instructions to the waiter, who then left, and only then did he sit down opposite Juliana.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he said, "I thought you wouldn’t want to see ."
Juliana sipped the jasmine tea prepared by the house, "The wish you made in high school has finally co true. So, have you given up now?"
Auden was taken aback by her words, but once he understood what she ant, he smiled broadly and nodded.
"Juliana, everyone has the right to pursue and appreciate beautiful things."
"I’m not anything beautiful." Juliana put down the teacup, her gaze cold, "I’m a jinxed star, unworthy of anyone’s love."
Auden was about to speak when the waiter arrived with the food, interrupting him.
Once the dishes were set, Juliana picked up her chopsticks and took a bite, then continued, "I know Vivacore Bio is the culmination of your years of effort. Your expectations for your future are high. As an old classmate, I also hope for your success. But even the most precise instrunt fears internal corrosion and will ultimately end up in flas."
Auden almost imdiately heard the underlying aning in her words and beca instantly alert.
"What rumors have you heard?"
Juliana continued to savor the food, her gaze very indifferent.
"What I know doesn’t matter. I’m telling you this purely out of old school ties to give you a heads-up. I don’t have a penchant for ruining people’s marriages; your affairs are for you to decide."
Auden was silent for two seconds before finally replying in a deep voice, "Alright, I understand."
Juliana smiled faintly, "The food here is delicious, thank you for introducing to this place, but I’ll treat you this ti."
She gestured for the waiter to bring the bill, her deanor calm, showing no sign of anything unusual.
The two walked side by side towards the restaurant entrance, where Raine Kane was already waiting.
The afternoon sun was a bit dazzling, causing Juliana to squint slightly.
"Juliana..."
Auden stopped beside her, his gaze filled with pity.
"You’re not a jinxed star; you’re just unlucky and haven’t t the person who truly cherishes you and is worthy of you. I might not be suitable now, but you can wait for ."
Juliana turned to look at him, her eyes like a calm, deep pool, where any ripples had already settled.
"I have no future; you don’t need to be persistent."
With that said, she got into the car and left.
Auden loosened his tie, his brow furrowed.
Juliana did not return to Darroway Street but instead had Raine Kane bring so fresh clothes and checked into a hotel directly.
Raine was about to report when Caleb Shaw called.
"I just received a call from Mr. Hughes. He said that the follow-up on Sumr Shaw’s dical project will still be handled by him."
Implying that he won’t let Florence Sinclair get involved again.
Juliana offered no further explanation but asked, "If I plan to introduce foreign capital to jointly develop the ’Genesis’ technology, what do you think?"
Caleb Shaw remained silent on the other end for a long ti before saying, "From a purely comrcial and technical standpoint, there’s no issue. But ’Genesis’ is a strategic technology that could change the energy landscape, and military groups from various countries are eyeing it greedily. Once you do this, you’ll face overwhelming criticism and pressure, possibly even being labeled a traitor."
Juliana chuckled at his concern, her laughter full of icy sarcasm.
"Here, where Dylan Paxton controls everything, you expect to smile and offer my life’s work to beco a cornerstone of his throne. I can’t do that."
"I understand," Caleb Shaw didn’t hesitate any further, "I’ll first make contact with a few capable foreign military giants, then provide you with a comprehensive plan."
Juliana hung up the phone, pinching the bridge of her nose forcefully, unable to hide the fatigue radiating from her core.
Raine Kane observed her from the side, vaguely feeling that sothing about her had changed.
"What do you want to say to ?" Juliana asked.
Raine recovered and answered, "Regarding the investigation you asked to conduct, I’ve made progress. Mrs. Sinclair is very principled in her academics, with no apparent issues."
Juliana’s gaze darkened.
"However, four years ago, when Florence Sinclair obtained her qualification as a life sciences researcher, the key paper in her application contained inexplicable data anomalies that should have disqualified it during the initial review. But at the ti, the chairman of the review committee was Mr. Sinclair’s fellow disciple, and seeing it was for Mrs. Sinclair’s sake, he passed it."
Juliana laughed at this finding.
"Even so, Mrs. Sinclair, as a mother, is not without bla."
While Mrs. Sinclair may not have broken any rules, she tacitly accepted the human favor given to her, which strictly speaking, could be considered an abuse of academic integrity.
Thus, hours later, an anonymous whistleblower email containing key evidence of Florence Sinclair’s fraudulent qualification was simultaneously sent to the inboxes of several influential dia editors and core mbers of the review committee.
Soon, undercurrents began to surge.
By nightfall, a tremor was already shaking the academic world.
Juliana instructed Raine to be ready to buy dia attention, aiming to make Mrs. Sinclair’s na widely recognized, and then went to rest.
Before sleeping, she received a short text ssage from Elias Langley containing only a few words: "Busy tonight, won’t return."
Juliana glanced at it and didn’t reply.
However, when she woke up the next day, she found the internet was calm, and the expected storm of public opinion had not materialized.
Raine Kane quietly reported, "It was Mr. Langley who suppressed all the negative news about Mrs. Sinclair."
Juliana’s already cool gaze grew even colder, her lips curving into a chillingly cold smile.
"Where is he now?"
"Mr. Langley worked at the base all night and just returned to the office this morning."
"Alright, I’ll go talk to him."
...
Two hours later,
She was led by Zachary York into Elias Langley’s office.
Zachary York glanced at their expressions, lowered his head, and quickly made his exit.
Juliana placed the divorce agreent on Elias Langley’s large desk.
"Your assets are yours, mine are mine. If you have no objections, sign here, and afterward, we’ll finish the paperwork at the Civil Affairs Bureau."
"Juliana..." Elias Langley’s temper was on the verge of exploding, "Can’t we be more rational?"
Juliana’s gaze was very indifferent, "You are my husband. I never asked you to be my support, only that you at least don’t hinder . Yet you can’t even manage that. Our ways are different; we can’t work together."
"Your so-called ’way’ ans selling technology abroad at any cost, making yourself a target? And about Mrs. Sinclair," Elias Langley’s voice lowered, "Florence’s fraudulent qualifications, Mrs. Sinclair was not aware. Are you so happy to ruin her reputation?"
Juliana responded impassively, "What I do has nothing to do with you."
Elias Langley pressed down his irritation and said, "A mother, while not understanding the situation, shows favoritism she shouldn’t have. Can you not forgive her once? Juliana, there are no parents on earth who never make mistakes."
"Parents?" Juliana seed to hear a joke, "Parents who can abandon their own flesh and blood, do they deserve to be called parents? Deserve to be called human?"
"Elias Langley, sign it, there’s nothing left to say."
Juliana cald her emotions and handed him the pen.
Elias Langley grabbed her wrist, about to speak when his phone rang.
With his free hand, he answered the call.
A report ca from the other end, "Sir, Mr. Sinclair’s condition has worsened again; the doctor says... he could be critical at any ti."
Listening to the phone, Elias Langley’s face suddenly darkened.
However, the next second, his expression shifted abruptly, and he pulled Juliana up, walking out while ordering over the phone, "Arrange for to bring soone to see him."
Not knowing what the person on the phone said, Elias Langley’s anger flared even more.
"Should I teach you how to maintain confidentiality?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)