Chapter 172

Damn!

Olivia Lopez sharply shrugged off the hand on her shoulder.

She straightened up, secretly relieved she'd tossed the cigarette butt in time.

Sophia Sullivan finally managed to close her gaping mouth.

"Um... Vivi, you forgot your bag..."

She really had just come to return the bag.

But then she saw Olivia with a man, their arms slung over each other's shoulders.

The man's back looked more and more familiar.

They turned around.

It was actually Julian Winston?

So...

This was the 'collaborator' Vivi mentioned?

Olivia stepped forward and took the bag.

"Thanks, Clara! Sorry to make you come all the way out so late."

"Head back now, it's not safe this late."

"I'll wait right here and watch you go upstairs."

"Wave from the balcony when you get in, then I'll leave."

"Okay."

Sophia turned and walked away.

She knew Olivia.

Carefree on the surface, but sharp underneath.

Between friends, silence was the ultimate respect.

Olivia stood her ground.

She waited until she saw Sophia wave from the balcony.

Only then did she turn away, reassured.

"Wait... you're taking my car and not giving me a ride?" Julian Winston caught up to her.

"We're not going the same way."

"..."

"Take a cab. It won't cost much," she suggested earnestly.

The engine roared.

She counted to three in her head.

Released the handbrake.

The car shot forward like an arrow.

His shouts were left behind.

"Olivia Lopez! Isn't your car fixed?"

"Why are you taking mine?"

"Drive carefully! I haven't even broken in my new car!"

His reluctant sacrifice led to an unexpected encounter on Financial Street the next day.

Julian Winston watched Olivia speed past in his Maserati.

Top down.

Her younger boyfriend in the passenger seat.

"Damn—"

Julian gritted his teeth on the spot.

Why did he feel a tinge of green on his head?

...

Late July.

Sophia's three theses were finally finalized.

Once all the data was in.

She revised them six times with Alexander Laurent's help.

After confirming everything was correct, she submitted them to three scientific journals.

Now, all she could do was wait for good news.

No more rushing to the lab at dawn.

No more prepping lunch in advance.

No more worrying about unfinished data during lunch breaks.

Time seemed to slow down in her newfound freedom.

She could leisurely stroll through the farmer's market.

Tend to her plants slowly.

Occasionally try new recipes.

Frequently video chat with her parents.

Calls often lasted half an hour.

David Sullivan asked, "All three are done?"

"Yes. Thanks to Professor Laurent lending me the lab, otherwise the data would have taken forever."

Without the data, the papers couldn't have been written.

"Such a sought-after resource, and the professor provided it for free. You should thank him properly."

Sophia later learned just how in-demand Alexander Laurent's lab was.

Many had tried to rent it before and were refused.

Yet he made an exception just for her.

No wonder the looks from Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li were so strange at first.

The next day, Sophia went out for her morning run.

With free time, she had picked up the habit again.

A good sweat, a shower, and she felt energized all day.

"Morning, Professor."

"Morning."

Alexander had already finished his run and was heading back.

Seeing her, he changed direction.

"I'll join you for a bit."

"Won't that delay you getting to the lab?"

"Quincy is handling the new project. I'm not busy lately."

"Professor Evans might have something to say about that," Sophia joked.

"He'll have to work regardless," he said matter-of-factly.

Quincy Evans would probably lose it if he heard.

They ran two laps around the park.

Sophia gradually began to struggle.

Alexander reminded her, "Adjust your breathing. Find a rhythm."

"Follow me... In, out, in, out..."

Sophia followed his lead.

"Much better!"

"Want to keep going?"

"That's enough for today."

"Alright."

Not often they met like this, they had breakfast together before heading back.

"Any responses on the papers?"

Sophia shook her head. "Not yet."

"Normal. Top international journals have complex review processes. It takes time."

Bringing up the papers, Sophia seized the moment.

"Thank you for lending me the lab, Professor. I couldn't have finished without it."

"Offering rent seems tacky, but I feel bad not repaying you in some way."

"After thinking it over, how about I treat you to a meal?"

Alexander smiled and readily agreed.

"Sure. A free meal? I won't say no."

"What would you like? I'll..." book a restaurant.

Alexander interrupted, "Anything is fine. Your cooking is excellent."

Sophia: "??"

She hadn't said she was cooking.

But Alexander clearly assumed it.

Well...

Even though she didn't cook much in the heat, since he requested it.

"How about today at noon? Are you free?"

"Yes."

They chatted as they walked.

Reaching the alley entrance, Sophia suddenly stopped.

Alexander halted too. "What's wrong?"

Following her gaze.

Ethan Roscente stood outside the apartment building.

Black shirt paired with black suit pants.

The man stood under a tree, completely shrouded in the branches' shadows.

Light and shadow crisscrossed on him, fragmented and mottled.

"Clara..." Ethan stepped forward, his gaze hungrily lingering.

Fresh from her run, a faint sweat glistened on her forehead.

But her eyes were bright and clear, as if washed by water.

Her cheeks were flushed, full of vitality.

Ethan didn't look at Alexander beside her.

Not that he didn't notice, he just found him an eyesore.

But he couldn't make him leave, so he chose to ignore him.

"Is there something you need, Mr. Roscente?"

The address "Mr. Roscente" instantly created distance.

Ethan gave a bitter smile. "Between us, is such formality necessary?"

Sophia looked at him and slowly shook her head.

"We're not close."

"Can't we even be friends?"

"There's no need."

A qualified ex should be like the dead.

The so-called "let's be friends" is just one party's unwillingness to let go, and the other's lingering feelings.

But Sophia was neither.