Chapter 200
Sylvia Laurent frowned deeply.
The hallway was cluttered with miscellaneous items.
The walls were stained with grime.
The iron railing was coated in a thick layer of dust.
She couldn't help but complain. "What kind of dump is this? Trash everywhere, it stinks. Doesn't the property management do anything?"
Sophia Sullivan glanced at her watch.
She would be late if she didn't leave now.
She ignored Sylvia's grumbling and turned to leave.
Sylvia stood frozen in place.
That feeling of being ignored washed over her again.
She looked up the staircase.
A full seven flights remained.
Sylvia took a deep breath.
Her high heels made sharp clicking sounds on the steps.
She muttered to herself as she climbed. "A perfectly good mansion sits empty, but she has to rent this old place... She's insane..."
She finally reached the seventh floor.
Sylvia took out her key and opened the door.
The apartment was empty.
Alexander Laurent was indeed not home.
He was surely at the lab at this hour.
She inspected the living room carefully.
Everything was neatly arranged.
The toiletries were all for a single person.
The floor was so clean not a single long hair could be found.
Sylvia felt a twinge of doubt.
Had she been overthinking it?
She walked into the kitchen to retrieve the lunch container.
Her movements suddenly halted.
Only one set of containers remained on the countertop.
The other set was gone.
He had given it to someone.
There was definitely something going on!
Sylvia immediately returned to the main house.
"I told you there was a problem!"
Frederick Laurent raised an eyebrow. "Did you find evidence?"
"Ugh! What do you mean 'evidence'? He hasn't committed a crime!"
"If it's not a crime, why are you so worked up?"
Sylvia was lost in her own deduction. "You know Alexander's personality. He usually doesn't even glance at girls. Now he's giving someone his lunch? He's a loner. It definitely wasn't for a buddy. He absolutely has a girlfriend!"
She grew more certain as she spoke.
Frederick shook his head, holding his teacup. "You went to check on him just for that? Don't you have anything better to do? How about worrying about Xunzhi and Yanzhi's marriage plans instead of constantly watching our youngest son?"
Sylvia was indignant. "Xunzhi has his own mind. He won't listen to me anyway. Yanzhi is even less of a concern; his scandals never stop. It's only Alexander, holed up in his lab all day. As his mother, how can I not worry?"
"My son is so outstanding. Any partner he finds should at least be someone we know well, right?"
Frederick massaged his temples helplessly. "Does Alexander lack judgment? If he's really dating someone, you can't control it. Better to let things take their natural course."
Sylvia rolled her eyes. "You don't understand."
He didn't understand a mother's feelings, let her concerns about a future daughter-in-law...
Sophia Sullivan finished her classes for the day.
She had dinner at the cafeteria, then studied in the library for two more hours.
It was already dark when she left the library.
Streetlights illuminated her way home.
She reached the stairwell entrance just as Alexander Laurent returned from his evening run.
The man wore black athletic wear.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, but his breathing remained steady.
"Good evening, Professor Laurent."
"Why are you back so late?"
Sophia replied, "I was reading in the library."
They walked side by side up to the seventh floor.
"I've washed the containers. Just a moment..."
Sophia opened her door, retrieved the containers, and handed them to him.
Alexander reached out and took them.
He suddenly asked, "Is Professor Watson currently guiding you on a research project?"
"Yes. But progress hasn't been smooth..."
"I discussed it with her before. There's an issue with the research direction. But you know her temperament. She won't turn back until she hits a dead end."
Sophia felt the same.
She had suggested changes to Professor Eleanor Watson, but the professor felt it lacked data support and was unwilling to abandon two years of work.
"Are you free this Saturday? We could have dinner and discuss how to persuade her."
"Saturday..." Sophia pressed her lips together. "Sorry, I already have plans."
Alexander paused. "It's fine. We can talk another time."
"Okay."
…
Saturday morning.
Sophia and Hannah Morse met up downstairs at Marcus Lawrence's apartment building.
[I've already notified the front desk. Just give them the apartment number.]
A message came from Marcus.
Sophia looked up at the upscale apartment building.
Hannah whistled softly. "Our classmate Marcus is seriously rich."
The property deed was under Marcus's name.
They had seen it during registration.
"Come in. There are slippers."
Marcus lived on the twelfth floor.
The sensor door opened automatically.
He stood casually at the entrance.
"What would you like to drink?"
Hannah's eyes lit up. "Do you have Coke?"
"Yes. Regular or diet?"
"Regular, of course! Diet Coke has no soul!"
Marcus didn't comment and turned to Sophia. "And you?"
"Just water, please."
She wasn't particular about drinks.
After changing into slippers, Sophia looked around the apartment.
The decor, like Marcus himself, was dominated by black, white, and grey. Simple and sharp.
Hannah curiously circled the room.
She finally stopped in front of a wall cabinet, pointing at a shelf that looked like it held specimens.
"What kind of bone is this?"
Marcus replied, "A decoration."
"It's so unique. Where did you buy it? Can you share the link?"
Marcus said, "You can't buy it."
"Why not?"
"It's human bone."
"!"
What kind of person uses real human bones as decoration?!
Hannah instantly leaped three meters away.
The corner of Marcus's mouth lifted slightly. "Just kidding. I'll send you the link later."
Hannah: "..."
He was definitely sick! Seriously disturbed!
Sophia had already opened her laptop. "We have a lot of data across three groups. Let's start early."
"Okay." The two immediately got to work.
They were busy all morning.
Efficiency was much higher than expected.
Marcus's professional competence was unquestionable.
What truly surprised Sophia was Hannah.
Though her foundation wasn't as solid as Marcus's, her memory was phenomenal. She excelled at drawing inferences.
Her mental agility far surpassed ordinary people.
Hannah: "..."
Was that a compliment or an insult?