Chapter 34
Ethan Roscente threw a punch at Alexander Laurent.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" he roared. "When she and I were together—"
Alexander caught his fist with ease.
He was unnervingly calm compared to Ethan's fury.
Only his eyes held a glacial coldness.
"And you?" Alexander's voice was icy. "The persistent ex? Or the criminal?"
Each word was a knife, plunging into Ethan's heart.
"You're dead—" Ethan struggled violently.
Alexander's grip didn't budge.
"Enough." Sophia Sullivan stood up.
She pulled Alexander's coat tighter around herself, her fingertips still trembling.
She didn't look at Ethan.
Facing Alexander, she kept her eyes downcast. "Professor Laurent, I'm sorry you had to see this."
Alexander frowned. "Should we call the police?"
Sophia was silent for a moment.
"...No," she said softly. "Let's just go."
"Alright." Alexander respected her decision.
He didn't want to intrude too much into her personal affairs.
"These books..." Sophia pointed to the burlap sack on the ground. "Could you help me carry them? I don't have the strength right now."
Alexander lifted the sack with one hand.
His other hand supported Sophia.
Ethan stood rooted to the spot, watching them leave.
He viciously kicked over a nearby potted plant.
In the car, Sophia watched in the side mirror.
The mansion grew smaller and smaller.
Six years, ended just like that.
When she first moved in, her heart was full of hope.
They picked out furniture together. They planted a garden...
She never imagined it would end this way.
From now on, that house had nothing to do with her.
The person inside it was now a stranger.
Sophia rolled down the window.
The wind tangled her long hair.
Exhausted, she leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes.
Alexander remained silent.
He glanced at her occasionally in the mirror.
Noticing she had fallen asleep, he pulled over near MIT.
He quietly looked out the window.
Sophia's sleep was light.
But she was too tired. She needed the rest.
Sensing his consideration, she opened her eyes.
"Earlier... thank you," she said quietly. "I've troubled you again."
Alexander replied, "It was nothing."
Sophia pressed her lips together.
She wanted to thank him for more than that.
No matter how disheveled she was, he never pried into her privacy.
He preserved her last shred of dignity.
"Gurgle—"
A faint sound emerged.
The tips of Sophia's ears turned red. She covered her stomach.
She hadn't eaten anything since morning.
The adrenaline had masked it, but now she was ravenous.
Even though she tried to hide it, Alexander heard.
"It's been a while since you ate at the MIT cafeteria, right? Would you like to try it?"
Sophia blinked.
Fifteen minutes later, they walked into the cafeteria.
The MIT cafeteria was famous.
Three buildings, covering cuisines from all over.
It even had international food.
Sophia used to love the Chinese food on the second floor.
The server there always smiled and gave her an extra scoop of meat.
From a distance, she could see that window.
The server was still there.
Three years after graduation, she wondered if the woman would remember her.
Sophia got in line.
The server was busy dishing out food, not looking up.
But the plate she handed over was piled high.
Sophia smiled. "Thank you."
Alexander paid.
They found a place to sit.
"It still tastes just as good," Sophia remarked.
The chef's skills might have even improved.
"I always missed meal times because of experiments," she recalled. "She would always save a drumstick for me."
Alexander remembered the server's expression warming the moment she saw Sophia.
Sophia stirred her food, suddenly feeling like talking.
"I didn't get along well with my roommate," she said. "Besides Olivia and Professor Watson, the cafeteria server was the kindest to me."
"And now, there's you."
Alexander's movements paused slightly.
Sophia continued, "School is better. Quiet. Pure. Deciding to go back for my master's might be the best decision I've ever made."
...
After eating, they took a walk around campus.
They followed the gravel path, passing under the grape arbor.
A cool breeze brushed their faces. The lake shimmered with light.
They found themselves at the unnamed lake.
The lotus flowers had wilted, but their leaves still floated on the water's surface.
Tired, Sophia found a stone bench and sat down.
Alexander silently sat beside her.
"The wind here feels so nice," she said softly.
She leaned back on her hands, watching the lotus leaves drift on the waves.
Her mood gradually calmed.
Alexander said, "MIT has good environmental policies. The lake is clean. It is pleasant to sit here and enjoy the breeze."
Sophia was quiet for a moment.
"About what happened earlier..." she began.
"He was your ex-boyfriend?" Alexander asked.
Sophia turned to look at him.
The man adjusted his glasses, his gaze frank. "My apologies. I couldn't help overhearing your conversation before I entered the study."
Sophia gave a faint smile. "Yes. We just broke up. It was very ugly. Sorry you had to witness that."
Understanding flickered in Alexander's eyes behind his lenses.
Remembering the mention of six years during the argument, he had a guess.
But he didn't press further.
He just suddenly understood that the Henry Lorenz he saw that day wasn't her boyfriend.
As the sun set, they drove back.
Alexander helped her carry the books to her door.
As they parted, he handed her a tube of ointment. "I bought this on the way. It will help you heal faster."
Sophia was taken aback.
She guessed he bought it while she was asleep.
She took the ointment and pressed her lips together.
"Thank you."