Chapter 420

Marcus Lawrence frowned.

"Don't lump me in with 'you men'."

"Hmph! All crows are black under the sun!"

"I'm different from him," Marcus insisted.

Hannah Morse scoffed.

"I don't believe you."

"Want to test that theory?"

Hannah froze as Marcus turned and walked away.

She blinked.

Test what?

Fiona Valentine and Shane Holloway avoided expulsion.

But no faculty advisor would accept them.

The university had to make reluctant arrangements.

Serious academic work was out of the question.

Graduating with a diploma was their best possible outcome.

The school contacted the competition organizers.

They explained the situation and returned Sophia Sullivan's team's Grand Prize.

An official statement corrected the winner list on the website.

One scandal had unraveled many threads.

The Major Cold solar term arrived.

The year's end drew near.

Caleb Watson spent a few days in the lab.

Then he returned to his hometown with Jude Granger.

Hannah's father called, urging her home.

"Sweetie, when are you coming back?"

"The New Year is almost here. Your mother and I are heading back to Luhe soon."

"You're the eldest daughter of the main family line. You can't wait until New Year's Eve. Your uncles and granduncles won't scold you, but they'll lecture me. Have some pity on your old man!"

Hannah relented.

"Alright! I'll come back tomorrow!"

Her father was overjoyed.

"I'll have Ah Kai pick you up at the airport tomorrow!"

"No. His tattoos make him look like gangster. I'll take a taxi."

"Fine, fine. Whatever you say."

Hannah returned to Guangdong Province the next day.

With her gone, Marcus also stopped coming to the lab.

Only Sophia remained.

...

The night was deep and ink-black.

At eight, Sophia finished checking the power sources.

She locked the lab door, grabbed her bag, and left.

Her car's tire pressure was off.

The dashboard had issued a warning.

She'd sent it to the dealership with a driver that morning.

Tonight, she had to take a taxi.

She placed an order on the ride-hailing app in advance.

But the page kept showing her in a queue.

It shouldn't be this bad at this hour...

She understood once she stepped outside.

Snow had begun falling at some point.

Thick, heavy flakes swirled in the air.

Tree branches were already coated in a thick, fluffy white layer.

Sophia reached out and poked the nearest branch.

Her finger left a small dent.

It had snowed several times this winter.

But it still felt fresh and exciting.

She withdrew her red, chilled hand after playing awhile.

The app still showed no drivers had accepted her ride.

She looked up.

A snowflake landed on her eyelash.

The icy sensation made her blink, melting it instantly.

Before Hannah left yesterday, she'd said she wanted to see one more snowfall.

She hadn't expected it to happen today.

"Beep, beep—"

A strong beam of light hit her.

Sophia couldn't keep her eyes open and raised a hand to shield them.

The high beams switched to low beams.

The car pulled over and the engine cut.

The door opened.