Chapter 93
No More Miss Nice Guy
Sharp-eyed netizens quickly discovered the video was posted by MIT's official account.
This directly cleared Sophia Sullivan's name.
In the video, Alexander Laurent was the last interviewer to ask a question.
Then—
[An English question?!]
[This isn't going easy on her, it's nightmare difficulty.]
[My scalp tingled when that English started.]
[First time seeing someone solve a problem live during an interview.]
[Professor Laurent even prepared a whiteboard. So considerate.]
[Is no one talking about how hot Alexander Laurent is?]
[Completely shattered my stereotype of scholars.]
[Those wire-rimmed glasses! The ultimate sophisticated bad boy!]
A few negative comments remained.
They were quickly swarmed by other netizens.
[Think we're fools?]
[Clearly being used as pawns.]
[Fight back!]
Olivia Lopez monitored the public opinion closely.
She immediately sent Sophia a WeChat link when she saw the turnaround.
The weather was warming. Tender sprouts appeared in the window box planter.
Sophia was trimming dead leaves when her phone buzzed.
It was a link from Olivia.
She took off her gloves, washed her hands, and clicked it.
A familiar voice came from the video.
This was her first time watching the interview from an observer's perspective.
Her gaze involuntarily focused on Alexander Laurent.
From his question to his mid-way ask if she wanted to give up.
To that faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his lips at the end.
The man was professional, rigorous, yet still a gentleman.
"Mimi, check the comments!"
A new message popped up. Sophia opened the comments section.
The previously toxic space was now completely transformed.
Some were even making memes and shipping them.
She was utterly confused.
How did the internet go from hating her to obsessing over looks?
This development was unexpected.
Surely this was the end of it?
A heavy weight lifted from her heart. She was about to put her phone down.
The screen lit up with an incoming call from "Sebastian Evans."
She hesitated for two seconds before answering.
"I saw what happened online... are you okay?"
Sophia replied softly, "It's resolved."
"MIT was very effective this time." He hadn't even had time to intervene.
"Is there something you need, Mr. Evans?"
A bitter laugh came from the other end. "We're this familiar, can't you call me something else?"
"Like what?"
"Seb? Sebby? Or just Sebastian?"
"You're joking, Mr. Evans."
"...One day you'll call me Seb willingly."
"We'll talk about that later. I'll hang up if there's nothing else."
"Wait—I do have serious business today."
"?"
His tone turned serious. "The Maldives incident is cleared up."
Sophia instinctively sat up straight. "Go on."
"Are you free? Let's meet. I have some things to give you."
She checked the time and arranged to meet him the next afternoon.
...
The next day at the restaurant.
Sebastian pushed a manila envelope across the table as soon as she sat down.
"Documents from the legal team. Have a look first."
"The cross-border lawsuit took a year to advance. The hotel was forced to provide all surveillance footage."
"We found a witness by chance and followed the trail to the truth."
Sebastian already knew. He wasn't surprised by the outcome.
He tapped the table lightly, watching Sophia with a meaningful look.
"You're the victim. It's your decision what to do with this evidence."
Sophia's fingers curled slightly. She picked up the envelope and opened it.
It detailed how Isabella Langley bribed a diving instructor to swap the oxygen tank.
And how the gift box containing the venomous snake was planted.
Photos and videos were attached. The evidence was irrefutable.
Three attempts on her life, nearly succeeding.
She should have been furious, but she felt strangely calm.
As if she had expected this outcome all along.
After a long moment, she looked up and spoke deliberately.
"You're leaving the file for me to handle?"
"Yes."
"Then I'm calling the police."
Interest flickered in Sebastian's eyes. "Not telling Ethan Roscente?"
"Why would I tell him? We're long over. I'm calling the police because Isabella broke the law."
"This isn't about winning anyone back. It's about defending my right to life."
Her parents raised her with care, not to be bullied.
For herself and for justice, she wouldn't play the saint.
As for Ethan Roscente, he was neither police nor judge.
Whether he knew was irrelevant.
Sebastian cautioned, "Be prepared. The outcome might not meet expectations."
...
Leaving the restaurant, Sophia went to the police station with Sebastian to file a report.
The police accepted the case quickly.
But an experienced officer recognized it as a foreign case immediately.
Evidence collection was difficult. The photos and videos were grainy. It would likely be dismissed.
After a few words of caution, and seeing Sophia's insistence, they summoned Isabella Langley per procedure.
Isabella was participating in a major school event at that very moment.
She took the stage as host, basking in the admiring gazes from all sides.
She had just raised the microphone to speak.
The police arrived.