Chapter 231
Claire wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear that name.
Of course, she wasn’t about to tell Sammie that she was Melissa’s daughter. Not so soon, anyway. She remembered what Pandora had said—her parents might not have died in an accident. They could have just disappeared. If that was true, only someone powerful could have made it happen. Maybe a foreign entity, or even the government itself. Claire honestly hoped it was the latter. At least that would mean Melissa and Agassi were still out there somewhere, even if it was dangerous for them. Either way, she couldn’t afford to let anyone tie her to them, not now, not when it could put all of them at risk.
“Melissa… That name sounds familiar,” Claire said, frowning a little, like she was trying to remember.
“She competed in the IMO and actually won the championship,” Sammie replied.
Melissa had made a huge splash when she first appeared on the international stage. Everyone noticed her. She was the center of attention all through college too, always standing out. But then she started dating someone, and suddenly she faded into the background. A lot of the professors weren’t happy about it. They just couldn’t understand why someone with her talent would waste time on romance. If they’d had her gifts, they would have devoted themselves to math completely. In their eyes, anything less was a waste.
“Solenia hasn’t done so well at the IMO these past few years, but back then, Melissa was unbeatable. She left competitors from other countries in the dust,” Sammie said.
Melissa attracted attention everywhere she went, not just because she was talented, but because she was beautiful too. Even when she won the championship, she caught the eye of so many foreign students. Some of them even transferred to Cabinda University just to be near her, signing up as exchange students for the chance to get close. But Melissa was never interested.
“You’re really good too. If you keep this up, you might bring back the glory days, just like Melissa did,” Sammie added.
“Do you have any of her old notes or manuscripts, Professor?” Claire asked, her eyes bright with curiosity. “Or maybe some of her published papers? I’d love to see just how amazing she really was p>
There was a hint of both admiration and a stubborn, competitive edge in Claire’s voice—a young up-and-comer looking up to a legend, but wanting to prove herself too.
Sammie, though, wasn’t so easily fooled. He narrowed his eyes, studying Claire carefully, though he kept any sharp suspicion hidden.
“You’re really that interested in Melissa p>
Claire touched her nose, a little sheepish but determined. “Yeah, I really want to learn from her. Didn’t you say might have a shot
matching herachievemen
1 want
to see what made her so great. Maybe her notes will inspire me p>
Sammie didn’t answer right away. For a moment, Claire thought he was going to say
no. But then he spoke.
“All right,” he said. “But you have to
pass the first stage of the
assessment first. If you can’t even
make it to the next round, I don’t see
how you’d be able to understand Melissa’s notes p>
Claire hadn’t expected that, but the more she thought about it, the more it made
sense.
“Okay. I won’t let you down,” she promised.
By then, Claire was pretty much done with her meal. She gathered up her tray and Sammie’s as well. He didn’t say anything, just watched as she walked away, lost in his own thoughts.
Norris showed up a little late, still carrying the stress of grading papers. When he saw Claire, he just nodded. The two of them avoided eye contact, and Norris headed straight for Sammie.
“Professor, did you already eat, or are you still hungry?” Norris asked. If Sammie hadn’t eaten, Norris was ready to grab him something so they could talk about the test over lunch.
“I’ve already eaten. Claire’s got guts, though. She actually asked to see your aunt’s notes,” Sammie said,
She
glancing at Norris “You know! really reminds me of your aunt. Not just how she looks, but her whole personality. They’re a lot alike p>