Chapter 170

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‘ Did Hannah lie to me ? ‘ Liam wondered . ‘ Was the inhibitor really developed by Aria and her team ? Did Aria go to the front lines ? Then the one who saved
me …
Liam looked at Aria , fragmented memories flooding his mind and leaving his thoughts in utter chaos .
Katrina sneered , “ So you’re not just a homewrecker , but a thief too ? ”
Hannah snapped , “ Shut up ! ”
Hannah raised her voice , staring into the camera . “ Professor Wallace , those notes were written based on my own experiments ! I never even saw Professor Colton’s research notes . I didn’t even know she’d been in the lab ! I always thought you used my notes to develop the inhibitor . No one ever told me it was Professor Colton who made it . I can quit Kerano Global Health , but I won’t accept this false accusation ! ”
She insisted , “ I barely slept three hours a day . I had friends back home prepare herbal medicine and send it to the front lines . I did countless experiments and filled several notebooks ! I can send all my notes and herbal medicine purchase records to Kerano Global Health to prove my innocence . I swear ! never saw that missing research note ! ”
“ Professor Wallace , ” Hannah pleaded , her voice trembling , “ You were my mentor throughout my studies abroad . Don’t you trust me ? ”
Ava fell silent for a moment , surprised by this unexpected layer to the situation .
Aria’s research notes were printed , leaving multiple copies .
She clearly remembered that there were significant overlaps between Hannah’s notes and Aria’s research notes .
But it still didn’t prove Hannah stole the research notes .
Maybe she had misjudged this girl .
Seeing Ava’s expression soften , Hannah turned to Aria and said solemnly , “ Aria . I formally apologize to you . I was mistaken about you . ”
She admitted honestly , “ I know how the inhibitor was developed . When I saw the herbal components were almost exactly what I had in mind , I just assumed my notes had made a difference . Honestly , it never occurred to me that you were the one leading the team behind it all . ”
Griffin grumbled , “ So this whole thing was just a misunderstanding , huh ? ”
Someone in the crowd gasped , “ Wait . Aria needed a whole team to develop the inhibitor , but Hannah pulled it off all by herself ? Doesn’t that make Hannah way more impressive than Aria ? ”
“ But what about the missing research notes ? Who can prove Hannah didn’t take them ? ”
“ But Hannah does have proof that she developed it herself , ” someone argued ,
“ Show us the evidence ! ” someone demanded .
The crowd buzzed with speculation .
Ava sighed . “ Hannah , I know you’ve been dedicated to your research on the inhibitor . It was my own bias that led me to misjudge you from the start . I’m sorry !
Having spent nearly a year at Kerano Global Health , Hannah couldn’t possibly have been unaware of what was going on .
Without concrete evidence , Ava couldn’t press the matter further .
She said , “ I’ll explain the situation to Kerano Global Health . ”
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Hannah’s eyes brimmed with tears . “ There’s no need , Professor . Since I’ve already withdrawn , it just proves Kerano Global Health and i weren’t meant to be . ” She swallowed hard . “ I’ve decided to build my career here at home , so I won’t be going back to Erenoland . ”
“ I respect your decision . ”
“ Thank you , Professor . ”
If she ever returned to Kerano Global Health , she knew she’d only be a laughingstock .
No matter how hard she tried , she couldn’t compare to Aria , so she didn’t need to go back and make a fool of herself .
Ava looked at Aria again and said , “ Aria , take your time to think it over . Mooney University will always welcome you
The video call ended .
Hannah wiped away her tears , letting out a quiet sigh of relief .
Though the confrontation was dramatic , this video call undeniably confirmed Aria’s true identity .
She was a professor that even Mooney University was trying to recruit her .
with
open
arms . ”
Martin said warmly , “ Aria , if you’re willing , you could also join Mandino University as a professor. We may not be as prestigious as Mooney , but at least you could stay in the country . And if you want to pursue research on herbal medicine , we’ll make sure you have everything you need . ”
Aria shook her head . “ Sorry , Professor Schmidt . I’m not that strong academically , and I’m not really cut out for mentoring students . ”
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