Chapter 292

er 292 A Heartbeat Out of Rhythm
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– his scent, his steady breathing, the
The memory of falling into his arms was far too vivid firmness of his hold… it all replayed in her mind again and again.
She didn’t dare look at him, afraid he would see how wildly her heart was beating.
Jasper, sitting at her side, wore the same calm expression as always. Only the faint curl of his fingers, hidden at his side, betrayed anything. His fingertips still remembered the softness of her waist, the tickle of her hair brushing against his wrist.
He tilted his head slightly, catching sight of the blush creeping over her ears. His his throat bobbing almost imperceptibly.
eyes darkened,
His face, outwardly unchanged, gave nothing away. But if one looked closely, even his usually cool ear–tips were tinged with the faintest pink. Follow current novᴇls on
The evening breeze drifted in again, stirring the strands of hair at Scarlett’s ear and teasing a lock of Jasper’s across his forehead.
Neither spoke, but the silence between them stretched taut, full of something unspoken. It was like a thread – sweet and a little bitter – winding around them, pulling tighter in the twilight.
Scarlett risked a glance at him from the corner of her eye. His expression remained unchanged, and she let out a tiny breath, forcing herself to walk as if nothing were wrong.
Only she knew that the briefest brush against him had unraveled her heartbeat completely, and it would be a long time before it steadied again.
Meanwhile, Jasper’s hand stayed tucked into his pocket, fingertips lingering with that same remembered softness. He pressed his lips together, quietly burying the stirrings he shouldn’t
allow.
“Really?”
Jack’s voice snapped her back, his face bright with excitement. He didn’t think twice about his sudden braking earlier, only now realizing how off both Scarlett and Jasper had seemed.
But none of that mattered. What mattered was that Scarlett had said she could help.
Scarlett quickly pulled herself together, cheeks burning.
How embarrassing. She had almost lost control just now.
It wasn’t as though she had never been close to a man before. Connor had held her in their sweeter days. But back then, it had felt no different than being thrown into a brotherly hug.
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Chapter 292 A Heartbeat Out of Rhythm
Nothing special.
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This time… this was different. Strange. New. Enough to make her shy, to make her chest flutter, to make her heart stutter.
She coughed lightly, breathing deep to calm herself.
“I have a friend, Sharon. You know her too. Her husband works in this field. When we get to Trenwyn, we can talk to them.”
Jack’s eyes lit up. He hated trouble, and if this could be solved quickly, all the better. Especially with someone he already knew like Sharon that would be simple.
—
“If this works out, you’ll really be saving me. I’ll owe you a favor!”
Scarlett forced a smile. “No need for that, really.”
She turned toward the window, deliberately avoiding Jasper. Her heart hadn’t yet calmed down.
At Trenwyn Medical University, in the president’s office.
With Wayne gone to Jandale for his daughter and granddaughter, Vice President Leon was handling affairs.
He frowned down at the pile of letters on his desk, eyes cold.
He handed them to the staff around him. “Look at these. All complaints about Scarlett. They say she only won the Jandale competition through her Lane family connections. They’re even accusing her thesis of misconduct, insisting the school shouldn’t let her graduate.”
The others read over the letters, their brows furrowing.
“Scarlett is the pride of this school. This isn’t right.”
“Besides, she is part of the Lane family. If she had access to their resources, that’s natural.”
“That competition was fair. Status had nothing to do with it.”
Leon sighed. “I think the same. But these complaints weren’t only sent here. They were forwarded to the higher departments. That means her defense this time… won’t be so simple.”
At the university seminar, the air was leaden.
The projector still displayed the conclusion page of Scarlett’s thesis – a study on new targeted drugs for late–stage liver cancer. The data was solid, the logic sound, the references spanning
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Just like other schools, her work had been reviewed before the defense.
Because too often, mentors tried to shield their students, or hinder others.
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Year after year, the pressure grew heavier. Now, it had become routine for student papers to be dissected in open seminars before a defense.
Send Gifts
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