Chapter 6

Sasha said, “I want to cut all legal ties with the Lane family.”

Gabriel froze, a complicated look crossing his face.

Since she came back, she’d been distant. Part of him thought that was only natural. Another part felt an unexpected sense of loss.

It felt like she was slipping out of his control.

Now she wanted to cut her legal ties to the family altogether. To him, that only proved one thing. The distance, the coldness, all of it was just a front. She still hadn’t truly let him go.

Strangely, he felt relieved.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to establish yourself here?” he said. “You don’t even have a permanent address or a real job yet. Where exactly are you planning to go? Just focus on your exams like I told you. Once you pass the civil service exam, I’ll buy you a condo in the city.”

She was going to cut all legal ties no matter what.

Whether he agreed or not didn’t matter.

Sasha didn’t want to argue, so she picked up the trophy. “Uncle Gabriel, I’m going to get some rest.”

“Alright. Get some sleep.” He reached out, intending to ruffle her hair.

She stepped aside.

His hand brushed nothing but the ends of her hair.

Chloe had wanted to make Sasha look bad. Ideally, she’d provoke the family into throwing her out. But she hadn’t expected there to be a camera in the storage room.

Not only had her plan failed, Sasha had even gotten a free apartment out of it.

Biting her lip, she looked at Gabriel cautiously. “Uncle Gabriel, I think Sasha’s still upset. Maybe I should give her the room back?”

“Not necessary,” he said absently.

She opened her mouth to say more, but he had already walked away.

Stomping her foot, she turned back to the shelf and reached for the camera.

She’d gone too far earlier. There was no way Gabriel could see that footage.

She pushed aside a few books and froze.

That wasn’t a camera at all.

Just a cheap plastic toy with a blinking red light.

She’d been played by Sasha.

…

Jet lag caught up with Sasha. She barely slept, only dozing off at dawn. By the time she woke again, it was already late.

When she stepped outside, she saw Chloe climbing into Gabriel’s car.

Gabriel rolled down the window. “Weren’t you going to the memorial? Get in.”

Chloe quickly cut in, “Uncle Gabriel, Sasha isn’t even ready yet. You need to get there early to take care of things. There’s no time.”

Gabriel checked the time, then frowned at Sasha. “Can you be ready in five minutes?”

Sasha shook her head. “You should go ahead.”

He didn’t hesitate. “Security will be tight today. People without invitations probably won’t even get in. It doesn’t matter if you go or not. Just take the day off and rest.”

Sasha didn’t respond. She only smiled.

Gabriel drove off.

Moments later, Sasha left as well and got into a car that had already been waiting for her.

She didn’t go to the funeral hall.

Instead, she went to Professor Leed’s former residence, a small house on the Huxley University campus.

Now it was occupied by his widow, Evelyn Leed. There had been a thirty-year age gap between them, and their marriage had once shocked the entire country.

Sasha had met her seven years ago overseas. Back then, Evelyn hadn’t married Professor Leed yet. She was just another struggling international student. Despite having very little herself, she and another student, Nina Jefferson, had taken Sasha in.

To pay for Sasha’s treatment, Nina sold the necklace her mother had left her. Evelyn ran around contacting schools for her, even asking Professor Leed for help. In the end, Sasha got into Hartfield University with a gold medal from the USABO and became his student.

Professor Leed didn’t take undergraduates, though, and by the time Sasha started grad school, he had already returned to the country. Not many people knew about their mentor-student relationship.

Evelyn looked much thinner now. Barefaced, she stepped forward and pulled Sasha into a hug.

Sasha gently patted her back. “You still have me.”

Evelyn’s eyes instantly turned red.

“Thank you,” she whispered, “for not starting with ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’”

Grief couldn’t be held back.

Evelyn hadn’t married Professor Leed for money, no matter what people said. What they had was real. He built a world around her, protecting her from gossip and judgment. They had their own way of loving each other.

And now he was gone.

Even in death, he had tried to protect her as much as possible. In his will, he left her a great deal.

Leed Biotech was one of those things.

But his son from his first marriage refused to accept it. He worked at the company too, and the moment his father passed, he pulled funding and took key researchers with him, planning to strike out on his own.

What was left of Leed Biotech was barely more than an empty shell.

Sasha wrapped her arms around Evelyn. “You don’t have to worry. I’ll join the company. I’ll help you rebuild it.”

Evelyn’s tears spilled over instantly. She opened her mouth, her voice trembling. “Sasha… don’t feel like you owe me or Professor Leed anything. With your credentials, you could go anywhere. People would fight to hire you…”

Sasha shook her head. “I do have conditions.”

Evelyn blinked.

“I want to lead R&D,” Sasha said calmly. “And I’m continuing the Alzheimer’s drug project.”

Those weren’t really conditions.

With her ability, she could get that anywhere.

She just couldn’t stand the thought of Evelyn being dragged through the mud.

From now on, she would work even harder. She would rebuild the company Professor Leed left behind, and she would prove to everyone that Evelyn didn’t need to rely on any man.

It was getting late. The two of them left together for the memorial.

…

Professor Leed’s funeral was grand.

Before eight in the morning, there was already a long line outside the funeral home. Students from Huxley University and members of the public had come on their own to pay their respects.

Inside, the memorial hall was filled with flowers and wreaths. Guests from all walks of life filed in one after another.

Chloe was in her element today.

Since Gabriel was the deputy director of the funeral committee, she had been given a role—welcoming guests.

The people arriving were all important figures. Government officials, leading scholars, business elites. No matter how distinguished they were, they still had to hand their entry passes to her, speaking politely as they did.

She glanced at the guest list.

Sasha’s name wasn’t under the international delegation.

So she must be outside, lining up with the students.

Gabriel walked over and handed her a bottle of water. “Tired?”

“Not at all. You’re the one working harder. You have to oversee everything.”

Gabriel scanned the area. “Sasha’s not here?”

Chloe shook her head. “Haven’t seen her. Maybe she’s with Dr. Hawke and the others?”

“Hawke’s already here,” Gabriel said. “He’s been invited to the lounge to meet the family. I should’ve brought her. Even handing out programs would’ve been something.”

Chloe made a show of stepping away. “I’ll go look for her—”

He stopped her. “Don’t worry about her. Just focus on your job.”

She nodded, pretending to be uneasy, but the corner of her lips had already lifted.

At 8:50, ten minutes before the ceremony was set to begin, the guests had all arrived, and Chloe went inside.

Gabriel led her to their seats near the front. From there, they had a clear view of the family section.

Two women were seated there.

One was Evelyn.

The other… was Sasha.

Chloe’s mind went blank. She couldn’t understand how Sasha had ended up there.

Gabriel felt the same. For once, he lost his composure, his gaze fixed on Sasha standing behind Evelyn.

As far as he knew, Professor Leed’s family consisted only of his widow and his son from his first marriage.

Wait.

There was also one student.

Sage.

Could it be—

“What is she doing here?” Chloe’s sharp voice cut through the air.

Gabriel didn’t know.

And more than anything, he wanted to find out.