Chapter 290
No.1
"I swear, if you were any cooler, you'd be cryogenically frozen," Alastair said, circling Elisa for the third time. He adjusted the collar of his own tuxedo, fidgeting with nervous energy. "Most people would be a wreck. You look like you're about to give a lecture on quarterly earnings. It's terrifying."
Elisa stood in front of the full-length mirror in her hotel suite, making a final adjustment to the cuff of her blouse. She wasn't wearing a gown. She had chosen a custom-tailored black suit. The fabric was a deep, matte silk that seemed to absorb the light,the cut severe and minimalist. It was the armor of a warrior, not the finery of a guest.
A small, wry smile touched her lips. "I'm just not used to the title yet," she admitted. "Professor. lt feels...foreign."
"Oh, please," Alastair scoffed, rolling his eyes dramatically. "You're loving this. Don't lie. Most people spend thirty years publishing papers and begging for tenure to get a fraction of what just landed in your lap. You're allowed to gloat a little."
Her smile faded. She looked at her reflection, but her mind was elsewhere. She thought of her grandfather, still confined to a hospital bed just a few miles away, his recovery a fragile victory in the sterile halls of New York-Presbyterian. She thought of the secret of her parentage, a gaping wound in the fabric of her life.
This title, this power, it wasn't for gloating. It was for survival. It was the weapon she would use to protect the people she loved and to destroy the people who had tried to destroy her.
No.2
She turned from the mirror, her expression serious."Remember the plan, Alastair. Until Blevins makes the official announcement, I am just Faye from Aethel. No one can know. Not a hint."
Alastair put a hand over his heart. "My lips are sealed.I live for this kind of corporate theater. The big reveal. The public humiliation. It's better than Broadway."
Before they left, Elisa made one last call. She spoke to the head nurse on her grandfather's floor,confirming that his condition was stable and improving. The knot of anxiety that lived permanently in her chest loosened, just a fraction.Now,she could focus.
The Waldorf Astoria was a glittering spectacle. A
river of black town cars and limousines flowed toward the grand entrance. The lobby was a sea of tuxedos and designer gowns, a gathering of the world's most powerful minds in medicine and finance.
Elisa took Alastair's arm, and they stepped into the fray. Her composure was a mask of cool professionalism, but inside, her heart was hammering against her ribs. These were the people whose textbooks she had studied, whose papers she had revered. For a moment, she felt like an imposter.
No.3
"Easy, Faye," Alastair murmured, sensing her tension. "Remember who you are. In this room,you're not a fan. You're a peer."
She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and let the cool, confident persona of Faye take over. She moved through the crowd with a quiet grace, Alastair making the introductions,navigating the complex social currents with the ease of a seasoned CEO. She smiled politely,shook hands, and offered quiet, intelligent insights when asked, her understated confidence drawing more than a few curious looks from the established academic elite.
They were talking to a renowned geneticist from
the Karolinska Institute when a sudden hush fell over the room.
Like the parting of the Red Sea, the crowd shifted,creating a path from the entrance.
August Chambers had arrived.
No.4
He wore a black tuxedo that had been tailored to perfection, a dark prince surveying his kingdomn.He moved with an aura of absolute, arrogant power.
And on his arm, dripping in diamonds and a garish,bright red gown that screamed for attention, was Allena.
Elisa's and August's eyes met across the crowded room. It was like a spark jumping a gap, a silent,violent collision.
Allena saw her a second later. Her face, which had been beaming with pride, twisted into a familiar,ugly sneer. She tugged on August's arm, pulling him directly toward Elisa, a predator spotting her prey.
"Oh, for God's sake," Alastair muttered under his breath. "Can't they just leave us alone?" He squared his shoulders, a protective barrier in front of Elisa.
Allena stopped before them, her eyes raking over
No.5
Elisa's simple black suit with contempt.
"Well, well," she said, her voice a loud,condescending drawl. "I'm surprised they let just anyone in off the street. You must have begged someone for a ticket, Faye. Desperate to see what real success looks like?"
Elisa didn't even look at her. Her gaze went over Allena's shoulder, up toward the grand staircase leading to the VIP mezzanine. Dr. Blevins was standing at the top, looking down at the crowd, a small, knowing smile on his face.
August followed her gaze, a slight frown creasing his brow. There was something different about Elisa tonight. A stillness. A confidence he had never seen before.It was unsettling.
Just then, the master of ceremonies for the evening stepped up to the podium on the main stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention, please," he said, his voice booming through the sound system. The room fell silent.
No.6
"Tonight, we are deeply honored to have two of the brightest minds in modern medicine with us. Please join me in welcoming the legendary Dr. Orville Prescott, and the esteemed Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Dr. Gottlieb Blevins!"
A wave of respectful applause filled the hall.
"And," the MC continued, his voice rising with excitement, "Dr. Blevins has promised us a very special announcement. He will be introducing us to his most prized protégé, a brilliant rising star who is set to revolutionize the entire field!"
Allena's breath hitched. She was practically vibrating with excitement. This was her moment.She was the rising star. She shot Elisa a final,triumphant smirk and started to push her way toward the stage, ready to be anointed.
Dr. Blevins descended the grand staircase, a regal,authoritative figure. The crowd watched, holding its breath.
He didn't walk toward the stage. He didn't walk toward the fawning Allena.
No.7
He walked directly, without hesitation, to the spot where Elisa was standing.
He stopped in front of her.In front of August. In front of everyone.
He placed a warm, paternal hand on her shoulder.
"Faye," he said, his voice filled with a deep,booming pride that resonated through the silent,cavernous ballroom."Allow me."
He turned to the stunned audience.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Dr. Gottlieb Blevins announced, his voice ringing with history. "It is my profound honor to introduce you to our newest faculty member, and the youngest Associate Professor in the history of Johns Hopkins University... Professor Elisa Wilder."