Chapter 6

"Something's not right," Lorraine said with a frown. "What's not right?" Summer was confused. Lorraine took out her phone. Ambrose would definitely seek revenge on them since he hadn't achieved his goal. Sure enough, she saw a viral headline with Frederick's name in the hashtag, and her heart sank. Summer leaned in and saw the content of the webpage, and she hissed, "How despicable of him! I can't believe Ambrose actually said that Professor Neale led the charge to alienate him just because he refused to be forced into marriage! "Also, he just left, yet the news has already gone viral! Looks like he came prepared! How could there be someone as nasty and shameless as him!" Lorraine frowned and said, "That's not the main problem. He said my father had claimed sole ownership of the results of his study. My father has worked on this project for three years, and it's about to wrap up soon. Being caught in this scandal at a moment like this would surely affect the project!" Summer quickly consoled her, saying, "Don't worry. The older someone gets, the wiser they become. Surely, Professor Neale can take care of this." Lorraine would be lying if she said she wasn't worried. Ambrose knew very well what Frederick cared about the most, yet he suddenly posted such a private matter online, attracting everybody's attention. Clearly, he was determined to ruin Frederick's legacy. "Ambrose, what the hell are you trying to do?" Lorraine texted him. Soon, he replied, "You guys are the ones who forced my hand!" Lorraine gritted her teeth and cursed, "What a shameless, despicable man!" "Gosh!" Summer shoved her phone in Lorraine's face and said, "Look, Lorraine! Justin published a webpage, clearing the air for you!" Shocked, Lorraine quickly grabbed Summer's phone. Justin had just registered a webpage, and the first thing he published was a clarification to clear her name. "If he's the fiancé, then who am I?" Justin wrote. He also attached a copy of the engagement declaration below. Every detail signifying their commitment to marry each other was clearly stated in the declaration. Summer was all worked up as she urged, "Lorraine, hurry up and say something, too. I see that everybody in the comment section is questioning if Justin's love is one-sided." Lorraine calmed down and grabbed her phone. She published her copy of the engagement declaration on the webpage as well and wrote, "It has always been Justin, and it will always be him. Thank you for all you've done." Both of them uploaded the engagement declaration at the same time, leaving Ambrose's plan in shambles. Ambrose was infuriated, and he kept calling Lorraine like he had gone mad. Lorraine truly couldn't stand how annoying it was anymore, so she answered the call, putting it on speakerphone before tossing it on the table. Ambrose's voice could be heard loud and clear through the speaker. He was terrified as he said, "Lorraine, I was wrong. I admit that. Please forgive me, alright? "I was blinded and bewitched. I apologize to you." "Not all apologies end in forgiveness," Lorraine replied. She had paid the price with her life to get a chance for a do-over. This time, she absolutely wouldn't be used by Ambrose again. "What do I have to do for you to forgive me, Lorraine?" Ambrose asked. "What do you have to do?" Lorraine sneered and recorded the call before she said, "Leave Roxanne, and I'll forgive you." What followed was a long moment of silence. Then, Ambrose said in a deep, heavy voice, "Roxanne and I have nothing to do with each other. I'm only taking care of her like she's my sister." But he almost drove Lorraine to death for the sake of Roxanne, his so-called sister. Was he truly regretting his actions? He was just scared. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to secure funding and would lose everything. With a sneer, Lorraine said, "I don't care what she is to you. If you want me to forgive you, then cut all ties with her." Ambrose calmed down and speculated that Lorraine must still have feelings for him. Otherwise, she wouldn't force him to part ways with Roxanne. A moment later, he said in an incredibly gentle voice, "For you, I can do anything. From today on, I won't have anything to do with Roxanne anymore. Don't worry." "Anybody could say that. Do you really think I'll trust you again? What a fool!" Lorraine hissed, ending the call right after. Ambrose smashed his phone on the ground and screamed at the top of his lungs. He pulled his hair like he had gone mad and kicked the coffee table over. Panting, he picked up his phone again and said, "Lorraine, you're the one who pushed me too far!" … Lorraine glanced at the time and got up from the couch. "I'm going to head out," she said. "Would you like me to give you a lift?" "No need," she replied, shaking her head. She wanted to thank Justin in person. She had once been to Justin's headquarters in the country along with her father, so she followed the address in her memory and drove over. Right as she stepped into the building, she was stopped by the receptionist. Lorraine then mentioned her name, and the receptionist made a call. It didn't take long before a young man in a sharp suit walked out of the elevator. "Ms. Neale, I'm Liam Davis, Mr. Ford's assistant. Mr. Ford is in a meeting right now. I'll take you upstairs first," said Liam. "Alright," Lorraine replied. She then followed Liam into Justin's office. "This is the coffee I've made for you. And I'll be right outside. Just call me if you need anything," said Liam. Lorraine nodded and sat on the couch, waiting for Justin patiently. Justin's office was incredibly spacious. The minimalist decor in black and white perfectly matched the impression he gave others—aloof and detached. After she waited for a while, she couldn't sit still anymore. She then walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to look out of it. Shockingly, she could see her university from the window. She had no clue why Justin chose to have his office in this location. But after she gave it a thought, she figured he probably thought the proximity would give him an edge—being so close to the university would make it more suitable for him to recruit new talent. Also, whenever he felt stifled by his tedious job, he could just turn around and look at the students who were filled with enthusiasm. Perhaps that would put him in a good mood. Meanwhile, Liam opened the door to the room next door. "Mr. Ford, Ms. Neale is here," Liam reported. Justin's expression didn't change at all as he nodded and said, "Alright." Liam was confused. Clearly, Justin was not in a meeting. In fact, there was nothing at all on his schedule at this moment. Why was he refusing to see Lorraine, then? Liam glanced at his monitor, which was broadcasting the surveillance feed of the office next door. Lorraine was sitting on the couch, feeling bored as she flipped through the finance magazine. As time ticked away, she went through the entire magazine a few times. Still, Justin had no intention to get up and entertain her. Liam couldn't help but remind him, saying, "Mr. Ford, Ms. Neale has been waiting for half an hour. She'll probably leave if she were to wait any longer." Lorraine had glanced at the time and hesitated a few times earlier, but she didn't leave. "There's no rush," Justin replied. As soon as he said that, Lorraine put the magazine down on the table, grabbed her purse, and walked out. Great, she was gone. Liam looked at Justin carefully and said, "Mr. Ford, you might still be able to get Ms. Neale back if you head out now." Justin left without saying anything and returned to his office. He picked up the magazine that Lorraine had flipped through several times earlier when his phone on the table buzzed. He sat down and grabbed his phone. The screen lit up, and a message popped up. "Justin, are you not willing to marry me?"