Chapter 453
Chapter 453:
With that, the delivery guy gave her a deep nod and hurried off. When Yelena and Corbett returned to the lab, they were surprised to find a small stack of takeout boxes already sitting on the table.
Before they could say anything, Roland stepped out from the lab, hands casually tucked into his pockets. His expression was uncharacteristically soft.
“I saw what happened earlier,” Roland said, his voice calm but resolute. “The school administration needs to hear about it. Brinley’s behavior doesn’t just reflect poorly on her—it reflects poorly on the lab. This sort of thing can’t go unnoticed.” Then Roland gestured to the takeout boxes with a faint smile.
“I ordered these for you all. They’re not as fancy as Coastal Port’s, but they’ll do p>
There was something unusually warm in his tone, a small gesture of care hidden behind his practical demeanor. Corbett blinked in disbelief; this was probably the first time Roland had ever been nice to his students.
No lectures, no grilling about tomorrow’s presentation—just casual conversation about the mentor program and some experimental concerns. It was strange, almost too relaxed. Then, as quickly as he had appeared, Roland wrapped up his words and disappeared in a hurry.
Erica, chewing thoughtfully on her meal, replayed Roland’s earlier comments in her mind. Suddenly, her fork froze mid-air, her eyes going wide with realization.
“Wait a minute! When Professor Hoffman was talking about those experimental problems, I ran everything through my head—and I just figured it out p>
It had taken her a moment to piece it together, but the clarity felt like flipping on a light in a dark room.
Across the table, Yelena smiled knowingly, her expression calm but proud. She had understood Roland’s intentions from the very start—he hadn’t been offering idle chatter; he’d been leading Erica toward the solution. And though Yelena could’ve pointed it out immediately, she’d joined them and let the conversation flow naturally, subtly guiding Erica toward organizing her thoughts without forcing the answer.
Erica beamed, her earlier nervousness now replaced with confidence. “I can’t believe it—I get it now p>
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“You’re incredible,” Corbett said, a mixture of admiration and relief in his voice. “If you present our work like that tomorrow, you’re going to blow them away p>
Erica turned toward Yelena, her expression grateful. Yelena met her gaze and gave a simple, reassuring nod. No words were needed—Erica knew that Yelena had been silently supporting her all along.
The next day arrived in a blur. Yesterday’s incident with Brinley and her group still hung in the air like smoke. Brinley, seated with her crew, locked eyes with Yelena and her team, her stare sharp and venomous. A sneer tugged at the corner of Brinley’s lips as she leaned back in her chair, Brinley sneered, “Try not to embarrass yourselves too much today,” her voice dripping with mockery. “I’d hate to laugh so hard I fall out of my chair p>
Yelena met Brinley’s glare head-on, her expression cool and unshaken, as though Brinley’s words hadn’t even registered. “Let’s see who’s laughing soon p>
Brinley’s brow furrowed. The thought of losing to Yelena’s group felt unacceptable, almost insulting. Lab work presentations were her stage, where her group reigned supreme. Failure? Not even a remote possibility in her mind. But there stood Yelena—calm, composed, and exuding a quiet confidence that dug under Brinley’s skin like a thorn.
“Save your confidence for yourself,” Brinley sneered, her words barbed with mockery.
The groups filed into the meeting room, tension thick as fog. The upcoming draw would decide their fates, and luck, as always, played no favorites.
Erica drew the first spot—a position often seen as a curse rather than an advantage. Everyone knew the truth—going first was a gamble. Unless the presentation dazzled, the first speaker usually risked being overlooked, buried under whatever followed.
The real question was whether Erica would rise to the occasion or crumble under the pressure.