Chapter 92

Trailing carefully behind Stetson, Stacey made sure not to do anything that might set Rylie off. She knew full well she wasn't a match for her. All she could muster was a weak smile. "Mom and Dad really miss you. It'd mean a lot if you came home to visit."

Rylie acted like Stacey wasn't even there, heading straight for her seat without sparing her a glance.

All around them, whispers stirred like wind through leaves. Some people murmured that ever since Rylie went from being the Kirk family's fake daughter to a real high-society figure, she'd grown too full of herself.Others said she was smart to ignore someone like Stacey- who knew how easily a simple conversation could turn into a trap?

If not for making it to the finals, Rylie wouldn't have even bothered showing up. Leaning back lazily, she stifled a yawn, waiting for the award ceremony to finallykick off.

Stories about Rylie had already reached Stetson's ears. After Timothy was put in jail, the lab he once led was handed directly to Rylie by the mysterious investor backing the project. The decision had sparked no small amount of gossip among the mentors.

Naturally, Stacey-who used to call herself Rylie's sister-became the one that everyone wanted to ask questions about Rylie.

According to what Stacey told them, Rylie's academic track record was solid, but nowhere near the level required to run a medical research lab solo. Not to mention, she had only just turned twenty this year.

Every so often, Stetson found his gaze drifting toward Rylie, who looked moments away from dozing off in her seat. "Rylie's truly impressive. If shewere to join my research group, it'd be a huge win for us."

When she heard that, Stacey's smile faltered. Her life with the Kirk family was already hanging by a thread.Things weren't much better at school. Most of the girls had started to shut her out, leaving her to cling to old connections from her former research group. Getting into Stetson's team had taken no small effort-countless compliments, constant eagerness to help. But now, hearing him talk about recruiting Rylie so openly sent a wave of panic through her.

Biting down on her lip, she carefully steered the conversation in a different direction. "Professor Ahmed, heard there's a special gold award this year, aside from the usual top three prizes. Is it meant for our group's paper?"

Hearing that, Stetson gave a light, self-satisfied laugh. "That's right. Our work has brought some meaningful progress to the field. It might seem small now, but it's caught the experts' attention. That's why they created the gold award in the first place."

Stacey smoothed out the wrinkles on her blazer, checking herself quickly before flashing a polite smile. "All thanks to you, Professor Ahmed, and the guidance of our senior team. This award feels like a golden stamp on my future career."

With the Wilde family's downfall and VitaLink Hospital under investigation, Stacey's dream of working at VitaLink Hospital with Leland and Marsha as soon as she graduated was shattered. The Kirk family wasn't faring much better, barely holding on by a thread, and her brothers had long stopped hiding their disappointment in her. Stacey knew that she had no one left to rely on but herself to carve out a future.

Stetson, clearly enjoying the flattery, allowed a wider smile to stretch across his face. "Let's not overdo it,Stacey. In this field, staying humble is part of the job."

With her head bowed slightly, Stacey answered in a soft, obedient tone, "Of course,Professor Ahmed."

Soon after, the host stepped onto the stage, offering a warm smile as he kicked off the ceremony with a few welcoming remarks. One by one, the esteemed experts were invited up to introduce themselves before moving on to announce the nominated papers and the teams behind them.

Each time, a mentor would rise with their group of students, sharing stories of late nights, setbacks,and the hard work poured into their research.

The sound of applause rolled through the hall.

As Rylie's name came up, the host cleared his throat and projected his voice with practiced energy."Up next, we have 'Novel Discoveries and Clinical Applications of Neuroregenerative Factors. Would the representative from the team please step forward to share a few words?"

Another round of applause followed, echoing out of habit more than excitement, as eyes naturally drifted oward the side of the stage where most assumed a team of researchers would be rising together.

ut... From the center of the room, a single, slender figure stood slowly and without hurry.

With one hand tucked casually into her lab coat pocket, Rylie used the other to straighten her collar as she strolled toward the aisle. Her long ponytail shimmered like silk beneath the bright stage lights.

Silence fell over the entire venue in an instant.

Every pair of eyes locked onto the lone young woman making her way to the front without hesitation.

Near the back, a tall figure leaned lazily against the wall, his gaze never straying from her. A faint smile tugged at his lips. Even alone, she carried the weight and presence of an entire team.

A hushed voice broke the silence somewhere in the crowd. "She's handling all of this by herself? No mentor,no team behind her? How is that even possible? Rylie's seriously built different."

Stacey's eyes flew wide open, her fingers unconsciously digging into the flesh of her palm. She couldn't tear her gaze away from Rylie's back, no matter how much she wanted to look elsewhere. It was still hard to believe- the woman she once looked down on and trampled on was now standing alone in this grand academic hall, holding the room's attention with ease.