Chapter 169: Willow Summers Had Long Been Bought Over

Cecilia Nash said, "You all probably don’t know this, but not only did Little Ian rank first in all four IQ tests, her overall scores were number one as well."

The selection criteria for the prodigy program were incredibly strict. The four IQ tests alone were enough to weed out anyone who wasn’t a good fit.

Besides, Jane Lancaster’s intelligence and overall abilities were terrifyingly strong. Anyone might have had to drop out because they couldn’t keep up, but never her.

So when she wanted to drop out, she was met with fierce opposition. The team of professors in charge was so anxious that they repeatedly tried to persuade her father.

...But in the end, their persuasion failed. Timothy Lancaster’s stubbornness nearly drove the professors to an early grave.

Instead, it was Jane Lancaster who approached the professors, telling them that a diamond in the rough will shine anywhere and that she would go to Solara in ten years.

To this day, those professors still remember that ten-year promise. But no one ever expected that Jane Lancaster would fall into a coma after saving someone.

Sylvan’s own mentor was the head of the prodigy program back then. When he heard the tragic news, he was so heartbroken he fell ill.

So Jane Lancaster wasn’t alone; she had a whole crowd of people who cared about her standing behind her.

Jasper Sterling shot Luna Morgan a cool glance. ’What right does this woman have to compare herself to Jane Lancaster?’

Luna Morgan’s face burned as if she’d been slapped.

’Sylvan’s mentor is a giant in his field, a mathematician whose name is in textbooks. Even he extended an olive branch to Jane Lancaster. No wonder Jane had no interest in studying under Chairman Gould.’

"...I’m sorry." Luna Morgan lowered her head, not daring to meet anyone’s eyes.

The feeling of utter humiliation made her so ashamed she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

Sylvan stuck his hands in his pockets. "Forget it. Let’s go."

As they walked out, Chloe Dave quietly let out a sigh of relief.

The oppressive aura from those three was so strong it was almost suffocating.

"Pauline, please don’t tell anyone what happened today, okay?" he asked, worried about the public backlash against Luna Morgan.

’Thankfully, there’s no one else we know in this coffee shop,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, I would’ve really screwed up and gotten Luna dragged through the mud again.’

Pauline Shaw nodded. She was thinking the same thing as Chloe Dave.

"Hold on, am I invisible or something?" Beverly Lynch was shocked. ’They’ve already reached an agreement?’

Pauline Shaw tried to reason with her. "Beverly Lynch, you’re a capable woman. You don’t need to tear down other women to get ahead. Why can’t you just be a little kinder? Do you have any idea what would happen if this got out? If someone with an agenda decided to spin this, Luna would be thrown to the wolves all over again."

"I’m begging you, please don’t say anything, okay?"

Beverly Lynch snorted. "Don’t try to guilt-trip me. I’m not falling for it."

After a pause, she added, "I’m not interested in spreading gossip. And it’s not because you asked me, but because..."

’Because Jane Lancaster doesn’t go around talking about these things.’ Beverly Lynch swallowed the words.

Pauline Shaw was a little confused about the reason, but that wasn’t the important part. As long as Beverly Lynch agreed, it was fine.

’We both have a strong moral compass. So even if we can’t be friends, we can still reach an amicable agreement.’

As Beverly Lynch turned to leave, Pauline suddenly called out, "You and Jasper Sterling... is there really nothing going on?"

Beverly Lynch rolled her eyes. "If you like Jasper Sterling, then go after him. What’s it got to do with me?"

Pauline Shaw shot back, "Don’t be ridiculous! I have a boyfriend! But you—why did you break up with Shawn Sutton? Was it something Willow Summers said?"

Beverly Lynch stopped in her tracks and turned back. "What are you trying to say? Are you trying to drive a wedge between me and Willow?"

"Don’t you think Willow Summers has been acting strange lately?" Pauline Shaw had decided to just go for it; she wasn’t going to keep Jane Lancaster’s secret any longer.

Beverly Lynch’s eyes turned icy. "You’d better explain yourself, or don’t blame me for what happens next."

Pauline Shaw laid it all out. "Willow Summers was bought out a long time ago. She’s sided with Jay time and again. Don’t you find that strange? Yvonne Jennings must have suspected something, right?"

Luna Morgan looked at her in shock. "Pauline, what on earth are you saying!"

’She can’t possibly mean what I think she means, right? Miss Lancaster would never do something like that.’

’This is insane! The accusation is too serious!’

Beverly Lynch snapped out of it. "Pauline Shaw, have you lost your mind?"

Pauline Shaw didn’t care. She had to get it off her chest. "It’s because she suspected you still had feelings for Zion, so she had Willow Summers convince you to break up with Shawn Sutton."

Beverly Lynch frowned. "You’re lying! I broke up with him because I wanted to..."

"Then why did you want to break up?" Pauline Shaw cut her off.

Beverly Lynch was speechless. She had wanted to break up because Jane Lancaster told her Shawn Sutton was no good.

"Do you still think Luna is your enemy? So many of your words, actions, and decisions have been manipulated by someone else. Isn’t that terrifying?"

Pauline Shaw looked grim. "You should look into it yourself. I’ve said all I’m going to say."

With that, she pulled the stunned Luna Morgan out of the café.

Standing in the sunlight, she finally let out a slow breath.

"Pauline, you must have misunderstood Miss Lancaster! She’s not that kind of person!" Luna Morgan said anxiously, grabbing Pauline Shaw’s sleeve.

Chloe Dave, however, had a different take. "What reason would Pauline have to lie? Jane Lancaster has a track record. I think Pauline must know something to be saying this."

’So what if Jane Lancaster is a genius? She’s a terrible person. Using her intelligence just to frame others is twisted.’

Pauline Shaw said, "I saw and heard it with my own two eyes. How could it be fake?"

Hearing this, Luna Morgan let go of her sleeve and fell silent.

Pauline Shaw glanced back at the coffee shop. The glass was reflecting the sunlight, so she couldn’t see Beverly Lynch inside, but she knew Beverly was most likely watching her.

’Just wait,’ she thought. ’Once Beverly Lynch investigates, the truth will come out.’

——

After Cecilia Nash left, she told Jane Lancaster what had happened that day.

"We didn’t cause you any trouble by doing that, did we?" After a pause, she explained, "Sylvan said he’s ready to offer a humble apology."

Jasper Sterling had actually warned them that Jane Lancaster might not want them getting too involved with her, nor would she necessarily be happy about her past being brought up.

But in that situation, they just couldn’t stomach it, so she and Sylvan couldn’t help but step forward to set the record straight.

Now that they’d had their moment of satisfaction, they had to face the consequences.

Jane Lancaster didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "You two are being too dramatic. There’s no need for that."

After a moment, she sighed. "I’m sorry. My stubbornness made you come all this way for nothing."

They had taken several days off and traveled a great distance to see her. Sylvan had even come on a mission from his mentor, yet she wouldn’t even meet with them. It must have seemed so heartless.

Cecilia Nash replied, "Of course not. Jasper said you have your reasons, and we all understand. We just wanted to see you, to see with our own eyes that you’re doing okay. As long as we know you’re alright, we can rest easy. We have plenty of time. There will be other chances to meet in the future, right?"

Jane Lancaster was silent for a moment. "Have a safe trip."

On the other end of the line, Jasper Sterling, who was listening in with Sylvan, felt his heart sink.

She had dodged the question.