That one comment was enough to stir up curiosity.
Ariel caught the glance Matt tossed her way. It was still carrying that lazy, playful air. He was smiling without a trace of malice.
She gave a faint smirk. Her eyes glinted with quiet mockery
She knew exactly what he was doing.
Nancy knew the admissions results were being released today, and she also knew why Matt would bring it up in front of everyone. He was just trying to win back some ground for her and publicly embarrass Ariel.
She cast a faint glance at Ariel.
Of course she knew Ariel’s results were likely nothing impressive.
Without much expression, she simply said, “Well, we’re here at the research institute to learn. Pulling up admissions results here might steal the spotlight. I think it’s a little inappropriate.”
Frederick chuckled. “How is it inappropriate? If someone from this field gets a top score, it’s good news for the institute. It means more top–tier talent for the country. Ms. Stanton, you’re just being modest.”
“Exactly. Everyone’s curious.” Matt glanced back at a few familiar executives nearby and gave a slight smile. “And you and Ariel are kind of academic rivals. Now that everyone’s curious, how could we just leave it at that? No harm in checking.”
He tilted his head toward Ariel.
There were so many people here today. If her score didn’t hold up, it would only fuel the rumors that she had gotten in through connections.
With Matt fanning the flames, interest picked up fast.
His intentions were obvious. Ariel looked at him like one might look at a bad joke.
Chad glanced at Ariel’s calm expression, then turned toward Nancy with a smile. “Ms. Stanton, you’ve already been accepted, and your supervisor’s been assigned. Does the result really matter?”
Frederick shot over a cold look at those words. “What’s wrong, Mr. Hockney? Do you have something to hide?”
He cast a scornful glance at Ariel, clearly thinking Chad was trying to shield her from embarrassment.
“It’s really no big deal, Mr. Hockney. So many people take the postgraduate admissions exam every year. A few dozen points more or less don’t mean much.
“As long as Ms. Walker continues to study diligently under Mr. Carlos and hones her skills, I truly believe she has the potential to shine one day,” Matt reassured kindly, though the smirk on his lips never faded.
Nancy finally smiled. She turned to Jayson and asked quietly, “Jayson, should I check?”
She wasn’t interested in Ariel’s score anymore. After all, she already had a good idea. What she was interested in, and what Matt and the others wanted to know, was who placed first in the final exam.
She didn’t mind being a few points behind. What she wanted was a name and to know if that person had accepted a placement yet.
Jayson lifted his gaze slightly, then looked toward Ariel with an air of detachment. “Since Ms. Walker’s results are
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part of the list, shouldn’t we ask for her consent before looking them up publicly?”
He left the decision to Ariel.
She hadn’t expected that. Her eyes met his.
+25 BONUS
His expression was calm. It seemed like just a courteous question, but Ariel understood what he was after.
hiding something. If she said yes, she would be
If she said no, everyone would assume she was ashamed a publicly admitting she fell short of Nancy, and she would have no one to blame.
This wasn’t a concern.
Nancy realized it too. The furrow in her brow relaxed..
As she looked at Jayson’s indifferent profile, a warm smile tugged at her lips.
“Feel free to check. There’s nothing I’m hiding,” Ariel replied coldly. Her eyes glinted with a quiet, mocking edge.
Nancy was genuinely surprised.
