Charlotte emerged from the restroom, barely suppressing a laugh. “Professor Carstairs doesn’t seem to have much of a soft spot for women, does he?”
He glanced at her. “She needs Evander’s kindness more than mine.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes but let it go. Still, something else caught her by surprise. “I heard Professor Aldridge hasn’t taken any students from Vandalia in years. Tricia’s pretty lucky.”
“She caught a break because of an anonymous research paper.”
“A paper?” Charlotte stopped short.
Could it be… Was it the neural stem cell transplantation paper she’d written ten years ago?
The thought struck her as absurdly funny.
…
Tricia stepped out of the hospital and was immediately approached by a bodyguard in a black suit. “Our lady would like to see you.”
Tricia hesitated. Lady?
She glanced toward a sleek, stretched limousine nearby. Could it be…?
She climbed into the car alongside the bodyguard.
Inside, a poised woman in her early fifties sat waiting. With flawless skin and striking features, she looked even younger than Miranda Sutherland, and every inch as elegant.
“You must be… Mrs. Carstairs?” Tricia ventured.
Daphne studied her closely. “I’ve heard rumors my son’s seeing a woman lately. I don’t know if it’s you, but… your background isn’t exactly suitable.”
Judd has a girlfriend, and the Carstairs family doesn’t even know? Tricia’s mind drifted back to the shadow she’d glimpsed in the restroom—could that have been her?
But there was no time to dwell on it. After all, Daphne Carstairs wouldn’t be the first to look down on her roots.

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