The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 1945

"Is a friend or relative prepping for their master's?" Veronica asked, forcing a gentle smile to hide her mounting anxiety. "I know quite a few grad school advisors in that field. I could help her out."

"That won't be necessary," Roger said coolly. He stacked his papers, sliding them into a manila envelope before standing up and draping his suit jacket over his arm. His face was a mask of indifference. "I don't eat late-night snacks."

"But I made this specifically for you." Seeing that he was leaving, Veronica's expression faltered. She quickly stripped off her lab coat and hurried after him in her heels. "It's so late, getting a cab right now is a hassle. Plus, it's not very safe for a woman to travel alone at this hour. Could you possibly drop me off on your way home?"

Roger stopped, turning to look at the painfully hopeful woman standing before him. After a long beat, his deep voice broke the silence. "Fine."

"Really?" A radiant, ecstatic smile lit up Veronica's face. "Just wait right here for a second, I need to grab my purse!"

She rushed back to her office, beaming. Before stepping back out, she made sure to meticulously reapply her lipstick.

"Let's go—" The words died in her throat. She stepped into the lobby only to find Roger's driver standing there waiting. Her smile completely shattered. She scanned the empty room, her face darkening with indignation as she snapped, "Where is he?"

"He had some business to attend to and left early. He instructed me to make sure you got home safely," the driver replied honestly.

Veronica froze, the chill in her eyes deepening with every passing second. He was avoiding her like she was the plague. And his blatant rejection only fueled her desperate need to uncover the identity of the woman who had stolen his heart. She had spent years chasing after Roger, exhausting herself to become the perfect, flawless woman he deserved. She hadn't gone through all that hell just to watch him ride off into the sunset with someone else.

Back at her apartment, Stella was poring over the documents. But they were insanely difficult. Still, the sheer complexity of the material triggered her stubborn streak.

By midnight, she was tossing the papers back and forth, practically tearing her hair out in frustration, and she still couldn't wrap her head around the concepts.

She had picked up her phone a half-dozen times to ask Roger, but glancing at the clock, she couldn't bring herself to bother him so late.

Just as she was debating what to do, her screen lit up.

Roger: *Running into any trouble?*

Stella lunged for the phone. *Yes.*

Roger: *A lot?*

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