Cordelia had attended several meetings at Empower Operations recently, but Ronan was conspicuously absent. It was usually Talia and Emerson who represented the company.
Every time Emerson saw Cordelia, he had the look of someone with a lot to say but hesitated to speak.
One day, Cordelia received an invitation to the "Millstone International Financial Forum and Global Financiers Symposium" scheduled for the end of the month at the Millstone Pearl Hotel.
Millstone again...
Cordelia decided to take her two students along, believing it would broaden their horizons and contribute to their ongoing research.
Upon hearing the news, Sally and Sean were overjoyed. "Ms. Haselwood, Millstone is a major city, and I've never been there before. Plus, they're covering accommodations." Sally blurted out excitedly. She had always been eager to visit Millstone.
Sean was equally enthusiastic. As long as they weren't holed up at the university, they were happy to get out and see the world.
Cordelia, however, had other things on her mind. She saw Ronan again in mid-November, at a university ceremony. He had transformed into an "Honorary Professor" at Birchwood College and even delivered a speech to the entire faculty and student body.
This was likely due to the Edith Hills project. The project had officially been launched and the name "Edith" was set to become a common sight on billboards and advertisements. At the thought of this, Cordelia felt a flutter of anticipation. Their daughter's life had not been in vain.
He was appointed as an honorary professor for his contributions in fostering economic growth in Birchwood. And to top it all off, his grandfather was a renowned professor. Well, he was now outranking Cordelia.
She barely recognized Ronan. He looked polished and scholarly, a far cry from the "big shot" she remembered from Lumos Enterprises. It seemed he had a different script for different occasions.
The female students were discussing in hushed whispers, "Mr. Evans is so handsome."
"Forget it, he already has a child."
…
Cordelia thought to herself: Apparently, he hadn't been arrested, his life was getting better and now he was at Birchwood College charming young women.
After the ceremony, Cordelia tried to slip away, but Ronan emerged from the crowd and grabbed her arm. "Look after the kid for me," he told Cordelia.
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