Chapter 20 What a Waste Not to Pursue Science Finished Kenneths irritation deepened as he stared at Laurens bloodied face .
There was no satisfaction , no sense of victory only a relentless , suffocating frustration .
His gaze turned icy as he spat out a single word .
Leave But Lauren didnt seem to hear him .
She kept bowing , each dull thud of her forehead against the floor hitting Kenneth like a weight pressing down on his chest .
A vein pulsed at his temple , his patience wearing thin .
I told you to leave .
Are you deaf ? Laurens mind was blank , her ears ringing .
She couldnt hear him .
All that remained was the instinct to bow , to beg , to survive .
Kenneths face darkened .
In one swift motion , he strode forward and reached down to pull her up But the moment his hand moved toward her , Lauren recoiled .
Her body curled up in pure instinct , arms shielding her head as she choked out a broken sob .
Please dont hit me .
Memories of prison crashed over Lauren blow after blow , her body covered in bruises , the endless darkness and agony that had broken her piece by piece .
The weight of it all overwhelmed her , pushing her past the brink Kenneths eyes narrowed , his outstretched hand going rigid in midair .
For a long moment , he didnt move .
His gaze stayed locked on Lauren , curled up on the floor , trembling as if she were bracing for an impact that never came .
A storm of emotions churned inside him , tangled and unsettling .
For a fleeting moment , he saw her as she used to be shy , full of laughter , her bright eyes sparkling like stars .
The first time he had heard her name was from a teacher .
The man had praised her without hesitation .
Kenneth , your biggest competitor in this years physics competition is a freshman from Hoverdale Academy Lauren That girl is a natural talent .
At sixteen , Kenneth had been full of pride , unwilling to back down .
My talent is just as good as hers .
As the reigning top student at Kingsley Private School , he hadnt thought much of her .
Until she defeated him in that competition .
And the next .
And the one after that .
Again and again , she outranked him .
Before he even realized it , he was chasing after her entering every competition she did , drawn to the challenge , drawn to her .
At some point , even he didnt know if he was competing to prove himself or just for the chance to see her .
For three years , every competition ended the same way Lauren first , Kenneth second ..
Even now , he could still hear their teachers words .
Lauren is the kind of genius this country needs .
Shes destined to make a real impact on the world .
And he had believed it .
In their final competition , he had asked her why she was so determined to win .
Are you trying to get noticed by the higher- ups ? She had laughed .
Nope .
The first place prize comes with money , I just need the cash .
My real dream is to be a teacher to guide students , watch them grow , and help them succeed .
Thats how Id feel like I made a difference .
Kenneth had scoffed .
Youre so gifted .
Not pursuing science would be such a waste.
She had grinned at him And you ? Whats your plan ? Me Ill inherit the family business , Chapter 20 What a Waste Not to Pursue Science They had shared a glance and for the first time , he had laughed with her .
Finished Back then , he had even felt relieved .
If her dream had been to become a scientist , he knew he would never be able to stand .
on equal ground with her .
Not even as the heir to Gray Corporation .
He had fought against his arranged marriage to Willow for years .
Whether it was her or the Bennetts lost daughter , he had wanted nothing to do with either of them .
It wasnt until Willows graduation banquet that he finally realized the girl who had occupied his thoughts for years was none other than the Bennetts real daughter .
The one he had been engaged to since birth was Lauren .
The news had left him elated , overwhelmed with a joy he couldnt contain .
fonly if only things hadnt turned out the way they did .
The Lauren he remembered bright , confident , full of life was gone .
The woman standing before him was nothing like the bold , confident girl he once knew .
Kenneths expression shifted , emotions flickering behind his cold exterior .
Something caught in his throat .
He wanted to speak , but no words felt right anything he said now would be meaningless .
Laurens trembling frame , the raw terror in her eyes it cut through him like a blade , striking a part of himself he thought was untouchable .
For the first time , the iron grip around his heart faltered , just slightly , as if a crack had formed in the walls .
he had spent years fortifying .
You can leave His voice finally broke the silence , stripped of its usual coldness , laced instead with something almost imperceptible exhaustion .
Slowly , he lowered his hand , fingers curling into a tight fist .
Lauren didnt move .
She stayed frozen on the floor, curled in on herself Kenneths brow furrowed , an impulse rising in his chest a sudden , inexplicable urge to pull her into his arms , to steady her , to offer comfort .
But the moment the thought surfaced , he crushed it .
Get out now , Lauren couldnt hear him .
The mix of blood and tears blurred her vision , making it impossible to see his lips .
Panicked , she wiped at her face with a shaking hand , her wide , wide eyes locked onto his lips , desperate to read his words .
Then it clicked Leave .
He was telling me to leave .
Was he ..
letting me go ? A rush of overwhelming relief flooded her part disbelief , part liberation , but mostly the raw , desperate gratitude of someone who had just narrowly escaped .
Til leave .
Right now .
Her voice was hoarse and unsteady , but she didnt stop .
She couldnt .
Ignoring the sharp pain in her knees and the throbbing wound on her forehead , she scrambled to her feet , hands bracing against the floor as she pushed herself up .
Her injured leg barely holding her weight .
She stumbled , nearly falling multiple times , but the fear of Kenneth changing his mind kept her moving .
Terrified that Kenneth might change his mind , she didnt dare hesitate .
Without looking back , she bolted out of the room .
desperate to escape .
Kenneth stood there for a long time , unmoving .
Only when her battered figure completely disappeared from sight did he finally look away Chapter 20 What a Waste Not to Pursue Science Finished Sitting down at the edge of Elaines bed , he reached out , tracing a finger lightly over the hollow curve of her brow .
Elaine .
I let her go so easily .
Are you going to be mad at me ? But what could he do ? No matter how hard he tried , he could never be truly cruel to her.
Elaine remained motionless , lying there in silence , offering no response .
The harsh fluorescent lights in the hospital hallway stung Laurens eyes , making her squint as she stumbled forward .
Her body felt unsteady , crashing into walls and brushing against passing strangers , but she didnt care .
People shot her wary glances , but their stares meant nothing to her .
Right now , there was only one thought in her mind get as far away from Kenneth as possible .
She couldnt slow down .
If she did , he might catch up .
In her rush , she failed to notice someone stepping out of a nearby consultation room .
She slammed straight into them , the force of the collision knocking her backward .
Before she could hit the ground , a firm hand caught her waist .
With a slight pull , she found herself steadied against a strong familiar chest Laurie A voice familiar , yet distant spoke above her .
The moment her eyes met Lucass , she was caught in his gentle , unwavering gaze in his eyes .
e she c could see e her own resistance mirrored Ajolt of panic surged through her .
She quickly pushed him away , dropped her gaze , and turned to leave .
But she had barely taken two steps when a strong hand wrapped around her wrist .
Lucas didnt even need to use force his grip alone was enough to stop her in her tracks .