Hearing this, the reporters immediately turned, shoving their microphones in


    Yvonne''s face. "Mrs. Lowell, hello, we''re from the financial news channel. We''d like to ask you a few questions."


    Yvonne heard "financial news channel" and remembered she had arranged for them herself.


    She immediately stopped and nodded gracefully. "Of course."


    "Aunt Yvonne!" Lillian tried to stop her.


    But it was toote.


    The reporters'' questions were as sharp as ever. "Are you aware of your daughter''s academic fraud?"


    "What are your thoughts on your daughtermitting academic fraud?"


    "We''ve learned that your daughter has dozens of high-impact papers to her name. Does simr giarism exist in those works?"


    The barrage of questions left Yvonne reeling.


    Her smiling face instantly turned grim. "I don''t know what you''re talking about!"


    She shoved the microphones aside and pushed her way into the hospital room.


    The women who had been following her all stopped in their tracks.


    They exchanged nces, stunned by the sudden turn of events.


    So... Bianca''s prestigious degree was fake?


    My God!


    Mrs. Chase was the first to react. "I just remembered, I have to pick up my youngest son from school. I have to go."


    The others quickly made their own excuses and scattered.


    Within five minutes, the news of Bianca''s academic fraud had spread throughout their social circle.


    Yvonne was trembling with rage. "What in the world is going on?"


    Bianca''s face was pale.


    She had genuinely fainted; she wasn''t faking it to escape the situation.


    Even now, her hands were still shaking.


    Faced with Yvonne''s questioning, she remained silent.


    She never imagined she would be brought down by Noreen!


    She couldn''t even bear to think about how people would look at her now.


    How would Seth see her?


    Would he call off the wedding?


    Her mind was a chaotic mess, and she couldn''t form a single coherent answer.


    After a long moment, Yvonne finally asked, "Then what''s this about Halley''s mentorship ceremony?"


    When she first heard about it, Yvonne had been overjoyed.


    She thought they were truly about to make it to the top.


    "Halley... is taking Noreen as his protege,


    Bianca''s voice was somet


    we


    "How is that possible?" Yvonne was utterly dumbfounded.


    A dead silence fell over the hospital room and stretched on for a long time.


    Finally, Yvonne asked, "What about Seth? Where is he?"


    The news about Bianca''s academic fraud was broadcast that afternoon.


    Front-page news.


    The story sent shockwaves through their circles.


    It was the topic of conversation in


    nearly


    every industry group chat,


    it impossible f


    ignore. "


    People were focused on two main questions.


    "Can PerseTech still have a sessful IPO?"


    "Will Seth break up with Bianca?"


    Even ire came to her to gossip about it.


    "I''ll bet you ten bucks that jerk Seth will definitely break up with Bitch Bianca!"


    ire''s reasoning was simple: "Men


    are practical. Now that Bianca is no


    longer useful to him, why would the ore resources on her?''


    waste any


    They''re definitely breaking up!"


    Noreen paused, the pen in her hand hovering over a document. "Not necessarily."


    After all, she knew firsthand just how powerful a first love could be.


    Noreen worked a littlete that evening before heading home.


    As they pulled into her neighborhood, Colby said, "It''s Mr. Harcourt."


    Noreen looked up from her documents, her eyes narrowing as she peered ahead.


    Seth was standing under a streetlight.


    The dim light cast shadows across his strong brow, making his expression unreadable.


    It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.