“Sis- help me…” Emily’s pleading voice echoed in the stairwell as she cowered against the wall, cornered by Aurelia
Sullivan.
Jade stood frozen on thending, watching the scene unfold. Aurelia’s perfectly manicured nails–glossy red with tiny crystal ents–hovered inches from Emily’s face. Her tinum blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders as she leaned in threateningly.
“Sis!” she called out desperately. “Please, help me! They’re going to hurt me!”
Aurelia’s head whipped around, her tinum blonde hair swinging like a curtain. Her eyes widened when she recognized Jade–the new girl who’d stolen her position as campus beauty, the freshman everyone was talking about.
“Well, well,” she drawled, stepping back from Emily but keeping her threatening posture. “So you’re sisters<b>? </b>Interesting.” Her lips curved into a cruel smile. “No wonder you’re both so… unlikable.”
Jade continued climbing the stairs, her expression nk as she approached them. Emily reached toward her, fingers trembling.
“Jade, please,” she whispered. “You can’t just ”
Jade walked past her without slowing, as if she were invisible. As if she were nothing but air.
“Jade!” Emily’s voice cracked.
Aurelia’sughter followed Jade up the stairs. “Not even your own sister wants to help you,” she mocked. “And you—” She fixed her gaze on Jade’s back. “Better watch yourself, Jade Morgan. I’m not finished with either of you.”
Jade didn’t look back.
Edward Sheldon was heading back to the physicsb when he spotted Emily sitting alone on a bench, her head bowed. Something about her posture made him pause.
“Emily?‘ he called, approaching cautiously. “Are you alright?”
She quickly wiped her face and forced a smile. “Oh! Edward! Yes, I’m fine.”
When she looked up, Edward noticed the reddish marks on her cheek–finger–shaped impressions that someone had clearly left there deliberately.
“What happened to your face<b>?</b>” He sat beside her, frowning with concern.
“Nothing. I just… fell.”
“Those are finger marks, Emily.” His voice was firm. “Who did this to you?”
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Emily’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Aurelia Sullivan,” she admitted quietly. “She cornered me in the stairwell and threatened me to stay away from you.”
Edward’s expression hardened. “We need to report this to the principal.”
“No!” Emily grabbed his arm, panic shing in her eyes. “Please, Edward, don’t. She’ll make things worse for me. They always do.”
“This is assault, Emily. We can’t just-
“I’m begging you.” Her grip tightened. “Please don’t make this official.”
Edward hesitated, clearly torn.
“I can help you with those physics problems,” Emily offered suddenly. “The ones you’ve been struggling with. I could
look over them with you.”
Edward’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
Emily flushed. “I’ve… found some time in my schedule.”
Jade had <b>just </b>finished lunch and was heading back to her dorm when a familiar voice called out behind her.
“Jade! Jade, wait!”
She continued walking, her pace steady. Footsteps hurried to catch up, and suddenly Emily appeared beside her, slightly out of breath.
‘Sis, please, Emily said, reaching for her arm. “Why didn’t you help me earlier? Aurelia would have backed off if you’d said something.”
Jade stopped abruptly and turned to face her. “Why would I help you?”
Emily blinked, taken aback by the bluntness.
“Because… because we’re sisters,” she stammered.
“Sisters<b>?</b>” Jade repeated coldly. “When I was bullied at school, how many times did you see it and run the other way?”
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“I was scared,” Emily’s eyes welled with tears. “I was just a kid, Jade. I didn’t know better.”
“Don’t call me <b>sis</b>,” Jade said. “Don’t act like we have any kind of rtionship.”
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“Please,” Emily’s voice dropped to a whisper, her expression crumpling into practiced vulnerability. “I’m sorry. I really am. I know I was awful to you. I was jealous and stupid, and I regret it so much.”
Behind Emily’s tears, her mind was racing with calctions. This was her chance<b>. </b>If she could just convince Jade to forgive her, she could benefit from her sister’s newfound poprity. Jade could protect her from Aurelia and girls like her. More importantly, Jade was clearly brilliant–she could help Emily with the advanced physics coursework she was drowning in. Edward was already suspicious about her academic abilities; she needed Jade’s help desperately.
“Let me make it up to you,” Emily pleaded. “I’ve changed. I promise.”
“I only have one sibling,” Jade said tly. “His name is Max. Don’t approach me again, Emily. And if you try to use me in any way, I’ll make sure you regret it far more than Aurelia ever could.”
Jade walked away without looking back. Behind her, Emily’s fake sobs stopped abruptly. Her tears dried up instantly, reced by a look of pure hatred.
Walter Morrison looked up from his desk as Jade entered his office at the pharmaceutical research center, surprise evident on his weathered face.
“Miss Morgan,” he greeted her, rising from his chair. “I wasn’t expecting you today.”
‘I had to skip a few sses,” she exined, cing two man folders on his desk. “But I wanted to deliver these personally.”
Walter opened the first folder, his eyes scanning the chemical forms she’d written out. His eyebrows rose progressively higher as he flipped through the pages.
“This is… remarkable,” he murmured. “You’ve created apletely novel approach to nerve regeneration. The application of these protein sequences could revolutionize treatments for degenerative diseases.”
Jade nodded toward the second folder. “That one focuses on reducing inmmation response during neural pathway reconstruction<b>. </b>I think it would work particrly well for cases involving traumatic injuries to lower extremities.”
Walter studied her with newfound respect. “Your understanding of biochemical interactions is extraordinary<b>. </b>Are you in medical school?”
“No,” she replied. “Computer science<b>, </b>actually.”
“Computer science<b>?</b>” Walter repeated, clearly stunned. “But this level of pharmacological knowledge is beyond most doctoral candidates <b>I’ve </b>met.”
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Jade shrugged. “I read a lot.”
.6?)
Walterughed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Well, Miss Morgan, your ‘reading‘ might just change the lives of thousands of patients. Including your brother, if these forms perform as <b>I </b>suspect they will.”
As they discussed potential testing protocols, Walter’s secretary knocked on the door.
“Dr. Morrison, Alexander Haxton is here to see you.”
Walter nodded. “Send him in. Miss Morgan was just leaving.”
Jade gathered her bag, preparing to exit as Alexander entered the office. Their eyes met briefly in the doorway–his
widening slightly with recognition.
<b>“</b><b>Dr. </b>Morrison,” Alexander said, his gaze still fixed on Jade. “I cane back if you’re busy.”
“Not at all,” Walter replied. “Miss Morgan and I <b>just </b>concluded our business.”
Alexander’s attention sharpened at the name. As Jade stepped into the hallway, he excused himself and followed her
<b>out</b>.
“Excuse me,” he called after her. “You look familiar. Do I know you? I think I’ve met someone with your features before, also named Morgan<b>.</b><b>” </b>
Jade turned slowly to face him. “Yes, it’s me.”
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