Jade’s POV:
The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the campus pavilion as I handed Emily the neatly folded sheets of paper. Her eyes widened like a child on Christmas morning.
“This is it? You solved it already? Emily snatched the papers from my hand, frantically unfolding them. “This fast? Oh my God, Jade, you’re amazing!”
I watched her scan through theplex equations and diagrams, her fingers trembling slightly as she traced the mathematical proofs. Her reaction confirmed what I already knew–she wouldn’t understand a single line of what she was looking at. It was almost amusing watching her pretend toprehend the advanced quantum mechanics calctions that had taken me less than an hour to solve.
“Thank you<b>, </b>thank you!” She clutched the draft papers to her chest like a sacred text. “Sis, if I have other problems <b>I </b>can’t solve<b>, </b>can I stille to you?”
I merely quirked one corner of my mouth upward, offering neither confirmation nor denial. The desperation in her eyes was almost pitiful. Almost. If I hadn’t known the depths of her deception, I might have actually felt sorry for
her.
“I promise, if I get the schrship, I’ll give you all of it. Every single penny!” Emily’s voice cracked with emotion. “I
swear!”
Before I could respond, she was already backing away, still hugging the papers to her chest. “I need to go show this
to Edward right away. Thank you again!”
I stood motionless, watching her practically skip away, her backpack bouncing against her spine with each hurried step. My expression gradually cooled as I observed her retreating figure. The naive fool actually believed she’d dodged a bullet. Without a word, I followed at a measured distance, my footsteps silent on the concrete path.
The hallway leading to the physics department was nearly empty when Principal Thornton spotted me. His face lit up like he’d just found a hundred–dor bill.
‘Morgan! What a pleasant surprise!” He stepped directly into my path, forcing me to stop. His expensive cologne wafted toward me–too strong, too eager, just like him. “What brings you to this side of campus?<b>” </b>
“Just wandering,” I replied tly.
“Ah, wonderful, wonderful.” His eyes gleamed with opportunistic interest. “Listen, when might you have some free time for dinner<b>? </b>I have several friends I’d love to introduce you to.”
I tilted my head slightly. “What kind of people<b>?</b><b>” </b>
‘Brilliant minds, influential positions<b>.</b><b>” </b>Thornton lowered his voice conspiratorially, leaning in closer than <b>I </b>
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preferred. “There’s even a young physics genius who shares your surname–Morgan. You two should definitely meet. I sense you might strike some intellectual sparks.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed! In fact, he’s working with Edward Sheldon right now. Why don’t we pop in and say hello? I’m heading there
myself<b>. </b>
I nodded, falling into step beside him as we continued down the hallway toward the graduate research building. The modern ss and steel structure contrasted sharply with Princeton’s traditional architecture–a temple to cutting- edge science amid historical academia.
When we arrived at Edward Sheldon’sb, the scene inside made my stomach turn. The bright fluorescent lights illuminated a gathering of Princeton’s finest minds, all focused on a fraud. Emily stood at the center of a small crowd, beaming as several professors and graduate students fawned over the papers I’d just given her.
“The approach is revolutionary,” one gray–haired professor was saying, adjusting his wire–rimmed sses. “To consider quantum entanglement from this perspective–I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Another professor, a woman with sharp eyes and sharper cheekbones, nudged Edward yfully. “You two make quite the pair, Sheldon. Both brilliant beyond your years. A match made in academic heaven, wouldn’t you say?<b>” </b>
Edward shifted ufortably, his eyes fixed on the equations rather than on Emily. “The work speaks for itself. That’s what matters.” He turned to Emily, curiosity evident in his expression. “How long did it take you to develop this solution? It’s extraordinarilyplex.”
Emily’s smile faltered for just a fraction of a second. I caught the momentary panic in her eyes–the desperate calction of a liar trying to craft a believable timeline.
“Oh, I’ve been working on it for a while. I actually finished the core equations a couple days ago.”
“Remarkable,” Thornton dered, stepping into theb with me trailing behind. He picked up one of the papers, scanning it with admiring eyes. “Truly remarkable work, Miss Emily Morgan. Your talent is extraordinary.”
It was then that Emily finally noticed me standing in the doorway. The blood drained from her face so quickly 1 thought she might faint. Her fingers began to tremble, crumpling the edge of the paper she held. A graduate student nearby whispered something about blood pressure and offered her a chair, which she ignored.
“J–Jade?” The name escaped her lips as little more than a terrified whisper.
“Hey, Jade!” Julian Sheldon’s enthusiastic greeting cut through the sudden tension. “Didn’t expect to see you here. What brings you to our humbleb?”
I stepped fully into the room, my eyes never leaving Emily’s panic–stricken face. “I heard there was an impressive physics prodigy here. Naturally, I was curious.”
With deliberate slowness, I crossed the room and picked up one of the papers from the table. The overhead lights
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gleamed off the white paper as I held it up for examination. “Interesting handwriting,” <b>I </bmented, running my finger along the equations. “It’s remarkable how simr it is to mine.”
Thornton looked between us, confusion evident on his face. “You two know each other<b>?</b><b>” </b>
“Oh yes,” I replied, my voice dangerously soft. “Emily is applying for a special schrship, isn’t she? A talent–based admission?”
“Indeed,” Thornton nodded. “Her exceptional abilities made her an ideal candidate for early admission.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Early admission? How interesting. And here I am, her twin sister,pletely unaware she was being considered for such an honor.”
The room fell silent. All eyes turned to Emily, whose face had gone from white to gray. A pencil dropped somewhere in the back of theb, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the silence.
“Twin… sister?” Julian looked between us, bewildered. “But you don’t look anything alike. And on the first day of
sses, you two acted like strangers.”
Emily swallowed hard. “We’re… we’re not identical twins,” she managed, her voice quivering. “And we… haven’t always been close.”
I picked up another sheet of the equations, examining it with exaggerated interest. “Since you solved this so brilliantly, Emily, why don’t you walk everyone through your solution process<b>? </b>I’m quite interested in physics
myself.”
Emily’s eyes darted around the room like a cornered animal’s. I could practically see her brain scrambling for an escape route. The professors exchanged nces, their earlier admiration now tinged with suspicion.
“I–I’m not feeling well suddenly. Could we maybe do this another time?”
She turned to me, desperation evident in every line of her face. “Jade, could you walk me back to my dorm? Please? I really don’t feel good.”
“She does look pale,” Edward interjected, stepping protectively toward Emily. “Perhaps she should rest.”
I locked eyes with Emily, my expression devoid of any emotion. “Tell me, sister dear. Are you tired… or just unable to exin work that isn’t yours<b>?</b><b>” </b>