Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Chapter 811

Carlson gave her a slight nod.

Mamie quickly chimed in, "Welcome."

"I have one more thing..." Carlson began.

Roseanne cut in, "It's about Arkle, isn't it?"

He jerked his head up, startled. “How did you know?!"

Roseanne offered a faint smile. "I also know that if Sybil hadn't dropped his name from the project roster, you probably would have kept swallowing your anger for a bit longer—and maybe wouldn't have blown up and reported Edna so suddenly."

Carlson's gaze dropped. "It's not easy for Arkle... For kids like us, coming from the middle of nowhere, it's never easy. I've already let myself become Edna's pawn; I just don't want Arkle to follow in my footsteps."

"Even though he hasn't found a new advisor yet and no one's agreed to take him, he's been worrying about whether I'll graduate, running around, sending dozens of emails to those professors on my behalf."

"I know I'm asking a lot, but... could you talk to Ms. Payne about taking Arkle as well?"

Roseanne reassured him, "Don't worry. Before I came, Ms. Payne already said Arkle could transfer too. Isn't she his role model? Now he'll get to be her student for real."

Carlson's relief was so genuine it outshone even his joy at being accepted by Ms. Payne himself. "That's incredible! That blockhead will be grinning in his sleep for weeks!"

"But there's one thing I need to make clear-and please pass this along to Arkle. Right now, he's not quite ready to join the Boundless Lab. But if he works hard and meets the requirements in the future, the door will always be open."

Carlson nodded earnestly. "I understand. He will too. Neither of us will hold any grudges."

"Glad to hear it."

offered her hand. "Well then, here's to working together. For science, for discovery, for our

Carlson's spirits soared. "Absolutely."

***

Madeleine landed in Lumina City. She didn't even stop by her place she went straight

the registrar's office to finalize Carlson and Arkle's transfer. Then, she

the house, Pauline

and a

Roseanne heard

had burst into tears

sobbing like kids.

couldn't hold it in;

wiped away tears herself.

as the university's official decisions were

out the project topic, both Grace and Slater-who'd benefited from

disciplinary mark, which would

got off with

"Why did Slater and Grace get different punishments, even

else? Think about who

widened. "Wait-are you saying Murray Sherwood pulled strings for

or just a warning isn't the point. What really matters is whether it goes on your

mistake is on file,