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."

her hand. "Well then, here's to working together. For science, for discovery, for our dreams-let's give it everything

Carlson's spirits soared. "Absolutely."

***

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

office to finalize Carlson and

house, Pauline had

dishes and a hearty soup-waited on

heard that the

had burst

sobbing like

hold it

wiped away tears herself.

university's official decisions were announced, everything finally settled

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

major disciplinary mark,

got off with

Grace get different punishments, even

shrugged. "Why else? Think about who Grace's

you saying Murray Sherwood pulled

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

mistake is on file, but Grace's