Free Web NovelChapter 231: Chapter 231 The Interview Panel
She hadn’t made a big deal about it earlier.
She certainly hadn’t expected Samantha to be the one to inform her that she was attending the interview.
Rose couldn’t help but smile.
If Samantha discovered that the very person she had humiliated without mercy was one of her interview professors, how would she react?
Rose knew perfectly well that Samantha had mentioned the NYU interview simply to show off.
Unfortunately, Samantha had wasted her efforts on the wrong person.
The pricing discussion had gone nowhere.
Rose wasn’t going to push the matter any further.
After all, Samantha was only one of the shareholders, and Sky High would still have to discuss the issue internally. The second phase of the project wouldn’t begin anytime soon, so there was no urgent need to resolve it immediately.
As she walked, she replied to Leo’s message: [Okay. No problem.]
When she stepped outside, she noticed that Samantha hadn’t left yet. She was standing near the entrance chatting with several Sky High employees.
A few women looked at Samantha enviously.
“You and President Knight have such a great relationship. Have you even gone on vacation together?”
Rose pretended not to hear them.
She walked a short distance away to wait for her ride.
Samantha caught sight of Rose from the corner of her eye.
“Yes. Ryan has always spoiled me. Whenever he has free time, he does everything he can to spend it with me. In his eyes, everything and everyone else comes second.”
Her words immediately drew a wave of admiration.
One woman glanced at Samantha’s phone screen.
“Is this a photo of you and Mr. Knight? Is he hugging you? Or are you two...?”
Her tone became suggestive.
Everyone nearby turned to look.
Another woman immediately said, “This was obviously taken while you two were being affectionate. Is that news story about Mr. Knight from the past few days actually about you?”
Rose stopped listening after that.
She hadn’t seen the “intimate photo” they were discussing.
But it was probably real.
Since Samantha had set it as her wallpaper, plenty of people would inevitably see it, which was practically the same as publicly announcing her relationship with Ryan.
The irony wasn’t lost on her.
Just as photos of her and Ryan had surfaced, Samantha also possessed photos of the same nature.
But there was a fundamental difference.
When the media photographed her and Ryan, it had simply been Ryan’s way of covering up the scandal. There had been no emotion involved.
The photos with Samantha, however, had been taken out of mutual affection.
Rose understood exactly what Samantha was trying to imply.
But none of it mattered anymore.
After all, she and Ryan were already divorced.
It had nothing to do with her.
*****
Rose had officially received written notice regarding her appointment as a professor.
Once the interview process concluded, her appointment would become official.
Afterward, the university would make a public announcement.
She needed to prepare everything over the next few days.
As a result, the issue with Sky High would have to be temporarily set aside.
The day of the interviews finally arrived.
Rose arrived at NYU two hours early.
Today was the scheduled date for the unified doctoral interviews.
She first met with the other professors serving on the interview panel.
Everyone was already familiar with Rose, and since she was by far the youngest among them—the age difference was so great that some of them were old enough to be her parents—they all took special care of her.
Leo stopped by. “I’m not part of the panel today, so I won’t be involved in the scoring or voting. To ensure fairness, the five of you, including you, will make the final decision together.”
Rose already knew that Leo would not participate.
It was all done for the sake of complete fairness.
After all, there were only three available spots.
As he spoke, Leo gave her a meaningful look.
“Samantha is one of the applicants too. Are you going to be okay?”
Rose suddenly realized what he meant. “Are you reminding me to stay fair and impartial and not let personal feelings influence my judgment?”
Leo covered his mouth and coughed lightly.
“Aren’t I just looking out for your future? You’ve only recently taken office. You should think more about your own prospects.”
He didn’t want anyone to use personal grudges as an excuse to criticize her.
“Do I really seem that irresponsible?” Rose muttered unhappily.
Besides, she was already divorced.
Why should she hold onto the past?
Business was business, and personal matters were personal.
Reassured, Leo patted her head.
“My junior really does have a broad mind. You’re destined for great things.”
Rose: “...”
There was one hour left before the interviews began.
Applicants gradually started arriving in the waiting room.
There were around a dozen people in total.
Rose suddenly realized she had forgotten her water bottle, so she stepped out to retrieve it.
*****
When Samantha arrived at the registration desk, she still had plenty of time.
Ryan had come with her.
He wore earphones and was listening to an online meeting.
Oliver stood nearby, not daring to interrupt him.
He had recently been sent back for “retraining” and had stopped by simply to join the crowd.
“What time will this end today? Have you booked a restaurant yet?” Oliver asked.
Samantha looked completely relaxed. “Yes. My mother reserved a private dining room. We’ll head over afterward to celebrate together. Why don’t you join us? I also invited President Taylor.”
Becoming Professor Byrne’s student was practically guaranteed.
She was confident that her interview would go smoothly.
Oliver nodded. “Is James coming?”
“He happened to be nearby running errands when I called. He said Dr. Grace had just been discharged from the hospital, so since he’s already close by, he’ll stop in.”
The news put Samantha in an excellent mood.
At the very least, James had been very supportive of her.
Oliver was about to say something when, from the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted a tall, slender figure walking past.
His smile froze.
“Rose?”
Samantha immediately frowned.
Even Ryan, who had been listening to his meeting nearby, slowly lifted his gaze.
Rose saw them as well.
But without a moment’s hesitation, she picked up her water bottle and walked away.
Samantha suddenly felt uneasy. “How did Rose end up here?”
Since when could outsiders simply wander around NYU?
Oliver thought for a moment before suddenly smiling.
“Could she have found out you were applying for the PhD program and secretly applied too?”
Samantha’s expression turned cold, tinged with sarcasm.
What a joke.
What did Rose think NYU was?
One of the nation’s top universities—was that somewhere she could simply walk into?
Even copying someone required the necessary qualifications.
“But...” Oliver frowned. “Rose has been spending quite a bit of time with Professor Byrne lately. I’ve seen them together several times. Could Professor Byrne have pulled some strings and helped her get in through the back door?”
“Professor Byrne isn’t that indiscriminate,” Samantha said coldly.
Yet her gaze remained fixed on Rose.
When she saw that Rose was indeed walking directly toward the registration desk, her frown deepened.
“Let’s go inside first.”
Ryan ended his call and walked over, offering a casual reminder.
Samantha snapped out of her thoughts.
She pressed her lips together.
“It doesn’t matter. At most, she was given an opportunity. With so many professors conducting interviews, there’s no way she’ll pass.”
In reality, it was almost impossible.
Oliver shrugged. “That’s true. Don’t worry. You’ll definitely beat her.”
At those words, Samantha’s expression softened, and she even laughed quietly.
“I’ll just do my best.”
But on second thought, if Rose actually participated and was eliminated by her, perhaps it would help Rose see reality more clearly.
“Ryan, I’m going in now. You and Oliver can go grab some coffee and wait for me. We’ll have lunch together afterward.”
Feeling much better, Samantha turned back to Ryan before entering the waiting room and spoke softly.
Ryan glanced at her and gave a faint smile.
“Alright.”
