Free Web NovelChapter 272: Chapter 272 A Victory Interrupted
Ryan’s answer was decisive.
Samantha’s face lit up with delight, her smile growing even sweeter. It stood in sharp contrast to the solemn atmosphere of the occasion, drawing the attention of those nearby.
After all, today was about competition.
Everyone else was tense and focused, unable to relax.
Only Samantha’s group was chatting and laughing as though they had already won.
Rose wasn’t sitting very far away.
Close enough to sense the warm, harmonious atmosphere surrounding them.
She had no idea what they were discussing.
Whatever Ryan had said must have pleased Samantha immensely.
The next second, Rose noticed Samantha looking at her.
Their eyes met.
The smile on Samantha’s lips widened even further.
She looked confident, proud—like a victorious general surveying a defeated opponent.
A trace of contempt flickered in her eyes.
Rose frowned.
She must be crazy.
Seeing that Rose offered no reaction—and seemed to be deliberately ignoring her—Samantha let out a silent, disdainful snort.
She was certain she would claim first place today.
Appearing on the television show alongside Ryan would be equivalent to publicly announcing that they were family.
The audience would naturally support them as a couple.
People admired winners.
Once her accomplishments were revealed on the show, she and Ryan would be celebrated as a match made in heaven.
The Knight family would have no choice but to accept her.
And by agreeing to appear on the program with her, Ryan had already tacitly acknowledged both their relationship and its future.
As for Rose...
Naturally, she had already been eliminated.
Not just out of the picture romantically, but today...
Samantha gave a subtle, quiet chuckle.
Just then, Caleb walked over.
From a distance, he had noticed Rose sitting quietly by herself, with hardly anyone around her, while Ryan’s table was lively with conversation.
He strode over. “Nervous?”
Rose glanced at him. “I’m fine.”
Caleb felt an unexpected pang of sympathy.
She was still so young, yet she had already endured so much heartbreak.
Meanwhile, her ex-husband sat only a short distance away, openly supporting his new love and giving her every advantage imaginable.
How lonely must Rose feel?
“My father told me Dr. Nathan said your paper is in a league of its own,” Caleb said. “You’ve practically got this in the bag.”
Rose immediately muttered in dissatisfaction, “That old geezer didn’t say a single nice thing to my face.”
Caleb clicked his tongue. “With your personality? If Dr. Nathan praised you even once, you’d probably start floating.”
Rose didn’t deny it.
She wasn’t nearly as composed as people imagined.
She had simply been pushed forward by circumstance.
Nor was she especially resilient.
She dealt with problems one at a time.
If she could solve them, she did.
If she couldn’t...
She simply accepted them.
Had it not been for her mentors, her friends, and Ariel, she would have been perfectly content drifting through life without any grand ambitions.
Caleb leaned closer and lowered his voice.
“You and Trevor...”
“It’s true.”
Rose knew exactly what he was about to ask.
Caleb inhaled sharply. “You two are actually serious? I thought Diana was just fantasizing again.”
He instinctively glanced toward Ryan. “If Mr. Knight finds out you married Trevor just to completely cut him off from his own daughter... wouldn’t that create a huge conflict with the Robinson family?”
A man like Ryan...
Someone who had always stood at the very top...
He had never been forced to swallow such humiliation.
Everything Rose had hidden from him—
Every decision she had made—
Would look like deception, manipulation, and betrayal in his eyes.
If he learned the truth...
Wouldn’t he completely lose control?
“He won’t.” Rose answered quietly.
She looked at Caleb.
“He doesn’t care that I’m marrying Trevor. He hasn’t reacted at all.”
“Maybe... I overestimated how much he cares about his biological daughter.”
Lately, she had begun questioning herself.
Perhaps she had imagined everything.
Even if Ryan learned Ariel was his daughter...
He probably wouldn’t fight her for custody.
After all, if he didn’t even love the child’s mother...
How much affection could he possibly have for the child?
A father’s sense of responsibility—
If it wasn’t rooted in love for the child’s mother—
Was often much weaker than people imagined.
Ryan could have children with anyone.
Perhaps the only child he truly wanted was one born from love with the woman he cherished.
If he discovered Ariel was his daughter...
Maybe he would even see her as an obstacle standing in the way of that future.
Caleb didn’t know what to say.
Because...
He was beginning to doubt things himself.
Ryan had always appeared so cold.
Could someone like him really lose his mind over a child?
The symposium was about to begin.
Since Caleb wasn’t part of the research team, he returned to the audience section.
Alicia also finished speaking with several classmates and sat down behind Rose.
She looked surprisingly relaxed.
Rose looked toward the front row.
Seated there were some of the country’s most influential medical experts.
Dr. Nathan sat at the center, surrounded by Grace and the heads of several medical departments.
NYU had been designated to lead the national neurological disease research initiative.
It was a government-backed project recognized as a worldwide medical challenge, requiring collaboration among the nation’s top medical schools.
Academic papers formed an essential part of that effort.
Grace looked down at the final evaluation results.
Samantha sat upright, a confident smile playing on her lips.
With Max guiding her every step of the way, she already believed she knew the outcome.
Grace adjusted the microphone. “After a week of review by the panel, two papers stood out as exceptional.”
She paused. “However, after careful evaluation, we selected the paper that best aligns with the goals of this research project—a paper that can truly be considered first-rate.”
Her gaze shifted toward the southwest corner of the room.
It was filled with unmistakable admiration.
Seeing Grace looking in her direction, Samantha’s heartbeat quickened.
Her smile widened.
She slowly rose from her seat.
“Rose Bennett, from NYU.”
Grace’s voice rang clearly throughout the conference hall.
Samantha froze.
The smile on her face stiffened.
She stared at Rose in disbelief.
Rose...
Had taken first place?
She had actually surpassed the thesis Max had personally supervised from beginning to end?
But...
Almost immediately, Samantha forced herself to calm down.
It wasn’t entirely impossible.
After all, Rose’s paper did contain genuinely valuable research.
Ryan also lifted his eyes toward Rose.
His expression remained unreadable.
Oliver instinctively glanced at Ryan.
Seeing no obvious reaction, he quietly settled back into his chair.
James, however, was genuinely stunned.
He had always suspected Rose was hiding her true capabilities.
But this...
This was an entirely different level.
This competition determined who would earn a place at the National Center for Biomedical Innovation.
And the title of Number One, unanimously chosen by the nation’s foremost experts...
Had gone to Rose—
A newcomer who had never truly entered the public spotlight before.
The revelation left everyone speechless.
No one present was unfamiliar with the name Rose Bennett.
NYU’s youngest professor.
At only twenty-seven years old, her future seemed limitless.
Countless people turned to look at her.
Applause echoed throughout the hall.
The expressions around the room ranged from admiration and envy to jealousy, resentment, and sheer disbelief.
Few had expected someone so young to possess such extraordinary ability.
Even Rose herself was surprised.
Feeling the weight of so many eyes upon her, she couldn’t help feeling slightly uncomfortable.
Behind her, Alicia nearly jumped out of her seat.
“Professor Rose!
“You’re the first one selected!”
Dr. Nathan stroked his mustache with two fingers.
He pressed down the corners of his mouth before letting out a quiet snort.
Only then did he pick up the microphone.
“Rose’s paper will serve as today’s demonstration paper.”
“Please come to the front and present your research.”
Rose had no choice but to stand.
She walked calmly to the center of the circular conference table.
Oliver watched her and sighed softly. “She really does know how to surprise people.”
Samantha, meanwhile, maintained a gracious smile.
“Perhaps Rose has simply worked harder than the rest of us,” she said gently. “After all, diligence can make up for a lack of talent.”
Seeing Samantha remain so composed, Oliver narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.
The presentation was about to begin.
Only now did Rose truly understand what it felt like to stand at the center of everyone’s attention.
She took a slow breath.
Then opened her presentation slides.
Standing beneath the lights, she possessed a quiet confidence that belonged to her alone.
Samantha smiled faintly.
It was a smile filled with ridicule.
Instinctively, she glanced sideways at Ryan.
To her surprise, she found him quietly watching Rose at the center of the room.
His dark eyes betrayed nothing.
She couldn’t read a single emotion from them.
Yet the sight pierced Samantha like a thorn.
As Rose’s calm, steady voice echoed through the hall—
“I’ll explain the paper by discussing the research objectives first, followed by the methodology...”
Samantha looked back toward the podium.
Her expression suddenly turned cold.
Just as Rose was about to continue—
Samantha abruptly rose to her feet.
“Excuse me.”
“I’d like to interrupt.”
Her voice instantly shattered the solemn academic atmosphere.
Dr. Nathan and the others turned to look at her.
Only then did Ryan shift his gaze in her direction.
Rose stopped speaking and waited.
A cold smile spread across Samantha’s lips.
“At first, I thought I had made a mistake.”
“But after checking several times... I realized I hadn’t.”
She looked directly at Rose. “Rose... this paper contains plagiarized material.”
