Betrayed and Dumped: She Rose Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 81

Caleb offered a polite smile. “Thanks for thinking of us, but Dr. Palmer’s got a packed schedule. He’s still got research to take care of, and we need to get back to campus soon.”

Sonja looked disappointed. “That’s too bad.”

The event was buzzing with people eager to talk to Dr. Palmer. Sonja and Bruce quickly realized this wasn’t the place to bring up anything about acquiring a patent. Dr. Palmer barely had a minute to himself, and with all these people around, even mentioning a patent could risk leaking sensitive information.

After weighing her options, Sonja decided to get a read on Caleb first. As Dr. Palmer’s closest student, he probably knew more than most.

She pulled Caleb aside. “Caleb, our team at NovaStack Cloud is interested in buying one of Dr. Palmer’s patents—the automated interest rate curve model. We’re open on price. Any idea if he’d be willing to talk about it?”

Bruce jumped in. “We’re building a trading product that really needs this model. If we can integrate it, our success rate would go way up. Honestly, we’re confident it’ll be a big hit once it’s on the market.”

Caleb nodded. “I get where you’re coming from, but I’m not sure what Professor Palmer would think. I can let him know you’re interested. If he wants to talk more, I’m sure he’ll reach out.”

Caleb couldn’t speak for Dr. Palmer, and there was something else. The patent they wanted didn’t actually belong to Dr. Palmer. It was Rebecca’s. She’d started working on the model back in undergrad, tinkering away at it. Dr. Palmer had given her some advice, helped her refine it, and Rebecca ended up applying for the patent herself.

So, if there was going to be any partnership, it would be up to Rebecca.

When Sonja heard this, her eyes lit up. She glanced at Bruce, who gave her a small, encouraging smile.

Sonja quickly exchanged contact info with Caleb. Then she remembered the last time they spoke, she’d invited him to intern. She mentioned it again. “Caleb, if you’re ever looking for an internship, just let me know. We’re working on some really exciting projects.”

Dr. Palmer gave a short nod. “Caleb mentioned that.”

He still carried that air of pride, but his advice was genuine. “Even though you’re applying for a part-time master’s, the exams are getting tougher every year. The competition is fierce. Just passing the written part is already a big challenge. You can’t just work hard, you have to give it everything.”

Rebecca understood he was looking out for her. She nodded, her eyes bright. “I know. I will.”

With that, Dr. Palmer and Caleb got in the car and drove away. Rebecca stayed by the curb, waving after them. Dr. Palmer didn’t wave back. He looked straight ahead, his expression cool and distant.

Sonja and Bruce, just coming out of the restroom, caught the whole thing.