Piss Off, Alpha! You Lost Me Forever novel Chapter 267

Chapter 267: Chapter 268 Missing Him

SOPHIA’S POV

Professor Archer took Lance and I to a barbecue restaurant to discuss privately.

The barbecue restaurant was far more lively than I expected.

Professor Archer led Lance and me inside.

Smoke rose from several barbecue tables, and the sounds of laughter and conversation echoed throughout the large hall.

Some of the guests recognized Professor Archer immediately and greeted him with warm smiles.

"Professor Archer!"

"Good evening, Professor!"

"You came!"

Professor Archer laughed and waved at everyone. His cheerful personality made it easy for people to relax around him. Watching him interact with others, I understood why so many people respected him.

We were led into a private room near the back of the restaurant.

As soon as we sat down, Professor Archer ordered enough food for ten people. He ordered plate after plate of fresh meat, vegetables, and seafood.

The sight alone made me realize how hungry I was.

"You need to eat more," Professor Archer said as he pointed at me with his chopsticks. "You’ve lost weight." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

I smiled awkwardly but inside, I felt terrible. I had lost weight due to the miscarriage and the blood loss.

"I’ve just been busy." I said.

"Busy?" he snorted. "The entire medical field is busy. That’s not an excuse."

Lance chuckled beside me.

Professor Archer glared at him "And you. Stop laughing. You’re just as bad."

Lance raised both hands "I surrender."

As the meat sizzled on the grill, Professor Archer suddenly became serious.

He placed his chopsticks down and looked directly at me.

"Sophia." He said.

My heart skipped "Yes, Professor?

"I meant what I said earlier. You have talent."

I froze.

Professor Archer rarely praised people. Everyone knew that. The fact that he was saying this directly to me made my chest tighten.

"You are intelligent. You work hard. More importantly, you never stop learning. People like you are rare."

I lowered my eyes.

His words touched something deep inside me. For years, most people only saw me as Damien’s wife. Some saw me as Ashley’s mother. Others saw me as a woman struggling through a failing marriage. Very few people saw me as Sophia, just Sophia - a doctor, a researcher, a person with dreams.

Professor Archer continued "If you continue down this path, you’ll achieve great things."

I swallowed hard "Thank you, Professor."

He nodded. "That’s why I want you in my program."

The room fell silent. Even Lance looked impressed.

Professor Archer pointed at me "I don’t care about your age. I don’t care about your marital status. I don’t care about your personal problems. I only care about your ability. And your ability is extraordinary."

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. My throat became filled with so much emotion.

The past few years had been filled with disappointment after disappointment. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be recognized.

Professor Archer smiled "Don’t cry."

I laughed "I’m not crying."

"Good. Because I hate crying students."

Lance laughed.

The tension disappeared instantly.

The conversation gradually shifted toward research projects and future opportunities.

Professor Archer asked for my opinions several times. Each time I answered, he listened.

The more we talked, the more confident I became.

For the first time in a very long time, I felt like I had a future beyond my broken marriage.

An hour later, Professor Archer leaned back in his chair and sighed dramatically.

Then he looked between Lance and me.

A mischievous smile appeared on his face.

"Oh."

The single word made me suspicious.

Lance seemed to feel the same way

"Professor..." Lance muttered.

Professor Archer ignored him.

"You two actually look quite good together." He said.

I nearly choked on my drink. Lance closed his eyes.

There it was. The topic I feared.

Professor Archer looked delighted.

"What?" he asked.

"Professor," Lance said helplessly.

"What?"

"We were discussing research."

"We still are." Professor Archer pointed between us "This is also important research."

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Lance looked completely defeated.

Professor Archer continued shamelessly "Sophia is smart. Lance is smart." Then he pointed at Lance. "Perfect match."

"Professor," Lance groaned.

Professor Archer ignored him again.

"Both doctors." He nodded. "Perfect match."

I shook my head "Professor Archer..."

"No, no, listen to me." He leaned forward excitedly. “Sophia, you deserve someone reliable, someone who sees your value."

The smile on my face faded a bit.

I knew he meant well.

Lance glanced at me before speaking calmly.

"Professor." He said seriously.

The older man finally stopped talking.

"Please don’t put pressure on her." Lance said.

The room became quiet.

I looked at him in surprise.

Lance continued. "Sophia has gone through enough. She doesn’t need people making decisions for her."

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