The Fake Heiress and Her Purrfect Partner novel Chapter 137

Chapter 137

Chapter 137

Nina heard the girls chatting and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

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She just realized that Claire was not only a grad student at Jelasburg University, but also about to give a speech as an outstanding student representative at the opening ceremony, and host a seminar introducing the

new vaccine.

Just then, the girls’ soft whispers floated over again.

One girl whispered, eyes full of admiration, “I heard Claire got straight into a PhD program. Total academic star!”

Another girl cocked her head curiously. “Do you know where Claire did her undergrad?”

The third girl leaned in, dropping her voice all mysterious. “No idea. But apparently, Claire’s actually the daughter of the CEO of Summer Veterinary Group. She was switched at birth.”

“She grew up in a regular family, got into grad school here all on her own, and only reunited with the Summer family later.”

The first girl’s eyes went wide. “Oh my god. She basically lost years of her life because of that.”

“Seriously!” The second girl scoffed, “And that fake heiress who took Claire’s spot, wasn’t her name Nina?”

“She even graduated from here, then jetted off to Starglaze Royal Veterinary College and scored a double degree. It’s like she was living Claire’s life for her!”

The last girl sighed, sounding genuinely sorry. “If Claire hadn’t been switched at birth, with her family’s resources, she definitely could’ve gone to one of the world’s top vet schools.”

Simon and Nina walked side by side. Watching all this go down, Simon’s brows pinched slightly. “Claire never struck me as someone who lived for hitting the books before the Summer family took her back.

“But now that she’s back with them, she’s putting on this academic superstar act.”

Just then, Spencer hurried out of the main entrance, carrying his briefcase.

He obviously caught wind of the conversation between the three girls as they worked on putting up banners.

Spencer came to a stop, his face stern as he looked at the girls. “Girls, don’t go making wild guesses when you don’t know the real story.

“Claire isn’t one of my students, so I can’t really speak to her situation.

“But Nina is the very first, and so far, the only student from our entire southern region to secure a government-sponsored spot at Starglaze Royal Veterinary College,

“She earned that spot through her outstanding academic record and research skills. She got a full national scholarship, so her family didn’t have to pay a dime.”

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Spencer adjusted his glasses, his tone serious. “A government-sponsored scholarship doesn’t just cover tuition. It also pays for your visa, round-trip flights, and gives you a monthly living stipend.

“Only the absolute top students make it through the rigorous selection process to get one of these

spots.”

The three girls were utterly floored, one of them whispering in awe, “Whoa, that’s insane. So why didn’t the school invite Nina back to give a talk?”

Spencer softly shook his head with a trace of regret. “We actually tried to reach out before summer break, but Nina was overseas attending an international veterinary summit.”

The girls’ jaws dropped even further. That was literally one of the highest-level events in the entire field!

Spencer added, “Nina was there representing the school, and because of her commitments as an official delegate, it just wasn’t possible to make the dates work. She had to graciously decline.”

Nina, standing not far away, paused and was surprised by what she heard.

She recalled that during that period, the alumni association had tried contacting her. At the time, she was busy presenting her own research at an international academic summit.

But when Nina finally returned triumphantly, loaded with honors, the first thing waiting for her was Claire knocking on her door with the explosive truth.

After that, one upheaval after another left Nina completely drained.

She’d already pushed the invitation to speak at the opening ceremony to the back of her mind.

Just then, Spencer happened to spot Nina and Simon and looked genuinely surprised. “Nina? You two are still working this late?”

Nina flashed a bright smile, her tone easygoing. “Yeah, we didn’t have much to go on today, so we figured we’d keep digging. Then it was already this late.”

Spencer’s expression softened as he nodded. “You two have been working hard.”

The three girls putting up banners overheard the conversation and all turned to stare, their eyes popping with shock and curiosity. One of them asked in a small, awed voice, “Is that really Nina, Mr. Gray?”

Nina spun around and offered them a friendly, genuine smile, her eyes crinkling with warmth. “Yeah, I’m Nina. I’m the director of Forest Isle Zoo, and I also work as an animal communicator.

“By the way, we’re holding an open day at the zoo around the middle of this month. Students get discounted tickets! Hope to see you all there!”

The three girls instantly remembered all the stuff they’d just said about Nina. And now, seeing her standing right there, they all turned bright red in unison.

It was so embarrassing! They’d been caught gossiping by the actual person herself.

“Nina, we’re really sorry! We didn’t know the full story, and we shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions,” one of

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Chapter 137

the girls blurted out.

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“We’ll definitely help spread the word about the open day! I’m the publicity club president. I know a bunch of people and I’m in all kinds of student group chats!” another chimed in.

The third girl was about to apologize, but suddenly her eyes shot to her phone and she squawked, “Damn! Our takeout just got swiped!”

She pulled a long face. “Yisrael just went to pick it up. I even sent him the spot’s photo, but when he got there, it was totally gone!”

The other two girls sagged in defeat, moaning, “You’ve got to be kidding! We’ve been running around all day, and we’re about to pass out from hunger. Who the heck snatched our food?”

“We worked ourselves to the bone just for a nice meal, and now everything’s ruined!”

“There’s been this repeat food thief on campus lately. Bet it’s that culprit again!”

The three girls instantly wilted, slumping down on the curb like a bunch of veggies left out in the sun.

Spencer’s brow furrowed, his voice stern. “Lately, the security office’s gotten a bunch of complaints about stolen takeout.” He sighed. “I’ll ask them to increase patrols. It’s really not right for stuff like this to happen on campus.”

He pulled out a few cafeteria vouchers from his briefcase and handed them over. “Here, grab something to eat in the dining hall tonight. Don’t let yourselves go hungry.”

The girls’ faces instantly brightened, and they chorused together, “Thank you, Mr. Gray!”

Seeing this, Nina stepped forward with a smile. “Tomorrow, I’ll ask the animals near the takeout drop-off spot and see if any of them noticed who swiped your food.”

The girls’ eyes lit up, their faces bright with surprise. “Wait, animals can actually help us figure out who took our food?”

Nina nodded. “Worth a shot.”

“Thank you so much, Nina!” the girls burst out, almost jumping in excitement. “Honestly, it’s not really about the food. It’s just so frustrating to let the thief get away with it!”

Spencer shot Nina a grateful look. “Really appreciate your help, Nina.”

With that, Spencer checked the time, offered a few more words of comfort, and then hurried off.

Nina and Simon started their walk back home together.

*****

Early the next morning, Nina slung her backpack loaded with all her detective gear.

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