The Plane Tickets He Hoarded The Wife He Hid novel Chapter 240

0 Chapter 240 A Place Always

Waiting

Blanche’s POV

1

When the room finally settled, I could feel everyone’s eyes scanning for the next juicy piece of drama to sink their teeth into.

Joanna kept that perfect smile plastered on as she lifted her glass toward Demetrius. “Thank you for always looking out for me, Demetrius. I owe you for helping me nail down my Ph.D. research topic. This drink’s for you.”

I watched Demetrius’s jaw tighten slightly. After Zain had cornered Aiden earlier, Demetrius had been stuck handling Joanna’s research project whether he wanted

to or not.

The reluctance in his posture was obvious to me, but he couldn’t exactly refuse when Aiden had made the

request.

I knew Demetrius had fielded Joanna’s academic

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questions before, but there’d never been anything romantic there. Back then, she’d pestered him constantly, always needing help with something or other.

Demetrius wasn’t the type to turn anyone down, especially when her requests fell within his wheelhouse. He’d kept to himself back then–barely socialized with women–so when Joanna started hovering around him, tongues naturally started wagging.

But I knew the truth. There was nothing between

them.

After I’d filled him in on what Joanna was really like, any lingering tolerance he’d had for her had

evaporated.

So when Joanna raised her glass, I could see

Demetrius wasn’t having it. But with Zain sitting right there, watching every move, he had no choice but to play along.

I could tell he was thinking the same thing I was—if his actions put everyone in Zain’s crosshairs, he’d never

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forgive himself.

After a moment’s hesitation, he reluctantly clinked his glass against hers.

Then Demetrius flashed that knowing smile of his and said casually, “No need to thank me, Joanna. After all, you got it with your own… talents.”

The way he drew out that word sent ripples of snickers and whispers around the table.

I watched Joanna’s face flush as she caught the mockery behind his words. She forced out that stiff smile, but still knocked back her drink like a champ.

Demetrius followed suit and drained his glass.

The second he set it down, someone nearby called out, “So, Demetrius, does Joanna have some special research project going on?”

Demetrius chuckled. “You’ll have to ask Joanna

yourself about that.”

His eyes flicked briefly to Joanna before he tossed the question right back at her like a hot potato.

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Nearly everyone at the table swiveled to stare at

Joanna.

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She stayed composed, giving the group that soft, practiced smile. “It’s nothing major at the moment, but I have started working on a project.”

A collective sigh of disappointment swept through the crowd. “Oh, is that so…” they murmured.

Someone, clearly not ready to let the gossip die, leaned forward. “So, Joanna, what field are you mainly focusing on for your research?”

I could tell these people were all heavy hitters in the medical world, and Joanna’s credentials were honestly nothing to write home about. Still, she played it cool, radiating confidence.

She kept things vague, maintaining that serene smile. “You’ll see in the paper once it’s published.”

Zain, who’d been lounging quietly to the side, had clearly caught onto Demetrius’s little maneuver. Once the crowd’s interest in Joanna fizzled, he pounced on the opportunity to needle Demetrius: “Word is that Dr. Jake’s basically a legend in the medical world. I’m

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guessing this impressive lady with you has an equally knockout resume, right?”

My stomach dropped as every pair of eyes in the room suddenly locked onto me, their curiosity reignited.

Someone leaned in. “Demetrius, is she also one of

Professor Reese’s students? Strange, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before.”

“Yeah, what field is she in? Which hospital did she land

at?” another voice chimed in.

I felt Demetrius tense beside me, ready to jump to my defense. But I wasn’t about to hide behind him.

“Hey everyone,” I said, keeping my voice steady and relaxed. “I’m specializing in pediatric surgery. I’ve just got my bachelor’s degree so far, and I’m gearing up for grad school exams. I’m not a student of Professor Reese’s yet, but I’m working hard to get there.”

I laid it all out there, cards on the table. I figured as long as I wasn’t ashamed of where I stood, nobody else could use it against me.

I caught Zain staring at me from across the table, his

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expression somewhere between shock and disbelief.

Clearly, he hadn’t expected me to be so brutally honest about my situation.

The whispers around the table picked up steam after I finished speaking.

But honestly? Those voices didn’t mean squat to me

anymore.

What really stung wasn’t being looked down on by strangers–it was Zain dragging me into this mess just to prop up Joanna.

The gossip got nastier.

“She’s only just starting grad school? She won’t get her Ph.D. till she’s well into her thirties at the earliest!”

someone sneered.

“That’s being generous–well into her thirties is if everything goes perfectly. Odds are, she might not even make it to graduation,” another voice added.

“Does it even matter if she graduates? She’ll be an old spinster by then–who’d even want her?” someone else jeered.

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Nobody bothered keeping their voices down, even with Demetrius sitting right there. They talked like he didn’t exist.

I watched Joanna’s lips curve into a subtle, almost satisfied smile as she watched me get torn apart.

At the same time, she shot a glance at Demetrius, gauging his reaction.

I could feel Demetrius’s eyes on me, tracking every shift in my expression. His focus never wavered–it was like the rest of the world had vanished for him.

I noticed Joanna’s smile fade, a frown creasing her

brow as she saw how absorbed Demetrius was in

watching me.

The gossip continued swirling around us, but honestly, I barely felt fazed. When I sensed Demetrius’s steady gaze on me, I turned toward him.

Seeing the worry written all over his face, I offered him a gentle, reassuring smile. Before I could say anything, he suddenly raised his voice. “Everyone, actually, this lady here is my-”

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I immediately knew what he was about to reveal, and I cut him off with a stronger voice. “Appreciate your concern, everyone. But honestly, in life, it’s never too late for a fresh start.”

I could see both Zain and Joanna had figured out what Demetrius was about to say before I intercepted.

Once I finished, the chatter finally died down.

Aiden sat at the head of the table, quietly taking everything in with that steady, authoritative gaze of

his.

He could more or less guess what Demetrius had been about to reveal, but it was Blanche’s calm and genuine response that left an even deeper impression on him.

She hadn’t let all the gossip shake her confidence–she owned her academic background without hesitation or shame.

In Aiden’s eyes, that kind of honesty and self–assurance was what truly mattered most.

But it was a pity–Blanche clearly didn’t seem

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interested in the best student he’d ever had.

Still, romance was its own complicated mess. As for Blanche herself, Aiden genuinely liked her as his student.

When the room finally quieted down, Aiden cleared his throat and announced, “Everyone, just so you know- Ms. Callum is my personally chosen future Ph.D. student. Whether it takes her a few years or longer, she’ll always have a spot waiting with me.”

As soon as Aiden’s words hit the air, the gossip at the table exploded–louder than ever.

“Seriously, I’ve known Professor Reese for ages, and I’ve never heard him actually reserve a future Ph.D. student before!” someone blurted in disbelief.

“Right? And she’s still just an undergrad!” another piped up.

“If Professor Reese is backing her like this, she must be the real deal,” someone else couldn’t help but say.

“Honestly, I thought so too–she just gives off a totally different vibe,” another person agreed.

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After Aiden’s announcement, I could feel the entire room’s perception of me shift.

Across the table, I watched Joanna’s hands slowly curl

into fists on her lap as both Demetrius and Aiden stood up for me.

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