The Plane Tickets He Hoarded The Wife He Hid novel Chapter 32

32 Chapter 32 A Radiant Kind of Brilliance

Blanche’s POV 1

That weekend, Demetrius came by the Callum Mansion to get me, and we headed to a medical school lecture together.

We arrived a few minutes before it started, but all the good seats were gone. We had to settle for the front row.

Since I wasn’t one of Aiden’s actual students, guilt and nerves twisted in my stomach.

The moment Demetrius walked through the door, people nearby waved and greeted him. Some shot curious glances my way, but Demetrius just smiled politely without offering explanations.

Aiden despised noise, especially right before class. Demetrius clearly wanted to respond to his friends, but he stayed quiet to avoid

causing trouble.

Even Demetrius had to follow the rules in Aiden’s classroom.

Promptly, Aiden entered–coffee cup in one hand, files tucked under his other arm. He wore a crisp jacket with glasses sliding down his

nose.

His teaching approach was completely different–no PowerPoints or textbook recitations.

He placed the attendance sheet on the podium, adjusted his glasses, and slowly surveyed the room.

His gaze found Demetrius first, then shifted to me sitting beside him.

Aiden looked ready to ask something when a gentle voice interrupted from the doorway. “Excuse me, Professor Reese.”

Every head swiveled toward Joanna standing in the entrance.

She was late–Aiden’s biggest pet peeve.

Aiden stared at her for a long moment, clearly planning to refuse her entry without wasting breath on lectures.

His rules were established on day one, and he wouldn’t repeat them.

But then Zain appeared behind her, hands casually shoved in his pockets. He looked relaxed, but that quiet intensity in his eyes spoke

volumes.

Aiden might ignore Joanna, but he couldn’t dismiss Zain so easily.

The medical school valued Aiden’s teaching, but Zain’s funding kept their labs operational.

Still, watching Zain cover for Joanna clearly irritated Aiden.

For the school’s benefit, Aiden swallowed his annoyance. “Enter”

Joanna nodded gracefully, smiling. “Thank you, Professor Reese.”

She reached back, clasped Zain’s hand, and walked in with him.

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The back rows were packed–only front seats remained. Joanna spotted Demetrius and moved toward him, but when she noticed me

sitting there, she stopped short. Surprise and confusion flickered across her face.

Zain saw me too, right next to Demetrius.

Before he could dwell on whatever he was thinking, Joanna tugged his sleeve and whispered, “Come on, sit down.”

Zain glanced up at Aiden, caught the professor’s sour expression, and finally took his seat.

Aiden was still annoyed but had no choice except to begin his lecture.

Joanna ended up next to Demetrius, while Zain and I sat on opposite sides.

I ignored both Zain and Joanna completely. My focus stayed on Aiden’s lecture as I scribbled notes occasionally.

Maybe I wouldn’t need this information later, but extra knowledge never hurt anyone.

Demetrius and Joanna weren’t particularly close, and ever since he discovered Zain was my husband, Demetrius had developed a clear

distaste for Joanna.

When Joanna settled beside Demetrius, he didn’t even bother with pleasantries.

Under the desk, Zain was busy on his phone, delegating tasks to his team. Joanna, however, actually paid attention to the class.

My eyes followed Aiden as he moved around the room.

When Aiden paused beside Zain, I accidentally caught sight of my husband.

I scoffed internally. ‘Look at that. He’s not actually as swamped as he always claims. He even has time to attend lectures with Joanna.

Work was just his convenient excuse.‘

A bitter smile crossed my lips before I returned to my notes.

Near the lecture’s end, Aiden sipped his water and scanned the students below.

“Next, I’ll call on someone to answer this,” he announced. “If a patient has both surgical contraindications–like severe clotting disorders

-and a life–threatening acute abdomen, how do we construct a risk stratification model? Give me a decision–making process for various

scenarios. You have a few minutes to discuss.”

The moment he finished, animated chatter filled the room.

Since Zain wasn’t a medical student, Joanna immediately turned to Demetrius. “Demetrius, let’s collaborate on this.”

Demetrius didn’t even glance her way. Instead, he turned toward me and started our discussion.

Joanna froze, her smile vanishing instantly.

I caught the entire exchange. Seeing Demetrius choose me over Joanna filled me with genuine gratitude.

Relationships required mutual participation, but Joanna was hardly innocent.

She became a homewrecker despite knowing Zain had a wife and daughter. I’d never considered Joanna a decent person.

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Throughout the discussion period, Joanna sat alone without a partner.

Zain, noticing her discomfort, leaned closer. “Want to leave now?”

Joanna shook her head, tears already gathering in her eyes.

Under the table, Zain took Joanna’s hand and patted it gently, a gesture of comfort.

Just then, Aiden tapped the table, signaling time was up.

Students stopped talking, and silence settled over the room instantly.

Aiden’s gaze swept across the students before landing on me. “I don’t recall seeing you before. Why don’t you tackle this question?”

The second I saw Aiden point in my direction, my stomach plummeted.

I hadn’t even attended graduate school, yet here I sat in a PhD–level class. Of course I was terrified.

But Aiden’s commanding presence left no room for refusal, so I forced myself to stand.

“What’s your name?” Aiden asked.

My palms were slick with sweat from nerves.

I stammered, “I’m… Blanche.”

Aiden frowned and flipped through his attendance sheet, muttering, “No Blanche listed…”

Demetrius jumped in. “Professor Reese, I brought Blanche. She’s a huge admirer of yours. She’s wanted to attend one of your lectures for

ages.”

Aiden snapped the sheet closed and shot Demetrius a sharp look, his tone laced with irritation. “I never authorized you to bring random

guests to my lectures.”

He wasn’t just addressing Demetrius–he was taking a shot at Joanna too.

He despised outsiders crashing his classes.

Demetrius recognized Aiden’s anger and stayed quiet.

I knew I’d broken protocol, but this was such an incredible learning opportunity. I took a deep breath and launched into my answer to

Aiden’s question.

My response was comprehensive–covering nearly every possibility, weighing different acute abdomen types against various risk levels, and matching each scenario to the appropriate approach.

Aiden’s expression was stone–cold initially, but as I continued, a smile gradually emerged.

Demetrius noticed the shift in Aiden’s demeanor and gave me a discreet thumbs–up under the desk.

When I finished, the room erupted in applause.

Joanna didn’t clap. She just stared at me, completely stunned.

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Some points I’d raised hadn’t even occurred to Joanna, yet I’d nailed them perfectly.

Zain looked equally surprised by my performance and apparent excellence in my professional field.

Zain wasn’t medically trained, but my reasoning was so clear it seemed he could follow along easily.

The spark of approval in Aiden’s eyes confirmed I’d absolutely crushed it.

When the applause faded, Aiden gave me an approving nod before gesturing for me to sit back down.

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