Joen's message was clear: it was just plain bad luck. Summer hadn't even bothered with the first paper. She was already seething and feeling wronged after leaving her assistant, so focusing on reading was out of the question. Joen's explanation only added to the heaviness in her chest, like she was carrying an invisible burden.
What special article? They seemed like nothing more than excuses to sideline her. Noticing Summer’s frustration, Joen put the journal down and asked, “You haven’t checked out the first paper yet, have you?”
Summer wanted to snap back, “What’s there to read?” But she held her tongue, not wanting to be impertinent in front of Joen. Instead, she muttered, “I skimmed it, didn’t really dive in.”
“Well, give it a proper look. Once you do, you’ll see why it’s at the top,” Joen suggested, tapping his fingers on the table.
Summer shot Joen a look before finally picking up the journal. But before she could even get to the main text, the author's name below the title stopped her cold.
Mirabella?
Could it just be someone with the same name, or was it the Mirabella she knew? Summer wanted to dismiss the idea that it was her old rival, but remembering how Mirabella had always been in the spotlight since high school only fueled her frustration.
She had zero interest in reading the paper. Instead, she turned to Joen and asked, “Professor, could I ask for a favor?”
“Hmm?” Joen leaned back slightly in his chair.
“Could you help me find out where this paper came from, through the SCI database?” Summer was anxious to get to the bottom of it.
Joen gave her a curious look.
Summer’s eyes darted as she explained, “I’ve seen something like this before and need to confirm if someone I know wrote it.”
Joen’s brow furrowed slightly, but he took out his phone to call a friend at SCI. The call connected quickly.
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