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chapter168 

Besides, we all know how capable you are, so there’s no need to worry.” 

Winfred chimed in. 

“That’s right. Mitchell torments us in the lab, but outside the lab, it’s our turn to torment him.” 

“Torment Prof. Hutchinson?” 

Claudine was a bit confused. 

Winfred raised his eyebrows and took out his phone. 

He opened the Antique Restoration Research Institute’s group chat, sent a voice message, and even tagged Mitchell. 

“Mitchell, we’re planning a welcome party for Claudine. Could you approve some funds for us?” 

The next second, a big “Get lost” appeared in the chat. 

Winfred clearly didn’t take the screen-filling “Get lost” seriously. 

He quickly typed on the keyboard: “If you don’t give us the funds, next time at the academic forum, I’ll eat up all the snacks at the tea break, pack up the leftovers, and make sure every professor knows you’re my advisor!!!” 

As soon as the message was sent, Mitchell replied with a long voice message. 

Claudine was about to play it, but Winfred stopped her. 

“Hey, don’t play it! Mitchell’s just cursing. Don’t listen!” 

Sure enough, the phone vibrated repeatedly with a string of sixty-second voice messages from Mitchell. 

Claudine was a bit skeptical and asked, “That many? Are they all scolding you?” 

Dominic, who had been silent in the back seat, spoke up at this moment. 

“Judging by how worked up Mitchell is this time, I bet he’ll give us a lot!” 

As soon as he finished speaking, Mitchell sent a red envelope in the group chat. 

Winfred opened the red envelope and immediately shouted at his phone. 

“Mitchell, don’t worry. Whenever I go to a seminar, I’ll make sure no one finds out I’m your student!” 

Claudine couldn’t help but laugh. 

She also felt much closer to her seniors. 

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12:06 

chapter168 

Wintred patted Everett. 

“We got the money! Let’s go have fondue!” 

Everett glanced at Claudine beside him, and Winfred immediately caught on. 

“Claudine, come with us! Otherwise, if Mitchell finds out I got money out of him but didn’t bring you along, he’ll probably kill me.” 

Claudine agreed. 

She now found these three seniors quite amusing, and being with them always put her in a better mood. 

Considering Claudine’s status, Everett didn’t take them to their usual food stall, but instead chose a highly rated fon- due restaurant online. 

By the time Damian finished his work at the company, it was already late. 

Lindsay knocked and entered. 

“Mr. Barrette, it’s already quite late. Are you getting off work?” 

Damian glanced at the time; it was nearly ten o’clock. 

“Yes, you can head home first.” 

With that, Damian got up, grabbed his coat, and walked out. 

A layer of snow had already settled on the welcoming avenue outside the Barrette Group’s entrance. 

Damian drove back to Belmont Estates. 

On the way, he passed by a flower shop and bought a bouquet of fresh flowers. 

All the way home, he kept glancing at the bouquet on the back seat through the rearview mirror, and the fatigue of the day seemed to melt away. 

This seemed to be the first time he had ever bought flowers for Claudine. 

It felt pretty good. 

He wondered what kind of expression Claudine would have when she saw the flowers. 

Thinking of this, a smile slowly appeared on Damian’s face. 

Damian returned to Belmont Estates. 

The lights in the villa were still on. 

He remembered that when he had just gotten married and had just taken over the company, he was so busy every day that he could only come home very late. 

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12:06 

Back then, no matter how late it was, Claudine would always wait for him downstairs. 

The moment he walked in, she would come up to him, take his briefcase and coat, and follow him around, telling him about her day at home-what Darla played with, what she ate, and what new things she had learned. 

At the time, he only thought this woman was a bit too talkative. After a long day at work, he still had to listen to her chatter about these trivial matters. 

Gradually, he became increasingly cold toward her, and came home later and later. 

Sometimes, he would even just rest at the company. 

Claudine was sensitive. 

Gradually, she spoke much less, but she still waited for him to come home every night. 

The difference was, after he came home, Claudine no longer hovered around him as before. She would simply bring the prepared late-night snack to him, then go upstairs to rest. 

For a time, Damian was quite satisfied with such a considerate and quiet wife. 

But now… 

Damian walked up to the door. 

When did Claudine stop waiting for him to come home from work? 

It seemed like it had been a long time… 

He pushed open the door.