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Lindsay replied, “Understood!”
When the elevator doors opened, Damian headed straight for the conference room.
***
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The news online was spreading far faster than anyone could control.
Even Mitchell was dug up by netizens.
A netizen claiming to be Mitchell’s graduate student said that Claudine’s name was not on this year’s PhD candidate list.
This ambiguous statement made the clueless onlookers online even more excited.
They were convinced that Claudine must have used her ‘Mrs. Barrette’ status to strike a deal with Prof. Hutchinson.
Some even dug up that the investor behind Mitchell’s Antique Restoration Research Institute was Damian.
For a while, almost everyone believed that Claudine and Mitchell were involved in academic fraud, and some even wanted to report Mitchell.
The Barrette Group’s PR department acted quickly, and videos of Claudine at the auction were soon released by mar- keting accounts.
But in such a one-sided public opinion, as soon as those videos were released, netizens picked them apart.
They only wanted to find what they wanted to see.
They wouldn’t appreciate Claudine’s confident and elegant moments with the gavel at the auction, nor her perfect ex- planations of the auction items.
They discovered that at Claudine’s last two auctions, the highest-priced items were all bought by Damian!
This marketing video was nothing short of adding fuel to the fire!
Claudine was now completely labeled as a fraud and someone who abused her power for personal gain!
Even more frightening, some people even found out that Damian, as an investor, had facilitated the cooperation be- tween Mitchell’s Antique Restoration Research Institute and the National Antique Museum!
Netizens were surprisingly unanimous in their opinion, demanding that Claudine withdraw from the research project, insisting that a woman like her must not be allowed to taint the nation’s antiques!
The last time Mitchell became widely known online was when he represented the country at the World Antique De-
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velopment Expo.
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Today, however, because of Claudine, he has become the villain in the eyes of netizens, accused of abusing his power and engaging in favoritism!
He had done nothing wrong; he simply wanted to give Claudine a chance. Now, he was being viciously attacked on- line by ignorant netizens!
It might even affect Mitchell’s Antique Conservation Database Project.
Claudine knew how much Mitchell valued that project.
She also knew that several senior colleagues had always hoped to showcase their talents through this project.
Claudine gazed out the window for a long time before finally making up her mind.
She sent Mitchell a message, expressing her willingness to withdraw from the database project and apologizing deeply for the trouble she had caused the Antique Restoration Research Institute.
No sooner had she sent the message than she received a call from Mitchell.
Claudine pressed the answer button.
On the phone, Mitchell’s voice was full of energy as he harshly scolded Claudine.
“What do you mean by this message!
“I’ve already submitted the project proposal, and now you say you want to quit-why didn’t you say so earlier!
“Do you think this project is child’s play!”
Listening to Mitchell on the phone, Claudine felt her nose sting.
Of course she understood that Mitchell didn’t want her to quit.
“Prof. Hutchinson, I’m sorry!”
Hearing the choked voice on the phone, Mitchell sighed, and his tone softened.
“You, you’re still too young!
“Just a small setback and you want to quit!
“Think carefully-you know how rare this project is!
“If you really want to quit, I’ll approve it immediately!
“I’m only going to ask you once!
“Have you really thought it through? Are you willing to miss out on this project!”
Claudine’s tears fell.
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Of course she wasn’t willing!
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Her life had been ruined for five years, and now, after finally waking up, she wanted to reclaim her value through her
career.
It had taken her so much effort to join such an outstanding team!
Her life was just beginning to see a glimmer of hope, and now, because of a baseless rumor, she was about to give up the freedom that was within reach!
How could she be willing?
“Prof. Hutchinson, but I don’t want to drag you down, or the Antique Restoration Research Institute.”
Mitchell said, “Child! We all know the truth about you, regardless of what is said online. I know your professional abilities, and I believe you are not what they say, not the stepmother who would abuse Mr. Barrette’s daughter!
“Life is just like our research!
“Would you give up a project just because an experiment failed once?
“What you need to do now is pick yourself up, review everything carefully, figure out where the experiment went wrong, analyze the problem, and solve it!
“I’ll give you a week off. After a week, I want to see you at the Antique Restoration Research Institute!”
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