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If she got a fever on the day of the exam and performed poorly, she would regret it for the rest of her life. 

Since that day, Damian had not returned home. 

Claudine assumed that his lover had returned to the country and he was busy accompanying her. 

That was fine by her; she enjoyed the peace and quiet. 

Otherwise, even if he came back, they would only be annoyed by each other’s presence. 

Damian had been on business trips out of town these days. 

He had considered asking Lindsay to investigate Claudine’s abortion, but decided to wait until he finished his work and look into it himself. 

Although he wasn’t at Belmont Villas, he was well aware of Claudine’s daily activities. 

She hadn’t even stepped into the yard; every day she woke up and went straight to the study, sitting in front of the computer for hours. 

He guessed she was probably watching some pointless romance dramas. 

How boring! 

Thinking this, Damian closed the surveillance feed. 

After checking all her materials one last time, Claudine called Adriana. 

The last time she visited the elderly woman, she had sensed Adriana wasn’t in good shape. She wondered how she 

was now, 

Adriana’s medical check-up was coming up soon, so Claudine wanted to ask which day she would go to the hospital so she could accompany her. 

The call rang for a long time before it was answered. Just as Claudine was about to speak, Adriana spoke first. 

“Claudine, is there something you need? I’m busy. If there’s nothing urgent, let’s hang up.” 

Claudine could tell that Adriana was speaking in a low voice, as if she didn’t want someone nearby to hear. 

Moreover, her tone was somewhat cold. 

Claudine didn’t take it to heart and said, “It’s nothing, I just wanted to ask how you’ve been lately. Maybe I could visit tomorrow and cook something you like…” 

Before Claudine could finish, Adriana interrupted her. 

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“No, don’t come tomorrow.” 

As soon as she said it, Adriana realized she shouldn’t have spoken that way. 

She added, “I mean, your interview is coming up soon. You should focus on preparing during this time. 

“I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about me.” 

Listening to Adriana, Claudine felt that something was off. 

“Prof. Nixon, are you really alright?” 

“I’m fine, Claudine. That’s all for now, I’ll hang up!” 

Before Claudine could say anything else, Adriana pressed the hang-up button. 

She looked at the two figures in the distance, one big and one small, her eyes filled with joy. 

They were her daughter and granddaughter… 

Audrey took Darlene to the park to bask in the sun. From a distance, they saw Adriana waving at them. 

“Mom, it’s Ms. Nixon!” 

Darlene stretched her little legs and ran toward Adriana. 

Audrey followed behind, reminding her to be careful and not to fall. 

Adriana stood up just in time to catch Darlene as she leapt into her arms. 

She kissed the little one’s cheek, happily hugged her, and took out the snacks she had prepared in advance. 

“Wow, thank you, Ms. Nixon!” 

Darlene happily accepted the snacks. After getting her mother’s permission, she obediently sat to the side and began 

to eat. 

Audrey also sat down nearby. 

“Prof. Nixon, what a coincidence to run into you here again!” 

Adriana looked at her own daughter. She was so close, yet she could not acknowledge her. The bitterness in her heart surged like a stormy sea. 

She swallowed the lump in her throat. 

“Yes! I love coming here for walks. The environment is nice, and I get to see Darla,” 

Hearing her name, Darlene gave a sweet, obedient smile. 

Audrey, however, felt something odd in her heart. 

Lately, she had been running into Adriana here almost every day, and Adriana’s attitude toward her was very different 

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Could it really be because she liked Darlene? 

Audrey didn’t think much of it. 

If she could use Darlene to make Adriana like her more, maybe it would give her an advantage in the PhD interview. 

What she didn’t know was that, as she casually chatted with Adriana about the PhD interview, Adriana had already made up her mind. 

She had already owed her daughter too much. Now, whatever her daughter wanted, no matter the cost, she was will- ing to give it. 

In recent days, she had investigated her daughter’s past life. When she learned how her daughter had been abused by the Lavigne family, her heart nearly broke. 

Although the outside world said nothing, she knew that her daughter’s divorce must have been because she had no family to rely on. 

It was all her fault; she had ruined her daughter’s life. 

Now, fate had arranged for her to meet her daughter again, and her daughter wanted to apply for her PhD program. 

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