Nyla's frown intensified as she asked, "Ruby, do you have any idea how much you've sacrificed to get to where you are? Are you really willing to throw all of that away?"

She had witnessed Ruby's journey firsthand and struggled to accept that her friend was making such a hasty decision.

Ruby's tone was sharp. "I don't need you to remind me of what I've been through. I know what I want, and I've made my decision."

She didn't want to hear another lecture.

To Ruby, Nyla was an outsider who could never truly understand the despair and struggles she had endured. Her toxic family was a suffocating swamp-the more she fought to escape, the deeper she sank.

Ruby had reached her limit. She no longer wanted that life. Nyla's words couldn't pull her out, nor could anyone else's reasoning. She had made up her mind.

To her, leaving the country and vanishing beyond her family's reach was the only way forward.

Seeing that her words had no effect, Nyla paused, her voice turning cold as she spoke again. "Fine. If you're so determined to leave, call the professor yourself and tell him."

Without another word, she turned and left the office, heading for the lab.

Ruby knew Nyla was angry, but she wasn't about to apologize. An apology wouldn't fix anything. Nyla would still be disappointed, and besides, Ruby doubted they'd cross paths again.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up her phone and called Edgar.noveldrama

The conversation lasted over an hour.

At one point, Ruby wavered.

Edgar's arguments were compelling, but the thought of a fresh start abroad outweighed everything else. In the end, she stood firm.

Unable to change her mind, Edgar reluctantly agreed.

All that remained was for Ruby to wrap up her current projects, hand over her responsibilities, and secure her admission to a school overseas.

That afternoon, Ruby met with Paul.

As soon as he sat down, Ruby handed him a bank card. "Mr.

Vernon, this card contains 1,400,000 dollars. The PIN is six zeros. This should be enough to repay the funds Sullivan misappropriated and cover any penalties. Transfer whatever remains to his account after his sentencing."

Paul stared at the card in disbelief. "Ms. Jenner... how do you have so much money?"

He hesitated, his suspicion evident. Handling such a large sum without knowing its origin could spell trouble.

Ruby noticed his apprehension and smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I sold a property to get this money. It's clean."

Relieved, Paul nodded and took the

card. "This is more than enough. But Ms. Jenner, you and Mr. Heseltine are just colleagues. Why are you willing to help him with such a significant amount?"

"That's my business, Mr. Vernon. I don't think I need to explain myself, do I? After all, I'm not a criminal," Ruby replied coolly.

"Of course not. I'm just curious," Paul said, though he could sense the conversation had reached its limit.

Ruby stood. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Vernon. Please take care of the rest."

"Of course," Paul answered, watching her leave.

Alone with the card, Paul frowned. Something didn't sit right, so he dialed his assistant.

"Check into Ms. Jenner's recent finances. I want to know where this money came from," he instructed before ending the call.

...

Without wasting time, Paul headed to the detention center.

"Mr. Heseltine," he began as he faced Sullivan. "Ms. Jenner handed

me this card today. She said it

ite

contains 1,400,000 dollars to repay the funds you embezzled."

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