Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Time flew by, and soon, the twenty–second arrived.
During that time, Julian hadn’t come home once.
Autumn had grown used to it.
After today, only eight days remained–none of it mattered anymore.
She had nearly finished handing over her work, just waiting for the time to come so she could leave for good.
Around nine, Autumn received a call from Ethan.
‘Autumn, I’m near your place. Come on out p>
“Alright p>
Autumn grabbed her bag and the gift box she had prepared, then headed out the door.
After getting in the car, Ethan asked, “How much longer do you need to wrap things up at work p>
As she buckled her seatbelt, Autumn replied, “Pretty much done. I’ll officially be back at the company on the first of next month p>
“Got it p>
The car pulled away quickly.
The Lyric Lounge had to be booked in advance.
The vintage building had a distinct charm and a calm, elegant atmosphere.
When Autumn and Ethan walked in, the door to their private room was slightly ajar, and they could hear people inside chatting and laughing.
Hearing their mentor’s voice made Autumn’s palms sweat.
After graduation, she had retired from the field to get married, letting down the mentor who had trained her so carefully.
She wasn’t sure if he still held it against her.
Just the thought of his stern face made her uneasy.
Ethan noticed her tension and smiled, “You don’t have to be nervous. Mr. Shaw knows you’re coming and that you’re returning to the company p>
That felt like a reassuring pill.
Autumn nodded, though her hands only grew sweatier.
When they pushed the door open, Ethan greeted everyone with a smile, and the people inside stood to greet him
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in return.
Their mentor, Edwin Shaw, was a man in his early fifties.
Threads of gray were visible in his hair.
His eyes fell on Autumn behind Ethan.
His gaze was sharp and deep, as if it could see right through her, making Autumn feel a little uneasy.
“Changed your mind p>
Autumn glanced up and met his eyes briefly before lowering her head. “Yes, I have p>
Edwin stared at her for a long while before saying, “You young people always need to hit a few walls before realizing you’ve lost your way. But life doesn’t always give you the chance to fix your mistakes.
“Time waits for no one, and neither do opportunities. Do you understand what I mean p>
“I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Shaw p>
Autumn nodded like a pecking chick, a faint ache rising in her chest.
She thought about the past three years–how she’d thrown herself into marriage and missed so many opportunities.
And what did she get in return?
Scars all over, and cancer on top of it.
Looking back now, she could only blame herself for being so foolish.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too late.
There was still time to make up for it.
From now on, she would do everything she could to become the best version of herself.
Ethan pulled out the chair next to Edwin for her.
After greeting a few of the senior students, Autumn sat down.
Ethan took the seat on the other side of Edwin and poured him a cup of tea. “Mr. Shaw, one of the senior brothers isn’t here yet p>
Edwin took a sip and replied, “He said he had something to deal with and would be a bit late. Told us to go ahead
and eat p>
Someone kicked off the conversation, and soon the group began discussing professional topics.
They were all usually too busy to gather, and Edwin’s birthday had become a rare chance for them to reunite.
Most of them had gone into national–level research roles after graduation, and because their work was
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classified, very few people even knew what they actually did.
Edwin didn’t have many students, but each one of them was a top–tier scientist working for the country.
Because of how secretive their work was, many outsiders misunderstood them, thinking they were idle or unproductive.