Chapter 29: The Alarm Blared Three Times

The alarm blared three times before Paige Lawson finally pried her eyes open.

Bleary-eyed, she glanced at the clock and jolted upright in bed.

"I'm going to be late!" She frantically shook her roommate awake.

The two sprinted all the way to the library. Paige doubled over, hands on her knees, gasping for breath.

Clara Whitmore stood waiting by the elevator, arms laden with thick graduate school prep books.

"Which floor?" Clara gave her a sidelong glance.

"Two...second," Paige panted.

As the elevator doors opened, Paige noticed the books and raised an eyebrow. "Studying? Don't tell me you're applying to grad school."

Clara remained silent, calmly watching the floor numbers.

Paige scoffed. "Most fresh graduates can't even get in, let alone someone who's been out of school for years—"

"Whether I get in is irrelevant," Clara cut in. "When you say fresh graduates can't get in...are you referring to yourself?"

Paige's face flushed crimson. As a junior, she'd been procrastinating on her grad school plans. While her roommates diligently prepared, she kept relying on Grant Holloway as her safety net.

"You think everyone's like you?" she spat through gritted teeth. "He'll give me anything I want."

Clara smiled faintly. "Then I hope you always feel this confident."

With that, she strode toward Owen Parker who was already walking away.

"Who was that?" her roommate asked curiously.

"No one important," Paige snapped, then abruptly changed the subject. "Do you know how to make millet congee?"

Her roommate looked baffled. "There are tutorials online."

Paige immediately downloaded a cooking app and spent the entire morning studying recipes. Her textbooks remained untouched on the table as her roommate watched with concern.

At noon, Paige rushed to the supermarket and returned with armfuls of kitchenware and ingredients.

"What's all this for?" Her roommate gaped.

"Cooking lessons." Paige declared with determination. "I'm going to be the perfect domestic goddess."

She refused to lose to Clara.

Late that night, Grant's luxury car pulled up to his estate. The moment he stepped out, a perfumed figure threw herself into his arms.

"Darling, I've missed you so much!" Paige cooed.

Grant deftly sidestepped her embrace. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to keep you company." She fluttered her lashes. "Let me give you a massage?"

Rubbing his temples, Grant replied, "That won't be necessary."