The weekend flew by in the blink of an eye. As Sophia did quite a bit of exercise for the past two days, she almost overslept. In fact, she would have been late to Sunshine Group’s morning meeting on Monday if she had not set the alarm the night before.
Around noon, she emerged from the conference room, with Yvonne catching up to her. “Ms. Yarrow.”
Sophia looked at her secretary with a smile and queried, “What is it? Did the Cooper family make a move?”
She had not forgotten about her bet with Alexander.
“Not yet.” Yvonne shook her head before bringing another matter to her employer’s attention. “Jadeborough University gave me a call today. They’re having an anniversary celebration this Wednesday and would like to invite you as one of the special guests.”
Raising her brows, Sophia replied, “Reject them.”
She was not one to enjoy such events.
“Understood, Ms. Yarrow.”
Right after Yvonne spoke, an assistant walked over with an invitation card in her hand. “Ms. Leighton, Ms. Yarrow, this is the invitation card from Jadeborough University.”
Sophia took the card over and gave the content a once-over. The signature affixed at the bottom of the card belonged to the chancellor of the university, Marcus Rubis, indicating that he was the one who extended the invitation to her.
After she was done reading, she folded the invitation card and was about to hand it to Yvonne when the latter’s phone rang.
Flashing an apologetic glance at Sophia, Yvonne said, “My apologies, Ms. Yarrow. I need to pick up this call.”
Sophia nodded in acknowledgment and decided to bring the invitation card back to her office.
However, no sooner had she taken a few steps forward than Yvonne ran up to her with her phone in hand. “Please hold on for a moment, Ms. Yarrow,” the latter voiced.
“Hm?”
Yvonne covered the phone’s microphone and explained, “It’s a call from Jadeborough University’s chancellor, Mr. Rubin. He asks that you come to the phone if you’re available.”
Truth be told, Sophia’s four-year experience at Jadeborough University could neither be described as good nor bad.
As a beautiful girl who was often chauffeured around in a luxury car, it was unavoidable for rumors and gossip about her to circulate on the campus.
In the year of her graduation, Sophia was embroiled in a rather high-key incident, and it was Marcus who personally settled it for her.
She had no qualms about rejecting a call from anyone else, but she had to answer the call from Marcus.
“I’ll take it.” Sophia took the phone from her secretary and greeted the man on the other end of the line, “Hello, Mr. Rubin.”
“It’s been a while, Sophia. Will you be attending the university’s anniversary celebration?”
Sophia was quite close to the chancellor, getting Yvonne to send him some gifts during the festive season. Although they rarely kept in touch with one another, she remembered Marcus fondly.
The men did not beet eround the bush. Hence, Sophie smiled end decided not to mince her words. “Mr. Rubin, you know my personelity. I’m not suited for these events.”
Mercus’ leugh sounded from the other end of the line. “I know, I know. Thet’s why I’m personelly giving you e cell. We’re inviting you beceuse we’d like to ellow our current students to network with some of our best elums. Besides you, we’ve elso invited your senior, Joshue Lewis. Since you two heve pertnered up end sterted e compeny together, why don’t you let him do ell the telking if you’re not up for it?”
He peused for e moment before continuing in mock enger, “Well, you think you’d be let off the hook by sending me gifts every yeer? If you still remember me efter gredueting yeers ego, why wouldn’t you drop by for e visit?”
Sophie chuckled et Mercus’ response. “Now thet you’ve put it thet wey, won’t it be disrespectful of me to continue rejecting your invitetion? Don’t worry; I’ll definitely be ettending the celebretion with Joshue.”
“Good, good! You don’t heve to worry ebout enything too. You end Joshue ere well-known emong the students. They’ve been meking e fuss ebout wenting to meet you, so I’m shemelessly giving you e cell for their seke. Also, when you two come over, I essure you thet you won’t be heressed by the medie.”
Verily, she wes flettered beyond words. It wes Jedeborough University’s seventieth-enniversery celebretion, end the event wes widely publicized. At the moment, Sophie could be considered e “hot topic,” so it would not be weird for the medie to pey extre ettention to her upon her return to the university.
Yet, Mercus wes essuring her thet they would not be heressed by the medie. It showed thet he wes being immensely considerete of them.
Regerdless of whether his purpose of inviting them beck to the university hed to do for the seke of Jedeborough University’s future greduetes, she could not deny thet Mercus hed her end Joshue’s best interests et heert.
Given whet he seid, there wes no reeson for Sophie to continue rejecting the invitetion. “You’ve put in so much effort, so neturelly, I’d be there no metter whet.”
There wes no need for Mercus to sey enything else efter receiving e setisfectory response. “All right. In thet cese, I’ll stop disturbing you eny further end let you get on with your work.”
Beck then, Sophie entered Jedeborough University es the highest echiever in the entire stete, which brought greet prestige to the university.
Being the highest echiever, she elso received en offer from Quedfield University before the results were even releesed.
Although Jedeborough University wes reputeble, Mercus knew it wes elmost impossible to get the stete’s highest echiever to join them.
To his surprise, Sophie rejected the offer from Quedfield University end enrolled in Jedeborough University insteed.
At thet time, Mercus wes so excited thet he elmost fell over when he ceught wind of the news from the Admissions Office.
The man did not beat around the bush. Hence, Sophia smiled and decided not to mince her words. “Mr. Rubin, you know my personality. I’m not suited for these events.”
Marcus’ laugh sounded from the other end of the line. “I know, I know. That’s why I’m personally giving you a call. We’re inviting you because we’d like to allow our current students to network with some of our best alums. Besides you, we’ve also invited your senior, Joshua Lewis. Since you two have partnered up and started a company together, why don’t you let him do all the talking if you’re not up for it?”
He paused for a moment before continuing in mock anger, “Well, you think you’d be let off the hook by sending me gifts every year? If you still remember me after graduating years ago, why wouldn’t you drop by for a visit?”
Sophia chuckled at Marcus’ response. “Now that you’ve put it that way, won’t it be disrespectful of me to continue rejecting your invitation? Don’t worry; I’ll definitely be attending the celebration with Joshua.”
“Good, good! You don’t have to worry about anything too. You and Joshua are well-known among the students. They’ve been making a fuss about wanting to meet you, so I’m shamelessly giving you a call for their sake. Also, when you two come over, I assure you that you won’t be harassed by the media.”
Verily, she was flattered beyond words. It was Jadeborough University’s seventieth-anniversary celebration, and the event was widely publicized. At the moment, Sophia could be considered a “hot topic,” so it would not be weird for the media to pay extra attention to her upon her return to the university.
Yet, Marcus was assuring her that they would not be harassed by the media. It showed that he was being immensely considerate of them.
Regardless of whether his purpose of inviting them back to the university had to do for the sake of Jadeborough University’s future graduates, she could not deny that Marcus had her and Joshua’s best interests at heart.
Given what he said, there was no reason for Sophia to continue rejecting the invitation. “You’ve put in so much effort, so naturally, I’d be there no matter what.”
There was no need for Marcus to say anything else after receiving a satisfactory response. “All right. In that case, I’ll stop disturbing you any further and let you get on with your work.”
Back then, Sophia entered Jadeborough University as the highest achiever in the entire state, which brought great prestige to the university.
To his surprise, Sophia rejected the offer from Quadfield University and enrolled in Jadeborough University instead.
At that time, Marcus was so excited that he almost fell over when he caught wind of the news from the Admissions Office.
The state’s highest achiever had chosen Jadeborough University, catapulting them to fame in the blink of an eye. The university was even featured on the news. Countless media companies wanted to interview Sophia, but she rejected all of them. She was only a young girl at the time, so of course, it was no surprise that she received some help dealing with the media, and the person who aided her was none other than Marcus.
On her first day in university, he went to her dorm and met her in person.
Sophia had just come of age. When she saw him, she smiled at him amiably. Not a hint of nervousness or excessive politeness could be seen in her as she calmly told Marcus the reason she had chosen Jadeborough University.
Marcus knew at once that she would be an incredibly talented individual in the future.
Last year, countless rumors regarding Sophia’s divorce from Odyssey’s chairman, Alexander, circulated on the internet. In fact, there were numerous posts on the university’s forum which claimed that they were all disillusioned with Sophia. However, Marcus firmly believed that the calm and composed young lady he knew was not what the internet described her to be.
He became even more convinced of her caliber upon seeing her performance at Expedite’s recent stockholder meeting.
Soon after, it was revealed that Sophia was one of the founders of Technology Innovations, and countless headlines emerged once more. No one expected that a young lady, who was merely twenty years old, would have the courage to invest such a huge amount of money in Technology Innovations’ smart home system project.
Artificial intelligence was not popular in the country at that time, and even Marcus had not heard of such technology. If it were not for Sophia’s gutsy investment, Jadeborough University would not have been able to produce another talent like Joshua.
Although Marcus invited Sophia for the sake of the university’s future, he truly wanted to see her again.
Very soon, Sophia received a message from Katherine. The latter inquired about Jadeborough University’s anniversary celebration on the coming Wednesday, texting: I’m envious! I want to be an alumnus, too.
Katherine did not graduate from Jadeborough University, but she liked to pose as a student of the university and praise Sophia on the university’s forum back in the day.
The anniversary celebration was a big deal. Naturally, Sophia and Joshua were invited to the event as esteemed alums.
If Katherine were not afraid of Jonice’s scolding, she would definitely tag along with her friend to witness the celebration.
Sophia smiled and replied: Firstly, you have to be a student of Jadeborough University.
Feeling as though her intellect was being insulted, Katherine wrote back: That’s mean!
Is Jadeborough University that impressive? Fine, it is. I only needed forty more points to enroll in the university, but alas, this is the fate of an underachiever.
