Chapter 37: Lillian's Plot

Lillian watched Matthew's reaction closely and smiled as she explained, "Matthew is just like this. He's only indifferent to people he doesn't know well. Don't forget what you promised me later."

Brayden, thinking of the reward Lillian had promised, couldn't help but grin widely.

"Don't worry. I'll do exactly as you said. Besides, I've never heard of any Dr. Sovereign at Medical University."

Lillian felt completely reassured by Brayden's confirmation.

"Alright, the one in the wheelchair is the person to look out for."

As the two walked into the venue, Matthew had already found Clara sitting in a corner.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" Matthew frowned, clearly displeased.

He caught a glimpse of her exposed thigh out of the corner of his eye, and his gaze darkened.

Clara felt a shadow looming over her, and the next second, Matthew's large coat was draped over her long, bare legs, almost wrapping her up entirely.

"What are you doing?"

Clara asked, amused, as she reached to pull the coat off.

Matthew grabbed her wrist firmly, preventing her from moving.

Without changing his expression, he placed her hand back on the wheelchair. "It's cold."

Clara was somewhat surprised by his sudden concern, but she didn't try to take the coat off again.

"Isn't that Mr. Matthew and his wife over there?"

"His wife? Didn't Mrs. Sharon say they got divorced?"

"Who knows if they're really divorced? I heard Mr. Matthew cares a lot about his wife. Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept her at home for three years and only brought her out now."

The gossiping voices of the surrounding women reached their ears without missing a word.

Clara turned back, amusement dancing in her eyes as she noticed the cold look in Matthew's eyes. "Do you want me to go explain things right now? To avoid causing you any trouble, Mr. Garcia?"

Matthew saw her about to maneuver her wheelchair over and quickly grabbed it, his cold voice cutting through the air. "No need."

Clara tilted her head, her gaze locking onto Matthew's face.

Eventually, she slowly released her grip on the wheelchair controls and casually picked up another glass of juice. "If any rumors spread, Mr. Garcia, don't come blaming me."

"Do you really want to distance yourself from me that much?" Matthew regretted his words the moment they left his mouth.

He was at a loss for how to face Clara.

Clara was momentarily stunned but then her lips curled into a frosty smile, devoid of genuine amusement. "Am I remembering it wrong? Wasn't it you who was so eager to divorce, Mr. Garcia?"

Feeling exposed, Matthew couldn't help but show a hint of anger.

"Clara, don't forget that you didn't refuse the divorce back then."

Not only did she not refuse, but she also seemed to look forward to it.

Seeing Clara's increasingly distant expression, Matthew found it impossible to stay there any longer.

"Stay put and don't wander around."

He left with a stern before heading toward the group of business partners.

To Clara, his departure seemed almost like he was fleeing.

Clara didn't seek out anyone familiar but instead sat quietly in a corner, occasionally responding to messages on her phone, waiting for the event to end.

She thought the night would pass uneventfully, but she had forgotten one thing.

Trouble found one even when one didn't go looking for it.

"Ms. Edwards, why are you sitting all alone? Thanks to you, Mr. Garcia could undergo surgery and get better. But how come you've never mentioned being Sovereign all these years?"

Lillian's voice was loud enough to draw the attention of those around them.

Upon hearing the name Sovereign, many people looked surprised, and their incredulous stares all turned towards Clara.

"Sovereign?"

"The young medical PhD?"

"Come to think of it, I read an article once, and Mrs. Sharon posted something on Twitter about Clara being Sovereign, but it was taken down quickly."

Seeing the crowd gather, Lillian subtly signaled toward the corner.

Brayden, holding a wine glass, walked up with a puzzled look. "Sovereign?"

"We do have a young professor by that name at Medical University, but... it doesn't seem to be this lady here."

Everyone's eyes turned to Clara, their gazes shifting noticeably.

Clara's eyes moved to the young man in front of her, and she asked with some curiosity, "And you are?"

Brayden smiled modestly, though his eyes couldn't hide their arrogance.

"My name is Brayden Patel, a second-year graduate student at the Medical University Institute. My mentor is Mason Shaw. If you were Sovereign, how could you not know me?"

Sovereign was publicly known as a student at the Medical University Institute. Given that the institute had only a handful of students, everyone should be familiar with each other.

It made no sense for Sovereign not to recognize him.

"Brayden?"

Clara searched her memory for the names of second-year graduate students and vaguely recalled something.

However, she was certain she had never met him.

"I don't know you, but I'm curious. How are you so sure I'm not Sovereign?" Clara asked with interest, eager to understand his certainty.

Brayden lifted his chin, looking down at the beautiful yet physically impaired woman in front of him. "When I delivered materials to my professor, I saw Sovereign. He looked much more like a man, and his legs were perfectly fine."

1

Lillian's face immediately darkened, and she wanted nothing more than to rush over and cover Brayden's mouth.

Clara chuckled. "I injured my legs in a racing accident, not a lifelong disability. Besides, if you haven't seen Sovereign in person, how can you judge by just their attire and back that I'm not them? Isn't that a bit ridiculous?"

Brayden was taken aback, clearly not expecting her leg injury to be temporary.

He instinctively glanced at Lillian standing behind him, a move that caught Clara's attention.

"Ms. Baker, it seems you're quite familiar with Mr. Patel," Clara said, her smile fading as she fixed Lillian with an icy stare, increasing the pressure.

"I only met Mr. Patel at the entrance. He came to this event because he heard Sovereign would be here, but... Clara, are you Sovereign or not?"

Lillian deftly redirected the topic back to Clara.

Seeing the mockery in Lillian's eyes, Clara calmly took a card that could prove her identity from her bag.

"Mr. Patel, you may not have seen me before, but you should recognize this card, right?"

She waved the card, the stamp and signature on it clearly proving Clara's identity.

Brayden's expression changed, and he smiled ingratiatingly. "Ms. Edwards, I made a mistake. I heard someone say Sovereign was here... Actually, it was Ms. Baker who asked me to put on this act."

Sovereign was a highly regarded figure at Medical University.

Not only was she talented, but she was also a student of Parker, who supported her.

If today's events reached Parker's ears, Brayden would certainly face severe consequences.