Chapter 889

Rosalind remained silent. Truth be told, she didn’t know what to say.

Just then, Lucian spoke, his voice cool and detached. "Let's go."

Genevieve nodded. "Alright."

Lucian turned to Harrison. "Until next time, Dr. Whitmore."

Harrison replied simply, "Goodbye."

With that, Lucian left with Genevieve, Reginald, and the others.

Rosalind watched his retreating figure, a sharp pang twisting in her chest—like a needle had lodged itself deep, the pain unrelenting.

Harrison studied her with concern. "Are you okay?"

Rosalind shook her head. "I'm fine."

Julian interjected, "Didn’t you always want to study at our university? I pulled some strings and got you a spot. Interested?"

As a professor at a prestigious institution, Julian had secured Rosalind a place in an advanced program.

Lately, her fashion design projects hadn’t been too demanding. A change of scenery, something to distract her from the heartache Lucian had left behind, sounded perfect. Returning to academia might be exactly what she needed.

A bright smile curved her lips. "Thank you for arranging that. I’d love to go."

Julian nodded. "Great. I’ll pick you up tomorrow, and we can head there together."

Rosalind quickly shook her head. "No need. I’ll go on my own. You’re a professor—it’s better if we keep some distance. I don’t want people thinking I got in through favoritism."

Julian chuckled. "Fair enough. I’ll grab dinner then."

"Alright, see you later."

He walked away.

Harrison watched him leave. "Rosalind, it’s obvious Professor Ashford has feelings for you."

They were adults. Julian’s affection wasn’t subtle. When the Whitmore family crisis had struck, he’d even offered his help, though she’d declined.

"I don’t feel that way about him," Rosalind admitted.

"I can tell. You keep him at arm’s length. He’s perceptive—he knows."

Rosalind actually enjoyed Julian’s company. He was intelligent, respectful, and understood boundaries.

Finally, she said, "Let’s drop this and eat."

Harrison hesitated before asking, "Have you thought about your next steps? Are you really planning to raise this child alone?"

Rosalind rested a hand over her stomach. Just the thought of the tiny life inside her lifted her spirits, dulling the ache Lucian had left behind.

"I don’t plan to marry. I’ll raise this baby on my own. Honestly, that’s more than enough for me."

Harrison gave her a supportive smile. "That’s perfectly fine. I’ll be the godmother, and Charlotte can be the sister."

Rosalind nodded. "Exactly. Now, let’s eat."

"Alright."

They headed to a private dining room and began their meal. Midway through, Rosalind excused herself to the restroom.

Standing at the sink, she splashed cold water on her face. The door creaked open, and footsteps approached.

Rosalind glanced up—and in the mirror, she saw Genevieve’s reflection.

Genevieve walked over and began washing her hands. "What a coincidence. I came to freshen up and ran into you."

Rosalind smirked.

"No one else is here. Drop the act. You probably saw me come in and followed me, didn’t you? Here to gloat now that you’ve won?"

She wasn’t surprised. She’d expected Genevieve would seek her out eventually.