When fate plays its hand

Elizabeth was part of Paul’s research team, yet this opportunity to stand out had been given to Miranda instead. She couldn’t help but feel it was unfair favoritism.

After the morning conference ended, everyone had lunch together at the hotel. Then, they had an hour–long break before the afternoon sessions resumed. The schedule remained the same, but the speakers and academic disciplines changed.

Miranda’s pen moved swiftly across her notebook as page after page filled up with notes. As the sessions progressed, she became increasingly aware of the fascinating connections between the various disciplines.

It was like a symphony, where the piano and violin complemented each other, the flute resonated with the clarinet, and the banjo harmonized with the guitar–coming together to create a stunning concerto. She thought to herself that this must be the allure of interdisciplinary studies.

For someone who majored in bioinformatics, suddenly encountering astrophysics, applied chemistry, and biomedicine was both refreshing and awe–inspiring. It felt as though her mind had been flooded with knowledge, and she would need time to sort and organize it all.

At 5:00 pm, the academic conference concluded. Miranda and Christine left the venue and returned to their hotel rooms.

Christine changed into a different jacket and took a moment to fix her hair. “Miranda, freshen up. We’re heading out for dinner later.” novelbin

“Huh? Aren’t we eating at the hotel?” Miranda asked.

Christine replied, “Some old friends have organized a gathering. I thought we’d join them.”

Miranda hesitated. “Is it appropriate for me to go?”

“What’s inappropriate about it? You’re my star student. Meeting these senior scholars is perfectly fitting.”

To put it plainly, this was about building academic connections. Christine bringing her along was far more than just sharing a meal.

“Okay.” Miranda nodded. “I’ll go change.”

“Go ahead.” Christine smiled.

F

When they arrived at the restaurant, Miranda was surprised to see Paul among the As soon as Christine entered, the seated group stood up one after another.

group.

“Dr. Young is here!” someone exclaimed.

“We thought you weren’t coming,” another chimed in.

Christine smiled. “How could I miss something organized by Dr. Leclair?”

“That’s hard to say. Plenty of us have hosted gatherings, but it’s rare to see you show up,” Truman Hadley joked.

She feigned annoyance and replied, “Listen to him! I’ve just walked in, and he’s already stirring things up. Worried they’ll go too easy on me, Dr. Hadley? Up to no good as usual, aren’t you?”

He laughed. “I wouldn’t dare! We’re just thrilled you’re here. Oscar even called the front desk to add more dishes when he saw you arrive. I overheard him myself.”

Oscar Leclair looked helpless, and everyone burst into laughter.

In the middle of the cheerful conversation, someone noticed Miranda. “Christine, you brought someone with you today?”

“Yes.” Christine nodded. She smiled and placed a hand on Miranda’s shoulder. “This is my star student. I thought it’d be a good opportunity to introduce her to everyone. Please look out for her and share your wisdom.”

Only then did the group turn their attention to Miranda.

“Of course! Christine’s star student must be outstanding. I doubt there’s much advice we can offer–just support.”

“That’s not entirely true. Young people always benefit from hearing more. The more we share, the more they’ll learn, right?”

“How interesting. I’m curious now about a student who’s impressed Christine so much.”

“Paul, you’re familiar with her, aren’t you? This morning, you specifically asked Miranda to answer a question.”

Paul hadn’t expected the attention to shift to him but quickly recovered with a smile. ” She’s a Master’s student at Bedford College and Christine’s star student. It’s no surprise that I know her.”