Wendy's heart skipped a beat.

Standing beside her, Alexander had his eyes slightly lowered, his thick eyelashes fluttering gently.

That look, for some reason, reminded her of a poor, abandoned little puppy.

Wait a minute!

She snapped back to reality. This was Alexander, the man who struck fear into the hearts of everyone in Aurora City.

He wasn't some little puppy; he was a wolf ready to devour anyone at any moment!

She must have lost her mind to have such a ridiculous thought.

"It's just a small matter. I wouldn't dare trouble you," she said,shrugging nonchalantly, though inwardly she was puzzled by how Alexander was becoming more and more attractive to her.

"Your matters are never small," Alexander's gem-like eyes flashed with a captivating light.

A blush crept up Wendy's cheeks. She turned her head away in a fluster. "Alexander, mind your image."

With that, she quickly walked away as if fleeing.

On the way back, after much pleading from Chris, Alexander finally agreed to let him stay at the old house next to The Knight Villa for the night.

Chris was so happy that he told Eddy to go home and come back to pick him up in the morning.

He chattered non-stop on the way, "Wendy, you have no idea how funny it was. Sarah was completely flustered and didn't know how to explain herself. The reporters had already taken photos and videos. Did she think everyone was an idiot?"

"So what if the reporters took photos and videos? Tomorrow's headlines won't be about Sarah's scandal. At most, it'll be about Sarah being harassed but fortunately escaping unscathed," Wendy said calmly.

"Why? They clearly got the footage!" Chris'face turned red with anger.

Wendy explained softly, "It's useless. Those media outlets wouldn't dare offend the Collins family. They follow the Collins family's instructions to publish news and get paid handsomely. If they don't comply,they might lose their jobs. What do you think they'll choose?"

She had already, figured it out when the reporters swarmed with questions.

So when Sarah changed the topic, she didn't bother to respond.

Because she knew that tomorrow, the public would only know the version of the story that Sarah wanted them to know.

Chris looked displeased. "If I'd known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have bothered with all that fuss. I should have gone with you to invite Lyndon. By the way,did Lyndon agree?"

"He more or less declined," Wendy replied with a slight smile. "After all,his time is valuable and his schedule is tight. But I did manage to give him the students' papers based on his theories."

At least that was something, she thought, and it made the trip worthwhile.

Chris looked up at Wendy with concern. "Wendy, you're not too disappointed, are you? What will you tell the leaders at Horizon Medical College?"

"It's okay. I did my best and extended the invitation. As long as I've tried.there's nothing to regret," Wendy said calmly, not showing much disappointment.

She had achieved her goal, and even if she couldn't get Lyndon to stay, it wasn't a loss.

She never thought being rejected was a big deal. Even without Lyndon's help,she was confident she could make the competition a success.

"Don't worry, Wendy! I'm here for you!" Chris puffed out his chest and promised, "No matter what happens, I'll be by your side to support you!"

Wendy smiled and patted Chris' head. "Alright! I'll keepworking hard!Thanks,Chris!"

"No need to thank me. We're close enough that you don't have to say thanks," Chris said with a laugh, suddenly grabbing her arm playfully.

When they returned to The Knight Villa. Wendy saw a familiar figure.

Susan, with her sharp eyes, immediately recognized Alexander's car.

She was carrying several large bags and rushed over to block Wendy's path as she got out of the car. "Wendy, you traitor! You ditched your friends for a guy!"

Her voice was louid and unrestrained.

To make miatters worse, Alexander got out of the car right after, and her words reached his ears without missing a beat.

He remained calm and even nodded politely at Susan. "Hello."

"Hello, Alexander!" Susan forced a smile, then quickly turned to Wendy,shouting, "Spill it! Where did you two sneak off to? I calted you so many times, and you didn't answer!"

Not answering the phone?

Wendy was taken aback and instinctively patted herself down.

Then she remembered she had left the house in a dress and didn't have her phone with her. It wasn't in the car either.

"I think I left my phone at the office," sherecalled,realizing she had forgotten it in her hurry.

"Well, you can get it tomorrow. Don't try to change the subject! Where did you go?" Susan'demanded, arms crossed.

Chris jumped out of the car and chimed in, "I was there too! We went to Sarah's birthday party."

Susan's hands went slack, and the bags she was holding fell to the ground.She stared wide-eyed."What?"

She looked at Wendy, reaching out to feel her forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever. Why would you go to that woman's birthday party? She's always giving you a hard time. Did she bully you again? Wait, how did you even get an invite?"

A burrage of questions left Wendy unsure where to start.

"It's a long story. Why didn't you just go inside? You know the code,"Wendy said, pointing to the villa door.

But Susan wasn't letting go, her eyes full of suspicion. "You're not still hung up on Ethan, are you?"

She glanced at Alexander and quickly added, "Of course. that's impossible!That jerk Ethan doesn't deserve you!"

"Susan, I know everything! Let me tell you, Sarah had the worst luck.Everyone saw her embarrassing video!"

Chris, ever the opportunist, grabbed Susan and led her inside,giving Alexander and Wendy some alone time. "Come on, Susan, let's talk inside."

Wendy stood there, looking at the bags on the ground. There were at least a dozen of them. She wondered how Susan had managed to carry them all by herself.

She bent down, dutifully picking up the bags with all her strength,but her hands were so full that she couldn't free one to open the door. "Give me a hand," she said.

As soon as she spoke, she felt the weight lift from her hands.

She turned to see Alexander had already taken all the bags and was heading to the door without a word.

"Alexander, let me carry some!" She hurried to catch up, reaching for the bags.