When She Turns Her Back (Teresa and Charles) novel Chapter 240

Chapter 240

。

When things quieted down, Naomi could tell everyone was just waiting for the next piece of juicy gossip.

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She kept smiling as she raised her glass to Hector. “Thank you for always looking out for me, Hector. I owe you for helping me nail down my Ph.D. research topic. This drink’s for you.”

After Charles put Cedric on the spot, Hector had no choice but to handle Naomi’s research project for her.

He wasn’t exactly happy about it, but since Cedric had asked, he couldn’t really say no.

Sure, Hector had helped Naomi out with academic questions before, but he’d never had any kind of romantic interest in her.

Back then, Naomi used to bug him all the time, asking him for help with this and that.

Hector wasn’t the type to turn her down, especially since everything she asked was well within his expertise.

At that time, he’d always kept to himself–rarely socialized with women–so when Naomi started hanging around, rumors naturally started flying.

But the truth was, there was nothing going on between them.

After Teresa clued him in on what Naomi was really like, Hector just felt even less for her.

So when Naomi toasted him, Hector really wasn’t in the mood to respond.

But with Charles right there, he had no choice but to go along with it.

If he ended up putting everyone in Charles’s crosshairs because of his own actions, Hector knew he’d never forgive himself.

After thinking it over, he reluctantly lifted his glass and clinked it against Naomi’s.

Then Hector gave a faint, knowing smile and said lightly, “No need to thank me, Naomi. After all, you got it with your own… talents.”

That word-“talents“-set off a wave of snickers and whispers around the table.

Naomi instantly caught the mockery behind Hector’s words. She forced out a stiff smile, cheeks burning, but still tipped back her glass and drained the liquor.

Hector followed suit and finished his drink as well.

As soon as Hector set his glass down, someone nearby started whispering and called out, “So, Hector, does Naomi have some special research project going on?”

Hector gave a light chuckle. “You’ll have to ask Naomi yourself about that.”

With those words, he lifted his eyes and fixed them briefly on Naomi.

Smooth as ever, Hector neatly tossed the question right into Naomi’s lap.

Almost everyone at the table turned to look at Naomi.

Naomi stayed perfectly composed, giving the group a soft, casual smile. “It’s nothing major at the moment, but I have started working on a project.”

A collective sigh swept through the table. “Oh, is that so….” murmurs of disappointment echoed faintly.

Someone, refusing to let the gossip die, leaned in and asked, “So, Naomi, what field are you mainly focusing on for your research?”

Naomi could tell these folks were all top–tier in the medical world—and she knew her own credentials were frankly nothing to write home about. Still, she played it cool, the picture of confidence.

She didn’t offer up any specifics, just kept her serene smile and replied, “You’ll see in the paper once it’s published.”

Charles, lounging quietly to the side, had already clocked Hector’s little ploy. Once the crowd’s interest in Naomi fizzled out, Charles seized the moment to tease Hector: “Word is that Dr. Reed’s basically a legend in the medical world. I’m guessing this impressive lady with you has an equally knockout resume, huh?”

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Chapter 240

As soon as Charles threw that out there, everyone’s attention snapped to Teresa, their curiosity fired up all over again.

Someone leaned in and asked, “Hector, is she also one of Professor Judd’s students? Weird, I don’t think I’ve ever

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seen her before.”

“Yeah, what field is she in? Which hospital did she land at?” another voice piped up.

As the spotlight shifted to Teresa, Hector felt the urge to jump in and shield her. But before he could say a thing, Teresa spoke up on her

Own.

“Hey everyone,” Teresa said, sounding totally at ease. “I’m specializing in pediatric surgery. I’ve just got my bachelor’s degree so far, and I’m gearing up for grad school exams. I’m not a student of Professor Judd’s yet, but I’m working hard to get there.”

She didn’t hide anything–just laid her cards on the table for everyone to see.

She figured as long as she wasn’t afraid of being looked down on, nobody would have the guts to mess with her.

Charles sat across from her, just staring in shock. He never thought Teresa would be so blunt, just put it all out there for everyone to hear.

After Teresa finished speaking, the whispers around the table got even louder.

But for Teresa, those voices meant nothing to her now.

What really hurt wasn’t being looked down on by others–it was Charles that really stung.

He’d dragged her into all this just to help Naomi out.

The gossip at the table was getting louder.

“She’s only just starting grad school? She won’t get her Ph.D. till she’s thirty–three at the earliest!” someone snarked.

“That’s being generous–thirty–three is if everything goes perfectly. Odds are, she might not even make it to graduation,” someone chimed in.

“Does it even matter if she graduates? She’ll be an old spinster by then–who’d even want her?” another voice jeered.

Nobody bothered to keep their voices down–even with Hector right there, they just went on talking like he didn’t exist.

Naomi, watching Teresa get mocked, let a subtle, almost indifferent smile curve her lips.

At the same time, she shot a glance across the table at Hector, watching for his reaction.

Hector kept his head turned, eyes glued to Teresa, tracking every shift in her expression. His focus never wavered from her; it was as if the rest of the world didn’t exist.

Naomi’s smile faded, a slight frown creasing her brow as she saw how absorbed Hector was in Teresa.

The gossip all around continued, but Teresa barely seemed fazed. She only turned toward Hector when she felt his steady gaze on her.

Noticing the worry all over his face, she offered him a gentle, reassuring smile. Before she could say a word, Hector suddenly raised his voice. “Everyone, actually, this lady here is my-”

But Teresa immediately guessed what he was about to say and—cutting him off with a stronger voice–declared, “Appreciate your concern, everyone. But honestly, in life, it’s never too late for a fresh start”

Across from them, Charles and Naomi both sensed just what Hector had been about to reveal, only for Teresa to intercept before he could get the words out.

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