Chapter 38: Maybe I Was Deceived

Polly returned to campus, and instead of going home, she headed to the doctoral dormitory. At University A, the doctoral dormitory houses two people per room. Since Polly lived in her mentor's wife's house, Emma was currently the sole occupant of the dormitory.

When Polly entered, Emma was writing a thesis, and Polly threw herself onto the bed, "I'm baffled. Is everyone considering me a fool to cheat?"

"I don't know about others, but it's hard to say if Victoria is deceiving you like a fool." Emma said while searching for data, "Five million gone, the project gone too, after a month's hard work, it's all for someone else's benefit."

Bringing up the topic made Polly upset, "Victoria said she would get justice for me."

Emma snorted, "Do you believe that?"

"I don't," Polly stared at the ceiling while lying on the bed, "Isabella dared to pull such a stunt at this time because she's sure I won't do anything about it, and there's less than two weeks until the competition results are announced."

"It's the drama of betrayal, it's normal to lose." Emma finished writing the sentence, turned her head to gaze at Polly, "Who else tricked you?"

"Victoria's mother particularly favored a wealthy socialite named Sophie Lynn. I'd only met her twice before, and now she suddenly comes to me, saying that the old lady from the Parker Family is forcing me to marry Victoria because their enemies are seeking revenge. What's next, am I some talisman or sword that wards off evil?"

Polly lay there, shaking her crossed legs, finding it increasingly ridiculous the more she thought about it.

"Probably watched too many revenge dramas for young girls." Emma resumed her thesis writing, "When our senior found out about your relationship with Victoria, it hit him hard."

Polly: "..."

"What? How did he learn about my relationship with Victoria? Wait, what relationship do I have with Victoria?" Polly sat up abruptly, "Senior sister, can you stop speaking nonsense?"

Emma clicked her tongue, "Spousal relationship, having a son relationship, or the soon-to-be-divorced-ex couple relationship."

"How... how do you know?"

"Do you think I'm blind? Seeing Victoria act like a mouse in front of a cat, who doesn't know that you walk with such dominance in the architecture world, what's with your paws changing direction upon seeing Victoria?" Emma glanced at her junior, "Really thought a cup of milk tea would fool me?"

Polly lifelessly lay back down, indeed she was the sole fool.

After finishing the thesis, Emma shut down her computer, looked back at the playing dead Polly, "So, are you just letting this matter go?"

"Let's wait until the competition results are announced. How could it just end there?" Polly thought of Isabella being kept under house arrest by Lowe family members, thinking that if stealing others' projects only resulted in such house arrest, the cost was too low.

"Alright, then you have to start preparing this year's thesis."

"Ah..." Polly grabbed a pillow to cover her face, "Why is there such a thing as a thesis? I don't want to write one."

"Keep writing your 'Around the Bend,' aren't you fond of that?"

Polly tossed aside the pillow, "I think I've been deceived, perhaps the design of 'Around the Bend'..."

Perhaps it wasn't so classic; the exterior indeed dazzled, but it was only a fleeting glimpse. If a building's significance lies solely in its transient aesthetics over a few years, then this building is meaningless.

"What?"

"Nothing, I'll go back to writing my thesis first." Polly said, rising to take her bag and walking away, "Apologize to our senior for me, I can't let his efforts go in vain this month either."

Emma watched Polly leave, sensing something off about her emotions.

******

Polly went to Victoria to demand money, thinking that if it weren't for Isabella, she might've won the bid. The five million still needed to be paid.

However, Victoria was busy, busy with meetings.

Polly could only wait in his office.

Andrew brought her some tea, asking her to wait a bit longer; the meeting's end time was uncertain.

"Haven't those old folks ever considered that if the Parker Corporation continues its regulations, they'll inevitably become history?" Polly curiously questioned.

"If they were merely sticking to old rules, it'd be tolerable; but currently, the market is full of entities targeting the Parker Corporation, and the directors persistently enforce the outdated regulations, making delays inevitable." Andrew sighed, "The president wants to implement new management tactics, yet they constantly obstruct him."

Polly drank water as she listened to Andrew, "Why target the Parker Corporation?"

"Actually, after the old lady passed away, numerous businesses began manipulating contracts in cooperation with the Parker Corporation. The Parker Corporation knows this, but besides having hundreds of five-star hotels, many resorts as well, these hotels and resorts' daily consumption costs are hefty. Prior cooperative suppliers started experiencing logistics shortages, counterfeit issues among others, and even the previous management problems you encountered were sudden occurrences after the old lady's death this year."

Polly hadn't realized Victoria had taken over such a mess.

That old lady...

Polly recalled her mainly unreasonable personality, not expecting her to be a strong woman.

"Aren't you suspicious why right when the old lady passed, those people dared to pretend to follow orders while secretly defying them? Did they truly conclude that the Parker Corporation is successorless?" At that time, Victoria wasn't back, but assuming he wouldn't be capable was premature.

Andrew couldn't understand either, at least as a person in commerce, such behavior is reckless.

"Assistant, President Cloud from L City is on the phone." A secretary hurriedly approached Andrew, appearing urgent, worried about having overheard something terrible.

Andrew promptly left to take the call, whatever was said on the other end must've changed Andrew's expression, as after the call he headed straight to the meeting room.

Polly watched Andrew leave, then turned her gaze towards the secretaries.

"Could it be true that L City's hotels are haunted? I heard the staff there say something like it before, but wasn't it suppressed afterwards?"

"Couldn't be, the fact that President Cloud made the call personally probably means it's uncontainable."

"Ever since President Parker came, don't you think strange occurrences in the company have increased? Heard that yesterday's bid, Polly didn't even submit and left, don't you say…"

"Say what? Why didn't I submit a bid, just ask me directly instead of muttering here, huh?" Polly stealthily mingled with them, softly spoke near their ears.

A few female secretaries were startled, awkwardly attempt to pretend as if nothing happened.

Polly's gaze swept over the secretary who had just spoken, her words undoubtedly spread panic among the staff, or directly tried to inform them, all troubles were supposedly brought by Victoria.

Apparently, Victoria now faced not only external issues but also internal troubles.

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