Levi undoubtedly despised Claire with every fiber of his being.
Yet he was completely powerless against her.
All he could do was go out and drown his sorrows in alcohol.
Thoroughly wasted, he aggressively dialed Sloane's number.
Sloane had no desire to deal with him, but she was terrified he might cause another scene at the cafeteria if left unchecked.
She had already decided to avoid the dining hall entirely for the foreseeable future.
"I'm so sorry, Levi. If it weren't for me, Claire never would have pushed you into a corner like this."
Sloane's gentle apology provided a soothing balm to his wounded pride.
"They kicked me off the Student Council."
I know, Sloane thought, staying silent.
But what was she supposed to do about it?
When it came time to vote, she had silently consented.
She had technically abstained, but her absolute refusal to speak up in his defense would likely sting if he ever found out.
"It's alright, Levi. Even if the council is a dead end, I'll make sure you get a great internship when the time comes."
Hearing what sounded like a solid guarantee for his future, Levi's mood instantly brightened.
Suddenly, walking through fire for her seemed entirely worth the agony.
"Thank you, Sloane. You're the only one who truly cares about me."
"Everyone else is just laughing at me behind my back!"
The only reason he had gone out drinking in the first place was the humiliation.
When he returned to his dorm that afternoon, he had overheard his roommates ruthlessly mocking him through the door.
They called him Sloane's lapdog, joking about how he hadn't even earned a single scrap of reward for his loyalty.
Those fools had no idea that with Sloane's family connections, securing his success took nothing more than a single word from her.
If he wanted to build a life in Cabinda, or secure a position at The Cabinda University, Sloane was his golden ticket.
"They just don't know how to appreciate you," Sloane cooed, lying through her teeth without a shred of guilt.
And Levi devoured every single word of it.
"Levi, I'll go to the cafeteria with you this afternoon." She only offered because she desperately needed to
keep his rising resentment in check.
It was far better to volunteer than to wait for him to demand her presence.
But Levi refused to let his goddess witness his ultimate humiliation. He rejected her offer instantly "No you. don Dneed to come can handle it myself."
Sloane quietly let out a breath of relief, silently praising him for finally doing the smart thing.
"Alright, then I'll stay back. My grandfather is actually home for once, and I'd like to spend some time learning from him."
A brief wave of disappointment washed over Levi when she backed out.
But the moment she mentioned Dr. Sterling Senior, his eyes lit up.
"You need to focus on that. I know you're the one destined to inherit his legacy."
Sloane genuinely wanted to master her craft, but her grandfather rarely had the time to teach her.
Whenever he was home, he was inevitably called away by a sudden emergency.
Hearing him praise Claire had sparked a fierce, competitive fire inside her.
Why was he willing to teach the Sterling's Thirteen Needles to an outsider, yet vehemently refused to teach his own granddaughter?
Was her natural talent really that abysmal?
Refusing to accept defeat, Sloane had relentlessly badgered him about learning the technique.
He hadn't outright denied her, but insisted she perfect her foundational acupuncture skills first. He promised to teach her only when she met his exacting standards. fo FindNovel.net
In truth, he had watched her practice. She was far too hesitant with the needles—
she stood no chance of mastering the Thirteen Needles.
He often lamented that the Sterling family had no true successor.
He had no idea that Sloane's sudden motivation was driven purely by her burning need to outshine Claire.
Acupuncture was an incredibly grueling discipline that often required practicing on oneself.
Sloane absolutely despised the pain.
As a child, she had constantly missed the acupoints, crying hysterically until her mother intervened.
Her mother had even caused a massive scene over it.
The memory was still permanently etched in her grandfather's mind.
Because of that, he seriously doubted her commitment to the craft.
Her mind raced with a thousand calculating thoughts as she made her promise to
Levi. "I promise, I'll do everything it takes to master it."