Professor Lewis instinctively felt that a woman of Melissa's caliber couldn't possibly be foolish enough to throw her life away for a fling.
Like mother, like son-their logical reasoning was identical.
"Her mother definitely wasn't. Given how extraordinary Claire is, she must have inherited something from her father, right?"
While Caleb was deeply curious about the man capable of stealing away Cabinda's ultimate socialite, Claire seemed to have returned to the Churchill family entirely on her own.
To date, there was absolutely no trace of her parents.
Professor Lewis had met Melissa before. Her memories of the woman were defined by two titles: 'The Unrivaled Socialite' and 'The Prodigy.'
Looking at Claire now, she was clearly a perfect amalgamation of her parents' elite genetics.
While she might not possess the immediate, earth-shattering glamour her mother had, Claire was breathtakingly beautiful in a refined, enduring way.
If anything, she carried a sharper, more formidable edge than Melissa ever did.
Professor Lewis sighed again, lamenting her son's terrible luck.
"You just have no vision. Claire is an absolute catch, and you completely missed your shot!"
Knowing his mother was just venting, Caleb muttered under his breath, "You make it sound like I could have won her over just by trying."
"Useless!" Professor Lewis grumbled, dropping the subject for good.
She retreated to the bedroom to check on Clarence.
He was sleeping incredibly deeply.
Professor Lewis's respect for Claire's medical expertise skyrocketed.
Her skills were terrifyingly good. It made her wonder who exactly had mentored the girl.
If Claire could accompany Clarence on his diplomatic travels, she would never have
to worry about his health again.
But she quickly dismissed the thought.
The girl was a full-time university student; it made zero sense for her to follow Clarence around the globe.
It would only be justifiable if her idiot son had managed to lock her down as a daughter-in-law, but he clearly lacked the talent for that.
Meanwhile, Claire sneezed multiple times in her apartment, completely oblivious to Professor Lewis obsessing over her.
Assuming the long evening walk had given her a slight chill, she brewed a pot of spiced tea, fortified it with some herbal remedies, drankit down, and went straight to sleep.
When she woke up for class the next morning, she felt perfectly fine. She genuinely wondered if she had even caught a chill at all.
Her pulse showed absolutely zero signs of illness.
When Priscilla spotted Claire walking into the lecture hall, she waved excitedly, and
the two sat down together.
"So, how did it go? Did you treat your patient last night?"
Priscilla couldn't contain her curiosity about Caleb.
That was Clarence's son!
Everyone knew who Clarence was.
He was the absolute titan of
Solenia's diplomatic corps, a man who conquered international
negotiations with devastating
politeness. His words hit harder than
artillery fire!
Add in the fact that he was incredibly handsome, and who wouldn't be a fan?
If she hadn't managed to maintain
La
shred of professional dignity, Prisolla would have begged Claire to get his autograph last night.
But you couldn't just casually demand a top diplomat's signature.
"I did," Claire replied quietly.
"And... and..." Priscilla's eyes were practically sparkling.
For someone usually so grounded, it was rare to see Priscilla this hyped up.
"He's even more handsome and charismatic in person than on TV."
"The best part is how approachable he is. The word 'gentleman' was literally invented for him."
Claire knew exactly what Priscilla was fishing for.
She unleashed a barrage of compliments for Clarence, knowing it was exactly what her friend wanted to hear.
However, when it came to classified or sensitive details, Claire didn't utter a single syllable.
"Wow! I'm so jealous. If I could treat top government officials one day, my life would be complete..."
In that exact moment, Priscilla's ultimate career trajectory crystalized in her mind.