Chapter 88

She’d sass people, come up with her own little schemes, and let her real emotions show without a care in the world.

It was honestly impossible for Sean to look away from her.

She was such a little treasure. Sean couldn’t figure out if David’s team was just blind or what. They’d bullied her so much that they almost dulled her shine.

Luckily, it wasn’t too late. Watching Josie grow more lively by the day, Sean felt his heart itch. He just wanted to scoop her up and keep her all to himself.

Josie, totally unaware of Sean’s gaze, was busy tapping away on her phone, firing off a reply to Aiden and the others.

She wrote: [I appreciate your apology, but I’ve already left Professor Lawson’s team and have no plans to go back.]

She posted this reply right under their apology thread, snapped a screenshot, and shared it on her own profile.

She made sure to tag the two guys who’d made the bet.

She might not know who the arrogant person was, but that didn’t stop her from helping him win the bet. After all, the other guy was Aiden.

She knew that the Brown family was loaded. The thought of tripping Aiden up like this filled Josie with glee.

She couldn’t help but smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Alright, it’s getting late. I’ll walk you home,” Sean said, taking her backpack for her. It was surprisingly heavy.

Josie looked a bit embarrassed. “Thanks, but I can carry it.”

“No need. Let’s go,” Sean replied, his face serious. When he wasn’t smiling, he actually looked pretty intimidating.

He slung her backpack over his shoulder and strode ahead.

Josie didn’t dare try to take it back. She just obediently followed behind him, quiet and well-behaved.

It was too late for Josie to head back to campus, so she ended up going to Claire’s dorm at the hospital instead.

When they got to the door, Josie snatched her backpack back and dashed upstairs. “See you, Sean!”

Sean let out a silent sigh and thought, ‘Why does she act like such a skittish little bunny? Honestly, it’s kind of adorable.’

Once he saw the light flick on upstairs, Sean finally turned to head back.

As he walked, he pulled out his phone, switched to his alt account, and instantly spotted Josie’s reply.

He quickly typed a comment under her post: [Respect, Josie. You have a bright future ahead of you.]

Meanwhile, Aiden sat in front of his computer, staring at Josie’s latest post. He was so angry that he smashed his mouse against the desk.

He thought, ‘How could this be? How is this possible? Is she really not coming back?

Is she actually willing to give up staying in Aloville and walk away from a spot on the country’s top medical team?’

‘Why?

‘Why would anyone be this foolish?’

‘Is she really doing all this just to stand up for herself? Was it really our fault all along?’

Josie, do you seriously not miss a single moment from your days with the team?’

His phone started ringing again and again, Gavin’s name lighting up the screen.

Aiden ignored it. Soon, a few missed calls popped up on his screen.

Kyle, Vincent, and Jaden all called him.

Everyone was trying to reach him. Clearly, none of them had expected Josie to actually mean it this time and not come back.

Aiden took a deep breath, then just went ahead and started a group video call in the chat.

Everyone jumped in almost right away, and even Natalie showed up.

“Aiden, do you think maybe we really did her wrong this time?” Gavin was the first to speak up, his tone a bit uneasy.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the evidence Josie had on the money he owed her. He definitely didn’t want things to get so bad that there was no going back.

Jaden let out a big yawn. “Honestly, I think she just found herself a new backer. Now that she’s got someone behind her, she’s grown a backbone and thinks she can do whatever she wants.

“Otherwise, would she really have the guts to not come back?”

“Maybe she really just wants to get to the bottom of the plagiarism and slander stuff. Maybe it’s not as complicated as we’re making it out to be,” Vincent sounded a little hesitant.

His feelings for Josie were a tangled mess. Part of him resented her for refusing to help, but he just couldn’t stop remembering all the good she’d done for him in the past.

Kyle let out a quiet sigh. “I think Jaden’s got a point. She’s found herself a new backer and doesn’t even see us as worth her time anymore.

“Aiden, isn’t she just openly challenging us now?”