Chapter 797

chapter797

"Aunt Edna?" Sybil asked, puzzled.

"You dragged him into this mess, then decided to erase his name at the end. How do you think Arkle feels about that?" Edna questioned, sipping her coffee.

"Who cares how he feels? You think I'm afraid of some country bumpkin?" Sybil replied, lifting her chin defiantly.

"It's not about being afraid. Sure, he's just a small-town guy, but what if he gets upset when he sees everyone else getting awards and he gets nothing? What if he figures out there's something shady going on and decides to expose everything? What then?" Edna warned, setting her cup down.

"He wouldn't dare! That fool wouldn't notice a thing. You could sell him off, and he'd still help you count the money," Sybil scoffed.

Edna wasn't convinced. "Don't forget, Arkle has got Carlson backing him up."

Sybil rolled her eyes. "Ugh, don't get me started on Carlson. You know, Aunt Edna, he's taken up a job off-campus. He's out all hours, like he's got no responsibilities as a student."

"Last week, when I asked him to get on with two papers, he had the nerve to hang up on me! He's getting bold, doesn't even respect you as his advisor," Sybil

added, her voice dripping with disdain.

Edna's expression darkened slightly.

Seeing this, Sybil pushed further. "And get this, I've heard Carlson is pretty chummy with Roseanne and her crew."

"Who told you that?" Edna inquired.

Sybil shrugged. "You don't need anyone to tell you. Just look at him! If they weren't close, why did Roseanne's lab send him a special invitation for their opening?"

"What did you say?! Carlson got an invitation?" Edna exclaimed, her eyebrows shooting up.

"Wow, Aunt Edna, you didn't know?" Sybil feigned surprise. "It's all over campus. Everyone's saying how influential Carlson is now!"

"That Carlson!"

Sybil smirked subtly, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.

"You erased Arkle's name. Has he reacted yet?" Edna asked, shifting the conversation.

"Nope. Not a peep. He's probably hiding somewhere, crying his eyes out," Sybil replied dismissively.

"Good. Just be careful not to leave any loose ends," Edna cautioned.

"Don't worry, Aunt Edna. He wouldn't dare," Sybil assured.

"And remember," Edna said, lifting her gaze, "I can't always be there to back you up. You need to stand on your own two feet."

"Your main focus should be producing research, getting those papers out. The more, the better. Only then can I help you secure more resources," Edna advised.

Sybil nodded obediently, although she felt a bit uncertain inside. "Got it, Aunt Edna."

"I fought to get you into this

program. There are plenty of eyes watching, so not a single mistake can be made," Edna continued. "Carlson is an outsider. Ambitious dogs can't be tamed."

She was determined to groom her own niece for success. Carlson was just a placeholder, a tool to keep the spot warm for Sybil. She never intended for him to take ove her position.

Once Sybil established herself, Carlson would be irrelevant.

"Don't worry, Aunt Edna," Sybil replied earnestly. "You've done so much for me. I

won't let you down."

Edna smiled. "Good, I'll be watching."

Outside the door, Carlson listened to their laughter, pocketed his phone, and

walked away without a word.

Three days later, a post titled "Real

Name Report: Five Charges Against Professor Edna of Kingswell University's School of Life Sciences!"

began circulating on the campus forum.