Chapter 312 A Sudden Wave of Appreciation
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Sebastian asked.
Camilla smiled. "Nothing. I just realized how wonderful you really are."
"Let's keep moving. Aren't you cold standing here?" Sebastian smiled.
Camilla rubbed her hands together. "A little."
Saturday came around again.
Camilla woke up early, made herself a sandwich, and grabbed some milk for breakfast.
Timing it perfectly with Sebastian's departure, she handed him a paper bag containing a sandwich and milk.
Sebastian looked inside. "Breakfast?"
"Yes!"
"Perfect timing—I haven't eaten yet. Thank you."
Sebastian was heading to the lab, and Camilla planned to join him later, but first she needed to tidy up the apartment.
She was still mopping the floor when her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Camilla! This is Ellen, Professor Garcia's housekeeper! You need to come to the hospital right away..."
At the hospital room, Camilla burst through the door. "Professor Garcia!"
Aurora was lying in the hospital bed while Ellen paced anxiously nearby.
Seeing Camilla, Ellen sighed with relief. "Camilla, thank goodness you're here!"
"Ellen, what happened? Weren't you supposed to be at the retreat with Professor Garcia?" Camilla said.
Every year, Harmony College offered retreat opportunities for faculty members as a benefit.
By seniority, Aurora should have been on the list years ago, but she had always declined.
This year, Camilla had finally convinced her to go, assuring her that everything at school would be fine—she'd look after Hestia and Royce, and there weren't any important academic conferences coming up.
Ellen explained, "Yes, we were supposed to leave yesterday. But this morning, Professor Garcia received a phone call. I don't know who it was or what they said, but right after that call, she collapsed. I rushed her to the hospital."
"What did the doctors say?" Camilla asked.
"They said her emotional state was too unstable and wanted to keep her under observation for a couple of days. But early this morning, Aurora started insisting on being discharged. I tried to convince her to complete the treatment, but she wouldn't listen. She was in such a rush, looking terrible—like she was ready to fight someone."
Ellen meant nothing by it, but Camilla froze at those words.
She approached the bedside just as Aurora woke up.
Upon seeing Camilla, Aurora immediately became agitated. "Do you not take me seriously?"
Camilla remained silent, lowering her head.
With a deep sigh, she realized the secret was out.
"Ellen, could you get some warm water? I'll help Professor Garcia freshen up in a bit," Camilla said.
"I'll go right away. You two talk." As Ellen passed by Camilla with the thermos, she whispered, "The doctor said Professor Garcia can't handle any more stress."
Camilla gave her a reassuring look.
After Ellen left and closed the door, Camilla looked at the fuming Aurora and sighed, sitting down at the edge of the bed.
Aurora glared. "Who said you could sit? Stand up!"
"Professor Garcia, I ran all the way here from the hospital entrance. I'm sweating in the middle of winter. Won't you let me sit down for a moment?"
Aurora noticed the beads of sweat on her forehead.
Camilla quickly removed her scarf and coat, feeling somewhat relieved.
Aurora patted the edge of the bed. "Sit, but don't think this means I forgive you."
"Of course. You're still angry. How could I expect forgiveness so easily? So, who called yesterday morning? Whoever it was upset you enough to land you in the hospital," Camilla said.l."
Camilla took her time. "Let me guess... The Dean? Probably not—he doesn't bother with small matters. Was it Otis? But I heard he was recently disciplined over sponsor complaints and would be keeping a low profile for a while."
She paused, thinking. "If we rule those two out, then the only person in the Life Sciences Department who could upset you this much would be... Calliope?"
Sure enough, at the mention of that name, Aurora's eyes widened. "Don't mention her to me!"
Camilla nodded. "Only she would do something so petty."
"Petty? If she hadn't told me, I'd still be in the dark! The lab being flagged for fire safety violations is a major issue, and you kept it from me?!"
"If I hadn't, you would have flown back from Avalonia to argue with the department or even the administration, only to discover that our lab truly doesn't meet fire code requirements and has to undergo renovations. And who knows how long those renovations would take—two or three months if we're lucky, maybe a year if we're not," Camilla explained.
"The penalties would still apply, and you'd face disciplinary action for abandoning the retreat without authorization. Guess who would be laughing the hardest through all of this? Calliope, of course," she added.
Aurora laughed bitterly. "So according to you, I'm completely useless as your advisor?"
Camilla sighed and explained gently, "You know, this fire inspection was organized by the district, not just the university. If it had been a routine internal inspection, I would have called you immediately so you could use your connections to resolve it. But this is different—the district fire department is leading the inspection, and the university is just cooperating."
Aurora scoffed. "You think my connections only work within the university? That I'm powerless beyond campus?"
"Of course not! Your name carries weight wherever you go."
Camilla shifted her tone. "But the fact remains that our lab genuinely doesn't meet regulations. If you pulled strings to exempt us and someone with an agenda decided to report it, what then?"
"Or let's consider an even more sinister possibility—what if this whole situation is a trap? What if they're trying to bait you into intervening so they can accuse you of covering up violations?"
Was Aurora's spotless reputation, built over decades, worth risking over something like this?
"Even if an investigation cleared things up eventually, the facts would remain: our lab failed fire safety standards, and you used your influence to shield your students. With those facts in plain sight, we'd have no defense."
Aurora's expression shifted from anger to concern to deep thought, and finally to calm resignation.
Seeing her point had landed, Camilla gently took Aurora's hand. "Please trust me. I'll handle this."
"How do you plan to handle it? Wait for the renovations?" Aurora shook her head. "That won't work. Knowing Calliope as I have all these years, even if you pass the inspection eventually, she'll find other ways to make things difficult. As long as you're still using the university labs, she'll always find an excuse."
Camilla smiled slyly. "What if we weren't there anymore?"
Aurora's whole body tensed with realization.
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