Chapter 8

The plane glided onto the runway.
After a brief buzzing in my ears, I took off my eye mask and retrieved my suitcase from the overhead compartment.
The hotel I was staying at was arranged by the organizers, and the banquet hall was downstairs.
When I arrived, there were already quite a few people in the venue.
Rosy Park and I had previously worked together on a project, so we were somewhat acquainted.
She asked me, "Did you know? There are several big bosses invited to the scene today, rumored to be investment projects with commercial purposes..."
Before she could finish her sentence, enthusiastic greetings came from nearby, "Mr. Turner is here too!"
Simon nodded slightly, "Yes, just come here to take a look."
Rosy noticed and changed the topic, "You see, that person is Simon. Originally, he was involved in the entertainment and IT industries, but for some reason, in the past two years, he started investing in biotech and pharmaceutical projects."
I smiled, "Is that so?"
She nodded, continuing with the gossip, "Yes, and do you know his fiancée? Cecilia, she used to be a popular A-list actress. But for some unknown reason, she went for plastic surgery a couple of years ago..."
While she was speaking, Simon and the person beside him had already approached us.
"Mr. Turner, this is our specially invited guest who has returned to the country, Dr. Julia Rivera from Stanford Medical University specializing in cell biology."
Under a bright crystal light, Simon's indifferent gaze swept over and suddenly fixated on my face.
The people around keenly sensed that something was amiss.
But he seemed oblivious and, with red eyes, looked at me, "I knew you weren’t dead, I've been looking for you..."
I took a step back and evaded his reaching hand, "I'm sorry, who are you?"
The atmosphere froze momentarily.
Finally, the staff came over to smooth things over and politely escorted him away.
Simon took a seat in the VIP area, his gaze penetrating through the crowd, refusing to move away even for a second.
Curiously, Rosy asked, "Do you know Mr. Turner?"
"No, I don't."
I smiled, "Perhaps he mistook me for someone else."
The event proceeded smoothly.
Finally, the personnel from the NYC Institute of Life Sciences announced the list of honorary doctors, and my name was prominently mentioned.
Julia River.
I went on stage to share a few thoughts, and for a brief moment, my eyes met in mid-air with Simon.
"In the coming years, I will be staying in NYC, hoping to collaborate with various...
I bowed and returned to Rosy's side.
Suddenly, she slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "I remember!"
"Julia, you look quite similar to Cecilia before her plastic surgery, who is Mr. Turner's fiancée. He probably mistook you for Cecilia, didn't he?"
I finally smiled genuinely and said, "I believe so."