Chapter 399 An Unwanted Judge 

“Don’t get this wrong,” Ruby said. “I’m just passing along a message.” 

Rosalie hung up at once. 

After a quick tidy–up, she headed to the Lawrence Residence. 

Outside, reporters had been waiting for days. 

They wanted to see what this powerhouse from Torenridge would do in Mapleford. 

What surprised them was how strange she seemed. 

She stayed inside her hotel the whole time, never going out, as if she had come just to enjoy the themed rooms. 

Now, she finally stepped outside. 

The reporters caught the scent of gossip right away. 

Quietly, they followed the taxi she got into. 

Alice knew nothing about any of this. 

She received a call from Emma. 

The girl was crying so hard she could barely speak. 

Her words came out in broken sobs. 

Alice listened for a long time before she finally understood what was going on. 

The club Emma had founded was one of Riverview University’s key student organizations. 

It was meant to connect with international programs and compete in global contests. 

For that reason, the selection process was very strict. 

But today, something went wrong. 

A last–minute guest judge showed up and insisted on pushing through a few people who clearly had no talent. 

If they had no talent but were willing to learn, that would have been fine. 

But the problem was- 

“Where’s Clayton?” Alice asked. 

Emma had cried enough to calm down; now her thoughts were clearer. 

“He’s here,” Emma said. “But that judge was invited by his dad. She doesn’t take Clayton seriously. 

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11:09 am 

Chapter 399 An Unwanted Judge 

“She keeps using her senior status to talk down to us. She even warned us to always know our place. 

“And she wants to force Sandy into our group too. 

“Ms. Spencer, this club is for research and experiments. And Sandy…” 

Emma wasn’t good at speaking badly about others. 

She couldn’t even find the right words to describe how she felt. 

Alice understood. 

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“What’s the judge’s name?” she asked. 

Emma seemed unsure. There was a short pause, as if she were checking a name badge. 

“Maria Spencer.” 

Alice’s breathing stopped for a beat. 

She had thought of everything–except that Byron could be this clueless. 

Then, she reconsidered. She hadn’t attended this selection. Byron must have chosen a powerful judge to avoid problems. 

Setting aside Maria’s character, her ability alone was unmatched in the country. 

Byron’s choice wasn’t wrong. 

“I have time now,” Alice said. “I’ll come take a look.” 

Emma got excited. “Ms. Spencer, I didn’t mean to waste your time. I just—” 

She didn’t want to see her hard work ruined and needed someone to talk to. 

Alice gave a faint, knowing smile. “This actually has something to do with me.” 

A little over ten minutes later, Alice appeared at the gates of Riverview University. 

The moment the security cameras caught her image, the system reacted. 

It ran an automatic scan and immediately sent an emergency alert to Byron’s office. 

Byron was in the middle of a meeting with several professors when the alarm sounded. 

His face changed at once. He jumped up from his seat without thinking. 

The professors froze. 

Did Byron suddenly lose his mind? 

He moved in a rush, hands and feet almost out of sync, grabbed his coat, and headed straight for the door. 

Those professors had no idea what was going on. Thinking something serious had happened, they hurried after him. 

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11:09 am PPD). 

Chapter 399 An Unwanted Judge 

As they jogged along, they whispered among themselves. 

“Could it be one of our major donors?” 

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The university was public, but many things still relied on outside funding. Lab construction, specimen collection, and advanced equipment all cost money. 

Government funding alone was never enough, so the school had to seek private investment. 

Those investors came from all walks of life. 

Most of them donated out of goodwill. 

Over the years, there was one donor in particular who gave seven or eight times a year. 

When that investor was in a good mood, maybe that person could donate monthly. 

Almost everyone at the university knew this person. People talked about this investor all the time and secretly hoped this person would invest again. 

“That’s highly possible. Otherwise, who could make Mr. Reese this nervous?” 

“Exactly. He barely reacts even when city officials visit.” 

“Let’s hurry up. I really want to see that investor.” 

“Don’t jump to conclusions. Mr. Reese being anxious doesn’t mean the investor is here.” 

Byron could hear their chatter, but he was in a rush and had no time to explain. 

f he stopped now, he would have to talk for half an hour. 

When they reached an area near the school gate, they saw Alice walking toward them. 

Everyone paused. 

‘To be honest, she’s been all over the news lately.” 

‘Mr. Reese treats her like a lifesaver. No wonder he came in person.” 

‘So we all guessed wrong after all.” 

Byron ignored what the professors were thinking and walked quickly to Alice. 

‘Ms. Spencer,” he said, slightly out of breath. “Why did you come so suddenly? Why didn’t you call me in advance?” 

Alice glanced at the professors behind him and gave a quiet smile.