The assistant was about to take on the task of serving drinks, but when he saw Joen raise his hand, he held back and quickly stepped away. Joen placed two glasses of water on the coffee table in front of Robert and Mirabella, then sat down. His face softened with a rare, gentle smile. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t expect my student to act so recklessly.”
If the assistant had still been there, he would have been shocked by Dr. Joen's uncharacteristically kind demeanor.
Robert, used to dealing with Dr. Elliot's sternness, stayed calm with Joen. He simply said, “No one saw this coming. But shouldn’t your student apologize to Mirabella in front of everyone?”
Joen’s expression changed slightly at Mirabella’s name. “Yes, an apology is necessary. But Summer isn’t on campus, and we can’t seem to get in touch with her.”
Robert frowned. “What do you mean you can’t contact her?”
Did she take off? Or were they just avoiding giving them an explanation?
Joen rested his fingers on his knee, his skin unusually pale from years in the lab. His gaze settled on Mirabella as he said cryptically, “Maybe she’s already facing the consequences of her actions.”
Robert was thrown by this vague reply.
Mirabella lounged back in her chair, seemingly unaffected by Joen’s look, like she didn’t quite get what was going on. She kept quiet, her eyes drifting to the glass of water on the coffee table, lost in thought.
“I’m not sure I follow, Doctor?” Robert asked, trying to clear up his confusion.
Seeing Joen’s focus on Mirabella, Robert turned to her, noticing her gaze on the water glass. Was she thirsty but too shy to take it?
Robert cleared his throat and handed one of the glasses to Mirabella. After that, he looked back at Dr. Joen.
Mirabella, reluctantly taking the glass, seemed puzzled: “?”
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