Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 98

Jade’s POV:

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the campus pavilion as I handed Emily the neatly folded sheets of paper. Her eyes widened like a child on Christmas morning.

“This is it? You solved it already? Emily snatched the papers from my hand, frantically unfolding them. “This fast? Oh my God, Jade, you’re amazing!”

I watched her scan through the complex equations and diagrams, her fingers trembling slightly as she traced the mathematical proofs. Her reaction confirmed what I already knew–she wouldn’t understand a single line of what she was looking at. It was almost amusing watching her pretend to comprehend the advanced quantum mechanics calculations that had taken me less than an hour to solve.

“Thank you, thank you!” She clutched the draft papers to her chest like a sacred text. “Sis, if I have other problems I can’t solve, can I still come to you?”

I merely quirked one corner of my mouth upward, offering neither confirmation nor denial. The desperation in her eyes was almost pitiful. Almost. If I hadn’t known the depths of her deception, I might have actually felt sorry for

her.

“I promise, if I get the scholarship, I’ll give you all of it. Every single penny!” Emily’s voice cracked with emotion. “I

swear!”

Before I could respond, she was already backing away, still hugging the papers to her chest. “I need to go show this

to Edward right away. Thank you again!”

I stood motionless, watching her practically skip away, her backpack bouncing against her spine with each hurried step. My expression gradually cooled as I observed her retreating figure. The naive fool actually believed she’d dodged a bullet. Without a word, I followed at a measured distance, my footsteps silent on the concrete path.

The hallway leading to the physics department was nearly empty when Principal Thornton spotted me. His face lit up like he’d just found a hundred–dollar bill.

‘Morgan! What a pleasant surprise!” He stepped directly into my path, forcing me to stop. His expensive cologne wafted toward me–too strong, too eager, just like him. “What brings you to this side of campus?”

“Just wandering,” I replied flatly.

“Ah, wonderful, wonderful.” His eyes gleamed with opportunistic interest. “Listen, when might you have some free time for dinner? I have several friends I’d love to introduce you to.”

I tilted my head slightly. “What kind of people?”

‘Brilliant minds, influential positions.” Thornton lowered his voice conspiratorially, leaning in closer than I

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preferred. “There’s even a young physics genius who shares your surname–Morgan. You two should definitely meet. I sense you might strike some intellectual sparks.”

“Is that so?”

“Indeed! In fact, he’s working with Edward Sheldon right now. Why don’t we pop in and say hello? I’m heading there

myself.

I nodded, falling into step beside him as we continued down the hallway toward the graduate research building. The modern glass and steel structure contrasted sharply with Princeton’s traditional architecture–a temple to cutting- edge science amid historical academia.

When we arrived at Edward Sheldon’s lab, the scene inside made my stomach turn. The bright fluorescent lights illuminated a gathering of Princeton’s finest minds, all focused on a fraud. Emily stood at the center of a small crowd, beaming as several professors and graduate students fawned over the papers I’d just given her.

“The approach is revolutionary,” one gray–haired professor was saying, adjusting his wire–rimmed glasses. “To consider quantum entanglement from this perspective–I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Another professor, a woman with sharp eyes and sharper cheekbones, nudged Edward playfully. “You two make quite the pair, Sheldon. Both brilliant beyond your years. A match made in academic heaven, wouldn’t you say?”

Edward shifted uncomfortably, his eyes fixed on the equations rather than on Emily. “The work speaks for itself. That’s what matters.” He turned to Emily, curiosity evident in his expression. “How long did it take you to develop this solution? It’s extraordinarily complex.”

Emily’s smile faltered for just a fraction of a second. I caught the momentary panic in her eyes–the desperate calculation of a liar trying to craft a believable timeline.

“Oh, I’ve been working on it for a while. I actually finished the core equations a couple days ago.”

“Remarkable,” Thornton declared, stepping into the lab with me trailing behind. He picked up one of the papers, scanning it with admiring eyes. “Truly remarkable work, Miss Emily Morgan. Your talent is extraordinary.”

It was then that Emily finally noticed me standing in the doorway. The blood drained from her face so quickly 1 thought she might faint. Her fingers began to tremble, crumpling the edge of the paper she held. A graduate student nearby whispered something about blood pressure and offered her a chair, which she ignored.

“J–Jade?” The name escaped her lips as little more than a terrified whisper.

“Hey, Jade!” Julian Sheldon’s enthusiastic greeting cut through the sudden tension. “Didn’t expect to see you here. What brings you to our humble lab?”

I stepped fully into the room, my eyes never leaving Emily’s panic–stricken face. “I heard there was an impressive physics prodigy here. Naturally, I was curious.”

With deliberate slowness, I crossed the room and picked up one of the papers from the table. The overhead lights

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gleamed off the white paper as I held it up for examination. “Interesting handwriting,” I commented, running my finger along the equations. “It’s remarkable how similar it is to mine.”

Thornton looked between us, confusion evident on his face. “You two know each other?”

“Oh yes,” I replied, my voice dangerously soft. “Emily is applying for a special scholarship, isn’t she? A talent–based admission?”

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