My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 401

Maxwell Perez walked over and stood beside Emily Blair, leaning in to watch intently as she worked through the final steps of a tough math problem.

Emily was tackling the penultimate question on the exam—a notorious challenge that had stumped students and even teachers alike, the kind of problem that typically separated the top scorers from the rest.

And yet, here she was, calmly solving it as if it were just another routine exercise.

Her reasoning was crystal clear, every step precise and deliberate. It was as if she’d already mapped out the solution in her mind before even picking up her pen. Her writing flowed smoothly, without a single pause or hesitation.

Maxwell stared as Emily penned an answer even neater and more logical than the one in the official answer key. His expression slowly turned to stone.

He watched, barely breathing, as she finally wrote down an answer that matched the official solution exactly.

A wild doubt flickered in his mind. Had Emily somehow seen the answers before the test? Was that how she finished so quickly?

But no—it couldn’t be. The exam was a practice test from the most prestigious high school in the city. The papers had been kept strictly confidential; there was no way a student could have gotten a sneak peek. Besides, even the panel of teachers who’d created the answer key could only produce a solution as good as the official one—not better.

What unsettled Maxwell even more was that Emily’s approach wasn’t just correct—it was superior. Her logic was tighter, her method more elegant and concise, every line flawless and spot on. The answer, of course, was right.

He almost opened his mouth to ask Emily how she’d come up with a particular step, but stopped himself when she glanced up at him, her eyes wide and innocent.

He quickly shut his mouth and put on a mock stern face. “Focus on your test. Why are you looking at me? Do you think I have the answer written on my face?”

Emily merely blinked at him, then bent her head and continued writing.

Maxwell watched as she calmly finished the last, most difficult problem—again, her solution was not only correct but even clearer and more concise than the standard answer.

He was at a loss for words.

What Maxwell didn’t realize was that, deep down, he’d already started hoping she would do well.

Once Emily finished the math section, she immediately picked up her English exam.

Maxwell checked the clock. She’d finished the math test in just forty minutes—ahead of schedule. Her speed was almost unnerving; not even the students the school had recruited at great expense could finish so quickly.

He’d skipped lunch in the cafeteria just to keep an eye on her, relying on a boxed meal another teacher had brought to the office instead.

While Emily was focused on her work, the rest of the school had already finished their exams. The corridors were echoing with the chatter and laughter of students, but Emily paid no mind.

A few teachers came into the office to discuss business with Maxwell, and each of them cast a curious glance at Emily, quietly scribbling away in the corner. One of them, unable to resist, started to ask about her, but Maxwell brushed him off with a vague reply.