My Coldhearted Husband'S Regret novel Chapter 56

56 The Professor’s Unspoken Disdain

56 The Professor’s Unspoken Disdain

Zachary Newman’s keynote address captivated the audience with its brilliant insights. and visionary concepts. His commanding presence held everyone’s attention for the full hour. When he concluded, thunderous applause filled the exhibition hall.

“Thank you for your attention,” Newman said with a slight nod before stepping away from the podium.

As he descended from the stage, a swarm of industry executives moved forward, eager to exchange even a few words with the renowned professor. Newman acknowledged them with brief, polite responses, his expression remaining impassive.

The event coordinator guided him to his assigned seat in the front row. People continued to approach, offering business cards and attempting to initiate

conversations. Newman accepted the cards mechanically, rarely making eye contact for more than a second.

Damien Thorne rose from his seat, Vivienne Dubois at his side. He waited for a momentary break in the crowd before approaching Newman.

“Professor Newman,” Damien said, extending his hand. “It’s been over ten years.”

Newman’s eyes flickered briefly to Damien’s face. He shook the offered hand with minimal pressure. “Thorne.”

The single–word response hung in the air. Damien maintained his composed expression, seemingly unfazed by the cool reception.

“I believe you know of Vivienne Dubois, Damien continued, gesturing to the woman beside him. “She completed her doctoral work on neural pathway mapping at Cambridge last year.”

Vivienne stepped forward with practiced grace, her smile dazzling. “Professor Newman, your work on quantum neural networks has been foundational to my research. I’d love to discuss how it intersects with my findings on cognitive pattern. recognition.”

Newman’s gaze settled on her briefly. “Ms. Dubois.”

He nodded once, then turned to acknowledge the person seated next to him,

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56 The Professor’s Unspoken Disdain

effectively ending the interaction. Vivienne’s smile faltered slightly at the abrupt dismissal.

As they returned to their seats, Vivienne leaned close to Damien. “That unexpectedly cold. Does he treat everyone that way?”

“Yes,” Damien replied simply.

t was

“He barely acknowledged my research, Vivienne said, a note of frustration edging her

voice. “I specifically mentioned topics related to his current work.

“Newman isn’t known for social graces,” Damien said. “He evaluates people based on their intellectual contributions, not their conversational skills.”

Vivienne watched as Newman engaged in what appeared to be the longest exchange he’d had since descending from the stage–a brief conversation with the person seated beside him about quantum computing applications.

“Even so, that was unusually dismissive, Vivienne persisted. “Did something happen between you two? A falling out of some kind?”

Damien’s expression remained unreadable. “No falling out.”

“Then why-”

“He doesn’t think much of me,” Damien said quietly.

Vivienne waited for elaboration, but Damien offered nothing more. His attention had shifted to the next speaker taking the stage.

The remainder of the conference proceeded with presentations from various industry leaders. Throughout the sessions, Newman remained in his front row seat, his posture rigid and attention focused forward. He rarely spoke unless directly addressed.

During the closing remarks, whispers began circulating through the crowd.

“I heard Newman’s staying in the city for a few days.”

“Apparently, he’s interested in some local research project.”

“Whoever catches his attention could secure the next big funding grant.”

The conference concluded with final acknowledgments from the organizers. As attendees began gathering their belongings and networking in small groups, Vivienne

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58 The Professor’s Unspoken Disdain.

studied Newman with renewed interest.

“If he’s staying, we should arrange a proper meeting,” she said thoughtfully. “Perhaps. dinner at The Ashford? I know the owner”

Damien checked his phone, scrolling through messages. “Newman doesn’t do social dinners. He considers them a waste of time.”

“Everyone needs to eat,” Vivienne countered. “And everyone has their price. What’s his weakness?”

“Intellectual challenge,” Damien replied without looking up. “Nothing else matters to him.”

Vivienne considered this information carefully. “Then I’ll prepare a proper presentation of my research. Something that will provoke his interest..”

“Do as you wish,” Damien said, his tone indicating the end of the conversation.

Across the hall, Julian Croft was engaged in animated discussion with Elara Vance. Their heads were bent over a tablet, reviewing data points and graphs.

“Newman’s speech validated our approach,” Julian said, gesturing to a particular chart. “His quantum processing methods align perfectly with your adaptive learning 1.amework.”

Elara nodded, making notes on the tablet. “We should adjust these parameters based on his insights about neural decay rates. That could improve our response time significantly.

Julian glanced around the dispersing crowd. “Did you see how quickly he dismissed everyone? The man’s legendary for his lack of small talk”

“He’s always been that way,” Elara replied. “Even back when I was in his graduate seminar. It’s not personal–he just doesn’t see the point in conversations that don’t advance understanding.”

“Yet you managed to impress him enough that he remembered you years later, Julian observed.

Elara smiled slightly. “Only because I challenged his theorem and provided data he couldn’t ignore. Newman respects good science, regardless of who produces it.”

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Julian’s phone chimed with a notification. He checked the screen, his eyebrows raising. *Interesting. I just got an email from the conference organizers. Newman has

requested a private meeting tomorrow with several selected participants.”

Elara looked up from the tablet. “About what?”

“Doesn’t say,” Julian replied, scrolling through the message. “Just that he wants to discuss ‘potential collaborative opportunities‘ with a small group. And,” he added with a meaningful glance at Elara, “YodaVision is on the list.”

“That’s a significant opportunity,” Elara said thoughtfully.

“Indeed, Julian agreed. “And perfe quarter.”

timing, considering our new project launch next

As they gathered their materials, Elara noticed Damien and Vivienne making their way toward the exit. Damien paused briefly, his gaze meeting Elara’s across the crowded hall. For a moment, something unreadable flickered in his expression before he turned away, continuing toward the door with Vivienne at his side.

Julian followed her line of sight. “Everything alright?

“Yes,” Elara said, refocusing on their conversation. “Just thinking about how to

pproach tomorrow’s meeting.”

Outside the conference hall, attendees clustered in small groups, exchanging business cards and continuing discussions. The buzz about Newman’s extended stay dominated

many conversations.

roject one executive told another.

“They say he’s looking for a particular type of “Something involving quantum adaptive learning”

“Whatever it is, landing Newman’s endorsement would be a game–changer for any company,” his companion replied.

As Elara and Julian walked toward the parking area, they passed close to where Damien stood waiting for his driver. Vivienne was engaged in conversation with another conference attendee several steps away.

Damien’s gaze followed Elara’s movements, his expression unreadable. When Julian’s phone rang and he stepped aside to take the call, Elara found herself momentarily

alone near Damien.

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“I understand you’ve been invited to Newman’s meeting tomorrow,” Damien said quietly, breaking the silence between them.

Elara turned, surprised by his initiation of conversation. “Yes. Julian just received the

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