The verdict rippled through the assembly, creating waves of different emotions, yet remarkably, no one looked truly disapppointed.
Marcus slumped in his chair, the tension finally leaving his shoulders.
A formal warning... that was all.
He had escaped with barely a slap on the wrist when it could have been complete expulsion and criminal charges.
He finally exhaled, shoulders dropping. Tyler and Robert closed in protectively.
"Just a warning," Tyler whispered. "We got away with it."
Marcus smiled. Thin. Grim. Satisfied. His family's influence had worked exactly as expected.
William and Brad exchanged looks of profound relief, silently thanking all Seven Guardian Gods.
One month suspension felt like a gift from heaven compared to what could have happened.
'If we'd told them the real story,' William thought, wiping away the last of his tears, 'immediate expulsion would have been the least of our problems.'
