The classroom was still buzzing after the shocking announcement. Lila sat in her chair, twirling her pen between her fingers while the rest of the students whispered, argued, and exchanged looks of disbelief. The air was thick with murmurs that refused to die down.
When Miss Green left the room, the silence lasted barely a few seconds before Samantha stood up, her face twisted with anger.
"I know you cheated your way through that exam, Lila," she said loudly, making sure everyone could hear. "But you're not going to get away with it this time."
The words hung in the air, and soon others joined in. Someone at the back added, "Of course she cheated. She always sleeps before ten minutes in every exam. How could she suddenly surpass Lucien, who studies every day?"
Another student scoffed, "Exactly! She's been last all her life. Don't tell us she suddenly became a genius overnight."
Lila raised her head slowly, her eyes gliding lazily across the room until they landed on Samantha. The girl's fists were clenched tightly, like she was daring Lila to lie. The rest of the class waited, eager to hear what excuse she would give.
Lila leaned back slightly, her voice calm but cutting. "I don't owe you an explanation," she said coldly. "And since none of you are my parents, maybe you should all just scram."
Her tone was sharp, dismissive, and it sliced through the air like glass. Samantha's eyes widened in disbelief before they filled with fury. Several other students murmured angrily, some standing as if ready to join her.
The tension was thick enough to choke on until Miss Green returned. Her expression was unreadable as her eyes scanned the class. "Lila Lewis," she called.
Lila didn't flinch. She had expected this. How could she not? The girl who was always at the bottom suddenly topping the entire grade — it would've been strange if no one questioned it. She rose from her seat slowly, sliding her headset into her bag, and followed Miss Green out of the classroom.
The walk down the corridor was silent except for the click of their shoes. Lila's expression remained calm, her hands tucked into her pockets. She wasn't nervous — not really — just curious about what they'd say.
When they reached the teachers' office, all eyes turned toward her. Every teacher in the room looked at her like she was some strange specimen. Lila could feel their stares on her, but she didn't bother lowering her gaze.
Miss Green closed the door behind her and turned around. She was pacing slightly, her expression tight. "You can start explaining now, Lila."
Lila blinked, feigning confusion. "Explaining what?"
"Don't act like you don't know!" Miss Green snapped. "Tell me the truth — did you cheat in the examination?"
A few teachers scoffed quietly. One muttered, "She doesn't need to admit it. We already know she did."
Another added, "Exactly. The only mystery is how she managed to pull it off."
"Maybe she had access to the exam papers before time," someone else whispered.
"She's from Lewis . How was she able to pay someone to do it?," another voice chimed in.
Lila didn't speak. Her expression remained unreadable, but inside she felt the smallest flicker of irritation. They were so sure of their assumptions, so eager to tear her down because they couldn't understand how she'd changed.
Miss Green turned sharply. "Enough!" she said to her colleagues, then looked back at Lila. "I'll handle this. You all can save your comments."
There were a few murmurs, but they quieted down. The tension lingered like smoke.
Lila stood silently, her gaze steady, until the office door burst open. Everyone turned toward the sound.
In walked a man — older, heavyset, with a small pot belly and a permanent scowl etched across his face. The Vice Principal. His name was Mr. Dawson. His voice filled the office like thunder.
"Do you have any idea what your actions almost caused, young lady?" he barked, pointing directly at Lila. "You've thrown this school into chaos! Do you know how many complaints I've already received this morning?"
Lila tilted her head slightly. "Even the Vice Principal doesn't believe his own student?" she asked quietly, her voice low but edged with sarcasm.
Mr. Dawson's face turned red. "You—! How dare you still talk after all this? Miss Green, have you seen what your student has done?"
Miss Green immediately stepped forward, trying to calm him. "Sir, please. I'll handle it. I just needed to confirm what really happened—"
"You're trying?" he cut her off. "If you were really trying, this girl wouldn't be standing here acting like she's done nothing wrong! You've embarrassed this institution!"
Miss Green bit her lip, trying to apologize again, when Lila suddenly spoke up.
"I'll redo the examination."
The room went silent.
"What?" one teacher asked.
Lila's eyes didn't waver. "Since you all don't believe me, I'll retake the exam. Different questions. You can all supervise me."
For a moment, there was only stunned silence. Then Mr. Dawson let out a loud scoff. "You just shot yourself in the leg, young lady. Everyone here knows you couldn't even get one question right without help."
Lila smiled faintly. "We'll see."
Before Mr. Dawson could reply, Miss Green stepped in. "I agree with her," she said firmly. "Let her retake the exam. That will settle everything once and for all."
The office filled with noise again — some teachers supported the idea, others argued against it — until the door opened once more.
This time, the entire room froze.
A tall man stepped inside. His presence alone silenced the commotion. His expression was cold, his posture straight and composed. His aura filled the room like an icy wind.
No one needed an introduction. Everyone knew who he was.
"Mr. Nathaniel," someone whispered.
Lila's eyes widened slightly, though she quickly masked her reaction. What was he doing here? He never got involved in her personal matters — ever.
The Vice Principal straightened immediately, his earlier arrogance vanishing. He forced a shaky smile and hurried toward Nathaniel. "Ah, Mr. Nathaniel! What a surprise! You didn't have to come yourself, sir. You could've just sent someone—no need to stress yourself with such a trivial matter."
Nathaniel's voice was calm, deep, and laced with authority. "Did I complain to you?"
Mr. Dawson froze. "N-No, sir."
Nathaniel's eyes flicked briefly to Lila before turning back to the Vice Principal. "I'm here because I heard a student was accused of cheating," he said slowly. "And I wanted to see for myself."
Mr. Dawson's nervous laugh echoed weakly. "Ah, don't worry about that, sir. I'll make sure she's properly punished. She keeps denying it, but everything is under control—"
Nathaniel's sharp gaze cut him off mid-sentence. His aura grew colder, heavy enough to make everyone in the room uneasy. Mr. Dawson swallowed hard, realizing he might have said too much. "I… I may have spoken out of turn," he mumbled, bowing slightly.
Lila watched quietly, her eyes narrowing slightly. She couldn't quite read him. Nathaniel was the one person she could never predict — calm one moment, dangerous the next.
The silence stretched until Nathaniel finally spoke again. "I'm here because I believe the student was wrongly accused," he said evenly. "And it would hurt my pride to see capable people doubted so easily."
The teachers exchanged confused looks. Then Nathaniel dropped another sentence that made their jaws fall.
"Moreover," he continued, his voice unhurried but firm, "the student you're accusing happens to be my fiancée. So you've managed to insult both her and me. Isn't that unfortunate?"
The entire office froze.
Mr. Dawson blinked rapidly, his mouth opening and closing like he couldn't form words. Finally, he laughed nervously. "Mr. Nathaniel… I— I'm so sorry. I didn't realize— how careless of me!" He turned to Lila, bowing slightly. "Miss Lila, please accept my apology. I shouldn't have doubted you."
So this was what power looked like, Lila thought. Just one word from Nathaniel, and they all bent their heads. She curled her lips slightly, not sure whether to laugh or sigh.
Nathaniel's calm tone cut through the silence again. "See that something like this doesn't happen again," he warned. His gaze swept across the room, and no one dared to meet it. "If I hear another baseless accusation, I won't be as polite next time."
"Y-Yes, of course, sir!" Mr. Dawson stammered.
With that, Nathaniel turned and walked out, the sound of his footsteps echoing against the floor. Lila followed silently behind him.
Outside, the air felt cooler, the tension left behind in the office. They walked toward the car without a word until Nathaniel stopped beside it and turned slightly.
"You weren't expecting me, were you?" he asked, his tone unreadable.
Lila met his gaze. "Not really. You're not the type to show up unless you have a reason."
He hummed, almost amused. "Maybe I was just passing by and heard someone saying a student was in trouble. I decided to check."
Lila arched a brow. "That's a smooth lie, Mr. Nathaniel. But you forget— I'm not a child."
He gave a faint smile but didn't reply. He opened the car door, and she could've sworn she saw the corner of his mouth lift slightly, as if amused by her boldness.
What Lila didn't know was that earlier that morning, Nathaniel had been in his office when Noah, his most trusted aide, entered and reported what had happened at the school. Nathaniel had dismissed it at first — Lila was capable enough to handle such trivial issues — but something about it had unsettled him. Before he realized it, he'd told Noah to get the car ready. And now, here he was, standing beside her school building.
Lila offered a small, polite smile. "Thank you for showing up anyway. You didn't have to."
He looked at her for a moment, then simply nodded. "Don't let them get to you."
With that, he got into the car and drove off, leaving Lila standing by the gate, her hair fluttering slightly in the breeze.
Her phone buzzed. She glanced down to see a message from Magnus.
"Could you come over to the house when you're free?"
She stared at the screen for a moment, then typed back a single word: Okay.
Sliding her phone into her pocket, Lila turned and walked back toward the building, her expression calm — but her mind already shifting toward whatever awaited her next.