Chapter 457: Who Can Prove I’m Guilty?

Hayley’s POV: +8 Pearls

She refused to acknowledge anything, her voice defensive as she said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t do anything.”

I couldn’t help but scoff. “You can deny it all you want, but we both know what happened. I’ve heard there are cameras in the hallways near the conference room. They might have captured something.”

I let the words hang in the air for a moment, watching her face flush with discomfort.

“Or, I could just go talk to the admin teacher right now and sort this out. It’d be easy to figure out. If we do, you could be expelled, or your rank could drop to Omega, just like mine. That’s got to be a tough pill to swallow, don’t you think?”

Kirsty took a step back, nearly tripping as her voice trembled. “Y–you can’t be serious…”

I noticed her forehead was slick with sweat. She was clearly rattled.

Then, a sharp grin spread across her face. “Even if it was me, what are you going to do? You’re standing here, unharmed. Who can prove I’m guilty?”

I crossed my arms, my tone cold and mocking. “So, you’re admitting it now?”

With that, I pulled out my phone. The screen displayed a recording, making everything clear.

Kirsty’s face drained of color, her shock obvious as she pointed at me. “Y–you…”

I hit pause and saved the file.

“Actually,” I said, smirking, “there aren’t any cameras in the hallways. I just said that to get you to confess. But now, I have solid evidence.”

Kirsty lunged at my phone, panic in her eyes. “Give it to me!”

But my reflexes were quicker. I moved the phone out of her reach.

“Kirsty, I thought you were just a spoiled brat, someone who didn’t mean real harm. But now, I’m starting to think I was wrong about you.”

“What do you want from me, Hayley?” she spat, her voice full of frustration.

“Not much,” I replied coolly. “I just want you to realize you’re in my hands now. If you try anything shady again, this recording gets released.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Her eyes were now sharp, like a wolf’s, glaring at me with fury.

I didn’t flinch. “Try me.”

That was when it dawned on her that I wasn’t bluffing.

Her lips tightened, and she finally relented, her voice barely above a whisper. “I won’t do anything again. Please, just delete the recording.”

I mulled it over for a moment. If I deleted it now, who knew what trouble she’d cause next? It made more sense to keep it as leverage.

I considered her request and then answered, “I won’t delete it yet. How you behave from here on out will decide if it ever sees the light of day. If you act right, no one will ever know. But if you mess up again—”

Before I could finish, she rushed to cut me off. “There won’t be a next time, I promise. Please, don’t release it.”

I saw the fear in her eyes. It was enough to know that she would be cautious now. I decided to put an end to it.

“Alright. It’s a deal.”

With that, I turned and walked away, leaving her to stew in the tension. At least that’d keep her from causing trouble for me for the time being.

Feeling lighter after dealing with Kirsty, I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Benjamin. “The issue is resolved. Don’t worry.”

A moment later, Benjamin responded, “Okay!”

Third-person POV:

Meanwhile, in Francis’s office.

Francis could barely contain his excitement as he reviewed the steps Hayley had taken. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “A genius! A true genius! A once-in-a-lifetime miracle in mathematics!”

It’s unbelievable! Every step she took was flawless, and the result was entirely correct. And from what she said, this was her first attempt, without even checking her work.

Greg walked in, holding a cup of water, and found Francis pacing the office, nearly buzzing with energy.

“Francis, what’s got you so worked up? You’re getting older, but you’re acting like a kid who just learned something new,” he teased.

Francis looked up, still full of energy, but quickly regained his composure. “Greg, you don’t understand. If you saw these papers, you’d probably be more excited than I am.”

Greg raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “No way.”

“Come see for yourself,” Francis challenged with a grin.

Greg, still doubtful, walked over. “What’s all the mystery, old man?”

Francis chuckled, choosing not to answer, and spread the papers out in front of him.

Greg reached out, but Francis slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch them! What if you ruin them?”

Greg huffed in disbelief. “What’s so special about these? You’re acting like they’re priceless. How am I supposed to see anything if I can’t even touch them?”

“You can look,” Francis replied with a grin.

Greg sighed in frustration but leaned in to take a closer look. Soon, his expression changed. “Th–this…”

Francis gave him a smug look. “My student handed these to me. This is her solution. I’ve reviewed it, and every step and result is correct.”

Greg froze, his eyes widening. “Wait, she solved it? How is that even possible?”

Despite his disbelief, he couldn’t help but glance at the paper again, his amazement growing.

“H–how is this possible?! She actually solved it…”

The problem in question had stumped the brightest minds in mathematics for years. Experts had tried and failed to crack it. Now, a young Omega girl had solved it effortlessly. It was almost unbelievable.

The more Greg read, the more astounded he became. By the end, he repeated what Francis had said.

“A genius! A genius! A genius!”

Then he asked, “How long did it take her?”

Francis paused to think. “It probably took her about three days, but if we’re being precise, maybe it wasn’t even that long.”

Greg was too stunned to respond. A problem that had stumped countless experts for years had been solved in less than three days. And every step was perfect. It was embarrassing for professionals like them.

“We need to report this right away. Also, save the draft paper and apply for the Breakthrough Award for Hayley. She’s the only one in the country to solve this. If this leaks, it’s going to cause a huge stir, so we need to keep it quiet.”

Francis nodded. “I understand. I’ll handle it. Honestly, these few pages feel like they weigh a ton. It’s both exciting and overwhelming.”

“I understand. This young woman is impressive. If she keeps this up, she’s got a bright future. Our field has a future,” Greg said, clearly impressed.

“Exactly. But for her protection, let’s keep this quiet for now. Once we get feedback from the higher-ups, we’ll figure out the next step.”

Greg agreed, but he still asked, “Are you going to tell her?”