Chapter 397
When Freya heard that Eloise had graduated without a hitch, she thought her ears were playing tricks on her. “Eloise graduated? Why would they make such a decision? She was the ringleader in the cheating scandal; how could she not face any consequences?”
“It was a decision made by the Department of Education. The principal has been dismissed and is under investigation. Summit University will welcome a new principal in a few days. It’s the best outcome we could hope for.”
“Was it Kieran?” Freya voiced the suspicion nagging at her.
But then she quickly laughed at herself. What a silly question. Who else but Kieran could pull off something like this in Echo City?
Ronan spoke slowly. “You’ve done enough already. How can you compete when someone has a more powerful backer? You have to admit that…”
Upon hearing Ronan’s words, Freya looked up at him sharply. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Ronan furrowed his brows.
“Are you saying you’re not in the same league as Kieran?” Freya didn’t mince her words.
“I never said I was your knight in shining armor.”
“But now we’re two peas in a pod, and Kieran has seen you bail me out more than once. He must think you’ve got a soft spot for me, sees me as your next target. If you don’t stand up for me, won’t people say Mr. Beckett got cold feet facing Kieran? That would tarnish your reputation.”
Ronan raised an eyebrow. “Trying to goad me won’t work; you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
“Ronan!” Freya blocked his path as he turned to leave. “You’re really going to abandon me? Remember, I’m your star pupil, Miss Susan.”
Seeing Freya’s determination, Ronan crossed his arms and said, “So you want to see Eloise pay that badly?”
“It’s not about what I want. She’s the one out to get me. I always pay my debts, whether it’s revenge or settling scores. How could I let her off after she copied my answers and tore up my paper?”
“And what do you propose? The verdict is already out. Do you expect me to walk into the Department of Education and change their minds? I might be a lecturer, but I don’t have that kind of influence.”
“Ronan, don’t play dumb with me. You wouldn’t have brought it up if you didn’t have a plan. What’s your price? I’ll pay.”
Freya was sure Ronan had a way to deal with Eloise.
Ronan just smirked. “I might have a solution. As for your end of the bargain… let’s say you owe me, and I’ll tell you what I want when I’ve decided.”
With that, Ronan turned and left the academic building, on campus.
Eloise received the final verdict on her case and breathed a sigh of relief upon knowing she could graduate smoothly. She always knew Kieran wouldn’t abandon her.
As long as she could graduate, nothing else mattered. She was confident she could handle Freya; it was only a matter of time. After all, her connection with Kieran wasn’t something Freya could hope to break with just a few months of effort.
Chapter 398
“Eloise, we’ve got trouble!” A member of the student council burst into the classroom, panic written all over his face.
The other students were still there, watching as he pulled Eloise aside and whispered something in her ear. Eloise’s face went pale instantly.
Chapter 398
Almost instantly, she whipped out her phone, only to find that a video had gone viral on the school’s forum. It showcased her, pulling Kieran by the arm, demanding he solve her graduation issue. The video was brief, yet the views had already soared into tens of thousands, with some threatening to send it to the Department of Education. If that happened, not even Kieran could save her.
Eloise felt like a deflated balloon, slumping into her chair as her classmates cast peculiar glances her way, her face contorting with discomfort. She had never been subjected to such scrutiny before.
Outside the classroom, Freya observed quietly. The girl who once basked in Kieran’s high regard was now attracting those kinds of looks. Unpleasant, wasn’t it? Freya remembered the disdain and judgment she faced all too well when she was falsely accused of cheating. Now, she was just giving Eloise a taste of her own medicine.
Upon spotting Freya, Eloise bolted from the classroom and grabbed her, accusing her in a frenzy, “It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the one who posted the video! Why are you doing this to me, Freya? You stole my place!”
“Let go!” Freya pushed Eloise away effortlessly. Eloise, no match for Freya, stumbled and fell, attracting an ever-growing crowd of onlookers.
Freya, standing tall, looked down at Eloise. “You brought this upon yourself. You had the grades, yet your greed for being top of the class led you to coax others into changing their grades with you. How do you deserve to be the student council president, let alone escape punishment? Do you think Kieran will protect you forever? Wake up.”
Eloise, faced with the crowd’s judgmental stares, retorted in desperation, “Freya, you framed me! I never cheated! The video is fake!”
“Fake? So the student council members who went with you to change their grades are also fake? I’m sure they have a lot to say. If not for you, they wouldn’t be facing expulsion right before graduation.”
This left Eloise speechless as those involved in the grade-changing scheme approached her. Once her close allies, now they looked at her as if she was nothing.
“Eloise, you’re so selfish! You promised us it would be safe, but now, while you graduate smoothly, we’re your scapegoats. Why should you go unpunished?”
“Because Kieran likes you? I think he’s tired of you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have refused to help you in the video.”
“Eloise, give me back my diploma! Even without cheating, I could have graduated. Why should your mistake cost me my future?”
In their eyes, their years of subservience were supposed to pay off at graduation. Yet, Eloise’s actions had jeopardized their futures. The situation heated up when they started to physically confront Eloise, blaming her for their misfortune. Freya watched, a cold smirk on her face. They say Heaven forgives those who sin against it, but those who sin against themselves cannot live. Eloise had only herself to blame.
Chapter 399