Chapter 106
Sarah’s face was cold and composed as she gestured toward the screen. The projector lit up, displaying grainy, green–tinged
footage from the office’s night–vision camera. Despite the low light, the scene was clear.
After about ten seconds, the office door creaked open. Two figures snuck inside, moving cautiously. One of them was
unmistakably Lucy.
“Turn it off! Turn it off!” Lucy screamed, her panic evident. A moment ago, she had been full of bravado, but seeing the footage
made her realize the truth–this had been a trap. Sarah had set her up from the start.
The video paused, freezing on Lucy’s face in perfect clarity.
“Lucy Chancer,” Dean Larson said, his face alternating between pale and flushed with anger, “so you’re the one who stole the
test questions. And now, at the competition, you dare accuse others to cover your own actions?”
The dean’s fury was palpable. In front of so many reporters, this wasn’t just embarrassing–it was a direct blow to the
university’s reputation.
Students from Adams University, known for their stellar record in the psychology knowledge competition, were now embroiled
in a scandal. On the eve of the competition, one of their own had stolen the test questions. Worse, on the day of the event, this
same student tried to accuse others of cheating. If the story got out, the university’s century–old reputation would be in jeopardy,
all thanks to Lucy.
Mia suddenly remembered how agitated Lucy had seemed during the first round, unable to sit still. It all made sense now.
“No wonder you kept trying to get answers from people around you during the first round,” Mia said sharply. “But the time limit
was too short. No one could pass you any answers!”
Lucy’s face turned ashen. “Fine! This proves I stole the test questions. But that doesn’t change the fact that they were found in Mia’s bag. Are you going to claim I planted them? And don’t tell me Sarah didn’t share any hints with her close friend Mia!”
“It was you who planted them,” a cold voice rang out across the competition hall.
Mia gasped and jumped up in surprise. “Zac!”
Zachary rose from his seat and walked to Sarah’s side. Calm and confident, he handed her a USB drive. “It just so happens I have another video. Let’s show everyone what really happened.”
Lucy’s face fell. She couldn’t believe this. The footage from the counseling office had already caught her off guard. Could there really be another video?
While Lucy spiraled into panic, a staff member took the USB drive and played the video on the large screen.
This time, the footage showed a girl approaching a pink backpack near the cabinet. She carefully slipped a test paper into the bag -the same pink backpack that belonged to Mia.
+20 Bonus
“No… this can’t be…” Lucy’s voice was barely a whisper as her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor.
The video continued. “Are you sure this is a good idea? What if someone finds out?” a voice said it was Lindsey’s.
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Lucy’s voice sneered in response. “I’m a member of the Chancer family. If anything happens, my brother will bail me out. Besides, no one will know I took the test questions. Sarah and that little brat from the Reynolds family
are so close–I refuse to believe she didn’t leak anything to her!”
The hall erupted in shock. Gasps and whispers filled the air as all eyes turned toward Lucy. The spotlight seemed to pin her in
place.
Sarah’s voice cut through the commotion like a blade. “Lucy, I’ve given you chance after chance, but you refuse to change. And now, in such an important competition, you’ve stooped to stealing test questions and slandering both Mia and me. This cannot
go unpunished.”
She turned to Dean Larson, her tone firm and resolute. “Dean, given the seriousness of this matter and its impact on the school’s
reputation, I suggest we report it to the authorities.”
