Chapter 113 Collecting Evidence
Blair left in a hurry, her heels clicking sharply against the floor until the sound vanished down the hall. Jasmine instinctively took a step to follow, but Bianca's hand shot out, stopping her.
From her coat pocket, Bianca pulled out a small recorder and gave it a slight shake before Jasmine's eyes.
"Every word she just said... I've got it."
For a moment, Jasmine's eyes lit up, her fingers curling around Bianca's hand in excitement. But the spark faded almost as quickly. Her shoulders sank, her gaze clouding.
"Bianca... why does Blair see me that way? I've tried to get along with her, tried to be friends with everyone. Is it really just because I'm from the countryside that I'm supposed to be looked down on?"
Bianca's grip shifted to Jasmine's shoulder, her voice firm.
"You can't let one malicious person define you. I have no personal grudge against her, but the moment her interests are threatened, she starts plotting. My reputation, my name, is just another stepping stone for her to climb higher."
The shadow in Jasmine's eyes lifted. She nodded hard.
"You're right. My conscience is clear."
Bianca's lips curved slightly, satisfaction flickering across her face. In this lifetime, the tragedy of the last should not repeat itself. But there was still one final step.
"Jasmine... would you help me drive Blair out of Ravenswood University?"
"Ravenswood University prides itself on bringing in talent. Blair doesn't belong here. She's holding a place that was never hers. It's time she gave it up."
Jasmine hesitated, lowering her gaze. "But... Glenn..."
"Jasmine, he's worse than Blair."
Bianca laid out the entire chain of events. When she finished, the fire in Jasmine's eyes burned hotter.
Her fists clenched, hesitation gone.
"Tell me what you need, Bianca. I'll help you."
The afternoon light slanted through the classroom windows, the empty space echoing faintly. Outside, shadows of the trees swayed and the clear call of birds drifted in, a sound that felt almost like a prelude to victory.
A stack of printed documents lay spread across the desk. Bianca's fingertips traced the dense text on the paper.
The white glow of the laptop screen lit Jasmine's focused face.
"Bianca, Blair's core journal article from last year has nearly seventy percent overlap with a master's thesis posted online. Even the citation format was deliberately altered to make it harder to trace. Here's the full plagiarism report and the side-by-side comparison."
Jasmine turned the laptop toward Bianca.
Inside a neatly organized folder lay evidence from the past twelve months—course papers lifted from others, research data manipulated, each entry backed with original files, witness statements, and screenshots.
Blair had leveraged her family name to pressure people at Ravenswood University into ghostwriting her work. But the internet kept its own memory; no matter how she tried to erase her tracks, traces remained.
Her arrogance had won her plenty of enemies. That, Bianca knew, was their opening.
"Academic misconduct alone won't be enough to strip her of her position," Bianca said, scanning the files quickly. "We need to strike at the root."
Jasmine's lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes darkening. "A senior told me last year to stay away from Blair. She said it in a roundabout way, and I didn't think much of it. I didn't want to cause trouble, so I ignored it. I reached out to her just now... she'd been humiliated by Blair, and someone took nude photos of her. She might not be willing to testify."
Jasmine's head lowered, her hand tightening slowly beside the laptop.
Anger surged in her chest, her temples tightening. She forced her voice to remain steady.
"I knew she was cruel, but I didn't think she'd go that far. From what I found on the campus forum, the only time they crossed paths was during the 'Star of the Year' competition. I suspect..."
She didn't finish. She didn't need to. Both of them understood.
Jealousy could be lethal.
"Without a witness, our case will lack weight," Jasmine said, her fists clenching, frustration flashing in her eyes.
Memories came rushing back—Kelly's hand gripping her chest, Cody's insults, and Blair's false concern that had really been a way to paint her as promiscuous.
Each recollection sharpened her hatred. She wanted revenge. She would not retreat. Blair would taste everything she had once endured.
"Should we keep trying to reach her?" Jasmine asked, tension in her voice.
"We keep trying. If that fails, we find another witness." Bianca paused. "I've already spoken to Terrence. He's bringing in someone more experienced to help organize the evidence. It'll be cleaner, stronger."
Jasmine's eyes lit up, her resolve igniting fully.
Terrence worked fast. It wasn't long before a professional arrived.
Bianca's brows lifted slightly when she saw the familiar face. "Barry. Your range of skills is impressive."
Barry offered a polite smile. "As Mr. Anderson's assistant, of course I have to be versatile — I need to wear many hats to get things done."
He set down a folder of legal templates and evidence preservation guidelines.
"Ms. Rodriguez, Mr. Anderson asked me to help strengthen your chain of evidence. Here are the Ministry of Education's definitions of academic misconduct—we can cross-reference them to add legal weight. All electronic evidence has been notarized, and physical evidence has duplicate copies to prevent loss or damage."
Opening his laptop, he pulled up a detailed evidence list and turned the screen toward Bianca.
"For a joint report, you'll need a designated primary contact. I recommend attaching photocopies of all reporters' IDs and handwritten signatures. That speeds up the process."
Bianca's brows drew together. Witnesses like the senior Jasmine mentioned might refuse to go on record.
"That's difficult. Is there another way?" she asked.
Barry frowned briefly, then his expression steadied.
"At best, it can't be used formally. But off the record... it can still circulate."
Bianca's eyes narrowed in thought, then she nodded. "Understood. Then please focus on organizing the rest of the evidence for submission to the academic affairs office."
"Of course, Ms. Rodriguez." Barry inclined his head.
Bianca turned to Jasmine. "Can you reach out to that senior again? I want one more try."
Jasmine met her gaze and nodded. "I'll do it."