Chapter 65 He Showed Up

Chapter 65 He Showed Up
Sophie’s lips curled into a smug little smirk, that made it obvious she believed she had already won.

She seemed completely unconcerned about the consequences of what had happened, especially now that the professor had stepped in and appeared to be taking her side.

There was an almost deliberate satisfaction in the way she lifted her chin, as if she wanted Mara and Liora to understand that she had no intention of backing down.

“Whatever you say,” Sophie replied, her tone dripping with false innocence. “Both of you still have to compensate me and remember this, Mara. The next time you think of raising a hand to me, think carefully about what it might cost you.”

Mara stared at her for several seconds, her jaw tightening as Sophie’s words sank in. There was something about the woman’s smugness that made the anger burning inside her feel almost impossible to contain.

Mara had never been particularly good at pretending when someone deliberately provoked her, and Sophie seemed to know exactly which buttons to push.

Beside her, Liora remained quiet as she could feel the tension rolling off her friend and Mara’s hands had curled into fists at her sides, then for a brief second, Liora wondered whether she was actually going to lose control again.

She reached toward her instinctively, but before she could say anything, Mara turned her head.

“Mara?”

Mara looked directly at her. “Stay out of the way.”

Liora blinked, caught off guard by the seriousness in her voice. “Why?”

Mara’s eyes returned to Sophie, and the irritation she had been barely containing was now stripped of every layer of restraint.

“Because I’m going to kill this shameless woman, and I don’t want you to be covered in blood.”

Liora knew her friend was furious enough to mean every word and under different circumstances, Liora might have tried harder to stop her but honestly, she understood.

If murder wasn’t a crime, Liora wanted to say, I’d help you.

She kept the thought to herself, however, because the last thing she needed was to make the situation worse.

Still, as she looked at Sophie standing there with that self-satisfied expression, she couldn't help feeling that the woman had an extraordinary talent for making herself unbearable.

As if Sophie could sense the hostility directed toward her, her face changed almost immediately and the smugness disappeared.

Her lips trembled as her eyes became glassy, and within seconds, tears began sliding down her cheeks. The transformation was so quick that Liora couldn't help noticing how calculated it seemed. Sophie suddenly looked like a frightened, helpless victim who had done nothing wrong and was being persecuted without reason.

“Will they attack me once I leave, Professor?” Sophie asked through her tears. “What if I have nightmares about them? I don't have the money for a psychiatrist…”

Her voice cracked at the end, and she lowered her gaze as if she were overwhelmed by fear.

Liora's brows drew together and she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

A few seconds ago, Sophie had been standing there smugly demanding compensation and taunting Mara.

Now she was speaking as if she had been subjected to some terrible ordeal and was genuinely afraid for her safety.

The professor, however, appeared completely taken in by her performance as his face hardened as he looked at Mara and Liora.

Whatever sympathy he might have had for them seemed to disappear beneath his irritation. “You hit her, then threaten her,” he said sternly. “Your arrogance is too much. Refuse to compensate her, and you’ll be expelled.”

The word struck the air heavily. “Expelled?”

Sophie immediately repeated it, her tearful expression changing just enough to reveal a flicker of satisfaction.

She had clearly not expected such a severe consequence to be mentioned, but rather than correcting the professor or defending Mara and Liora, she seized the opportunity his words had handed her.

She slowly lifted her eyes toward Liora and Mara before arching one eyebrow.

“There’s no need for that, Professor,” she said softly.

Her voice had suddenly become gentle and forgiving, completely different from the woman who had been taunting them moments earlier.

“What would happen to them? Their lives would be ruined…”

Liora almost scoffed but Sophie was pretending to be merciful now?

The hypocrisy was almost laughable but the professor seemed to interpret her words exactly as she intended.

He regarded Sophie with something close to approval, apparently impressed by what he perceived as her willingness to forgive the people who had supposedly wronged her.

“You’re too softhearted, Sophie,” he lectured her. “It’s only right that they compensate you
...otherwise, they might get ideas about bullying you in the future.”

Sophie lowered her head, allowing another tear to fall. “I just don't want to cause them too much trouble.”

Liora's fingers tightened slightly because she knew exactly what Sophie was doing. She only had to pretend she didn't want it and the professor would feel even more inclined to impose it on her behalf.

Mara looked ready to explode again and Liora could practically feel her friend's patience disappearing then, before either of them could respond, a male voice came from the doorway.

“Since she’s so magnanimous…”

Everyone turned toward the doorway. “…why is she demanding money from my wife?”

Liora's heart gave a startled beat because she knew that voice, Dominic.

Her husband stood at the doorway, his presence instantly changing the atmosphere in the room.

Sophie’s tearful act seemed to falter and the confidence she had been wearing so comfortably only moments earlier disappeared for the briefest instant as her eyes fixed on Dominic.

Liora stared at him, surprise mixing with a strange warmth in her chest. She hadn't expected to see him there, and certainly hadn't expected him to speak up for her so directly.

Dominic's gaze remained steady and there was something unreadable in his eyes, something restrained beneath the surface.

Anyone who didn't know him might have mistaken his calmness for indifference but Liora knew better.

She could feel the anger he was keeping under control and for the first time since the argument began, she didn't feel as though she was standing alone.