Chapter 25: She Brought a Lawyer

Chapter 25: She Brought a Lawyer
The moment Jackson furrowed his brows, the entire room dropped into dead silence.

It was like the air had turned thick with fear.

Every teacher present instantly stopped talking. Some lowered their heads, while others froze in place. The tension was suffocating.

“It appears,” Jackson said in a slow, icy tone, “that this is not a misunderstanding after all.”

His voice was low, but it carried sharp authority that sliced through everyone’s nerves.

“Now,” he added with a chilling calmness, “can someone explain the full situation to me?”

No one dared to speak first.

The school leaders who weren’t directly involved immediately looked away, pushing the spotlight toward the math teacher and the homeroom teacher. They didn’t want to go down for this mess.

The math teacher’s hands trembled as she glanced up—only to meet Jackson’s cold stare. Her legs felt weak. Her voice caught in her throat. But she had no choice.

She stepped forward, barely able to keep her balance.

“M-M-Mayor Carter…” she stammered. “E-Elira’s grades have always been unsatisfactory, but this time… this time she suddenly ranked first in the math exam, so…”

“So you decided she cheated?” Jackson cut her off sharply. “Where is the evidence?”

His eyes narrowed.

“E-Evidence… I…” The teacher stuttered, blinking rapidly. Sweat rolled down her face.

She repeated the word again, but her voice grew smaller and smaller. The silence that followed was painful.

She looked around for support, desperate for someone to help her. But everyone else in the room pretended not to see her. Even the homeroom teacher stepped back slightly.

Then the principal finally cleared his throat.

“This is indeed… a failure on Ms. Miles’ part.”

The math teacher blinked. What? She turned to look at him in disbelief.

He just threw her under the bus.

Her heart thumped. She had no support now.

“It’s… It’s my fault,” she whispered, defeated.

Jackson’s jaw tightened. His voice dropped even lower. “So you have no evidence. You just assumed Elira cheated. You accused her. You tried to expel her. Mr. Dario, is this how your school handles things?”

The principal was caught completely off guard. The pressure shifted to him in an instant.

“I—this… this is a misunderstanding…” he stammered.

“Misunderstanding?” Jackson’s tone turned harsh. “I heard everything before I stepped into this room.”

That statement alone made the staff panic.

Jackson wasn’t here to pacify them. He wasn’t here as a mayor looking to mediate a conflict.

He was here to protect Elira.

Because Elira was under the care of the Harris family.

And if Jackson couldn’t give the Harris family a satisfying outcome today, he might as well step down.

“Mr. Dario,” Jackson snapped, “the college entrance exams are around the corner. Elira is a registered candidate. You falsely accused her of cheating, attempted to expel her, and could have destroyed her future.”

He took a threatening step forward.

“Tell me—who gave you the authority to destroy a student’s life over a baseless accusation?!”

The room practically shook.

The principal looked like he might faint. “Y-Yes! Yes, this is our fault!” he stuttered, bowing slightly. “I-I accept full responsibility…”

Jackson let out a cold snort. He ignored the man completely and turned toward Elira.

“Elira,” he said, “how do you want to handle this?”

The question hit everyone in the room like thunder.

He was putting the power in her hands.

Elira didn’t answer immediately. Her expression was calm and cold.

She didn’t know Jackson personally. She wasn’t looking to owe him any favors—especially not one that came with strings attached. She had already guessed who might’ve called him, but it didn’t matter.

“My lawyer is on the way, Mayor Carter,” she said quietly. “So you don’t need to worry.”

Her voice was polite. Firm. Unshaken.

Jackson’s eyes twitched.

She wasn’t giving him the spotlight.

Still, he didn’t back down. He waved toward the door. “Call the invigilator. And bring the surveillance footage. Our top priority now is to clear Elira’s name.”

Every teacher froze.

Because everyone knew: Elira was protected by the Harris family.

And if the Harris family wanted justice—nothing could stop them.

In Jackson’s eyes, there was no chance Elira would ever cheat. Why would someone like her, with that kind of support, risk her future for a simple test?

More importantly—she called a lawyer.

Only someone innocent would do that.

The principal hesitated, nervous sweat soaking through his shirt.

If the footage proved they were wrong… it would be the end of them.

But with Jackson standing there, he had no choice.

He gave the order.

The math teacher and homeroom teacher exchanged looks. They still believed Elira had faked her way through. Her results had always been low. There was no way she could’ve topped the exam.

They smirked quietly.

Soon, the invigilator entered the room.

He looked confused.

“Sir, I didn’t notice anything strange from Elira during the exam,” he said honestly.

That alone sent the teachers into a spiral of panic.

Then the surveillance footage was brought up.

Everyone’s eyes locked on the screen.

In the video, Elira was calm. From the moment she received her exam paper to the moment she turned it in early, there was not a single suspicious movement. No glances. No hidden papers. No help from others.

Nothing but quiet confidence.

The math teacher’s mouth dropped.

The homeroom teacher turned pale.

The math teacher suddenly remembered Elira’s voice in the classroom:

“I think you don’t want your job anymore.”

Her stomach twisted.

She rushed to the screen, dragging the progress bar backward.

“This is impossible!” she snapped. “Look how quickly she finishes! She didn’t even read every question—she just marked the answers like she already knew them!”

She pointed furiously at the screen.

“Even I wouldn’t be able to do six pages in twenty minutes! She just flipped through the paper like she was copying something she memorized!”

Elira raised an eyebrow.

“So… you think I saw the answers ahead of time?”

Her voice was calm. Deadly calm.

“Then maybe we should check the storage room footage too? I’m sure the police can investigate.”

Her tone was chillingly composed.

Jackson narrowed his eyes.

“Mr. Dario!” he barked. “Are you telling me this entire school was in on bullying a student?!”

The principal collapsed back into his seat.

His hands trembled as he turned to the math teacher.

“Apologize to Elira! Now!”

The teacher froze.

She had nothing left.

The truth was exposed. The cameras didn’t lie.

Elira hadn’t cheated.

And now, she was cornered.

“I-I’m sorry, Elira,” she whispered. “I was wrong. I—I truly apologize…”

The principal stepped forward. “Elira, I speak on behalf of the entire school—we are deeply sorry for this. We’ll do everything to correct the mistake. Whether it’s a private settlement or legal action, we’ll cooperate fully. Please, tell us what you’d like to do.”

By now, it was obvious to everyone: Elira wasn’t just another student.

Whoever was backing her had power.

And Jackson Carter, the mayor, was treating her like she was royalty.

The math teacher, pale and shaking, kept repeating apologies like a broken record.

But Elira didn’t even glance her way.

She looked at the door instead.

“We’ll discuss that… with my lawyer.”

Everyone turned at once.

A tall man had just stepped through the doorway.

He wore a dark suit that fit like armor.

His steps were steady. His face unreadable. Behind his glasses, his eyes were sharp and calculating. Cold, but focused.

He looked like a scholar…

But carried the presence of a man you did not want to cross.

Brandon had arrived.

And he wasn’t smiling.