Chapter 61

Chapter 61:

Damian ignored Ector’s call, knowing full well it would be about Fernanda.

As a prominent alumnus of Esaham University and a generous donor who contributed substantial academic funds each year, Ector held influence Damian couldn’t afford to disregard. He realized he had to take Fernanda’s words seriously and consider his next steps carefully.

When Cristian entered the office, Damian stood to greet him with a warm handshake.

“Mr. Reed, what brings you by today?” he asked politely.

“I heard a friend of mine was here, so I thought I’d come and give her a ride,” Cristian responded casually.

Damian’s gaze shifted, and it clicked—this friend could only be Fernanda. He was surprised they even knew each other.

Cristian turned to Fernanda and asked in a calm, steady voice, “Is everything sorted out?”

“Almost,” Fernanda replied. “Mr. Castro knows my grades were altered, but we haven’t figured out who’s behind it. I asked him to investigate right away, but he insists on giving me an answer tomorrow. So, we’re still discussing it.”

Cristian quickly understood the situation. One look at Damian’s uneasy expression was enough to confirm why Fernanda was being so persistent.

Universities were meant to be sanctuaries of knowledge and fairness, but no institution was completely immune to internal issues. Ignoring such problems only allowed them to fester, eventually leading to much larger consequences.

Offering a faint smile, Cristian said, “I’m here for my friend’s issue as well. I’d like to know who tampered with her grades. Wouldn’t it be better to investigate now and clear up the confusion?”

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Though his tone was calm, his words carried a subtle pressure Damian couldn’t ignore.

The blinking light on his phone—a reminder of Ector’s missed call—only intensified the tension.

Damian suddenly felt the full weight of the moment pressing down on him

It became clear he had no option but to launch the investigation immediately. The weight of both Ector’s and Cristian’s demands, paired with the university’s evident wrongdoing, left him with no room to maneuver.

“Alright,” Damian exhaled heavily and nodded. “I’ll look into it now.”

Fernanda stepped behind the desk, observing as Damian navigated to the necessary webpage. Within moments, he managed to trace the IP address. Entering it into Esaham University’s internal system led them straight to the name: Mabel Ross.

“Mabel Ross?” Fernanda’s memory clicked. She was the same teacher who had handed over some documents to Damian earlier.

What an unexpected twist.

“So, did you figure it out?” Cristian asked. “Who’s behind this?”

Damian didn’t dare conceal the truth. “It’s a teacher named Mabel Ross,” he admitted.

Cristian’s eyes gleamed with recognition. “Ah, her,” he said knowingly.

Since Mabel was Ava’s aunt, Fernanda figured it made sense that Cristian was familiar with her.

Cristian settled into the sofa, crossing one leg over the other with an air of complete ease. Resting his chin on his hand, he asked, “Mr. Castro, what does Esaham University’s policy say about dealing with situations like this?”

“We record their demerits, terminate their employment, remove them from any affiliated organizations, and issue a public reprimand,” Damian replied.

Cristian gave a nod of approval. “Alright, then. Please send out an internal notice and hand over Fernanda’s admission letter. Let’s wrap this up.”

Damian let out a quiet sigh. He didn’t even have time to inform Mabel’s brother. Left with no other choice, he composed an email summarizing Mabel’s actions and sent it to all faculty members at Esaham University. He followed it up with a message to Mabel, summoning her to his office.

Meanwhile, Mabel was alone in her office. Instead of being at her desk, she was making coffee, her thoughts still lingering on Fernanda’s grades. She was caught off guard when Damian’s message popped up. She didn’t hesitate—she covered the coffee pot and hurried out of the office.

As she walked through the corridors, she greeted several teachers, but not a single one acknowledged her.

Mabel found it strange. She’d always been on good terms with everyone, thanks to her charm and her well-regarded family background. Her coworkers were typically warm and polite toward her.

So, what was different today?

It felt as though everyone was deliberately steering clear of her.

A creeping suspicion began to take root—had her meddling with the grades been uncovered? That didn’t seem likely. Even if Damian knew, he would probably confront her privately before sharing it with others.

Plagued by unease and unanswered questions, Mabel finally reached Damian’s office. Straightening her outfit, she knocked lightly on the door before stepping inside.

The sight of Cristian lounging on the sofa left Mabel utterly speechless; she was so taken aback that she didn’t even manage to greet Damian.

“Hello, Ms. Ross,” Fernanda began, breaking the silence with a polite but pointed smile. “I’m curious—why would you alter my grades when we’ve never even met before?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Mabel responded. “Who are you? There must be some mistake here.”

With a calm smile, Fernanda stepped closer to Mabel.

Even in her high heels, Mabel found herself looking up at Fernanda, whose commanding presence was impossible to ignore.

“It’s understandable that you don’t know me, Ms. Ross,” Fernanda began in a measured tone. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Fernanda Morgan. I had a small disagreement with your niece, Ava, some time ago. After I took the Esaham University entrance exam, my grades were deliberately tampered with—and now I’ve learned you were the one responsible. Would you mind explaining why you did this?”

Mabel’s complexion drained of color. They had uncovered the truth.

“I didn’t!” Mabel insisted, though her voice faltered and lost its strength. “I never tampered with your grades… I have no idea how this happened.”

“You’re clearly unwilling to own up to it,” Fernanda said with a resigned sigh, shaking her head in disbelief. “It’s absolutely disappointing.”

Damian’s expression grew tense with irritation.

“Ms. Ross,” he said firmly, his tone sharp with authority. “You’d better come clean and apologize to Fernanda right now, or we’ll be forced to launch a deeper investigation.”

Mabel’s actions were already dragging Esaham University’s reputation through the mud. Her behavior had brought disgrace to the school, and now that she had been exposed, her refusal to confess was only making things worse. If she had come clean from the start, perhaps some leniency could have been considered, but this obstinate denial was nothing short of shameful.

Mabel stuttered, her hands trembling faintly as fear gripped her.

Fernanda warned, her voice firm and decisive, “Ms. Ross, if you insist, I can lay out all the evidence to prove your involvement, but doing so will only worsen your embarrassment. You’d better save yourself some dignity while you still can.”

Mabel stood motionless, her gaze lifting to meet Fernanda’s. Those piercing eyes seemed to cut right through her defenses, their sharp intensity almost freezing her in place.

Beneath that unwavering stare, guilt began to eat away at Mabel. Her chest tightened as panic set in. Unable to hold out any longer, she stammered, “Fernanda, I’m sorry… It was me. I tampered with your grades. It was a foolish mistake, and I deeply regret it…”

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