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Before Lily could even process what was happening, Logan grabbed her by the wrist. Under her stunned gaze, he dragged her out and shoved her down the steps.
She hit the ground hard, her whole body aching as a cry tore out of her throat.
She was stunned.
What just happened? Why couldn’t she speak just now?
Clutching her swollen face, Lily glared at the office building with eyes full of venom.
She would never let Isla get away with this.
Not long after, as she staggered forward, a group of male students appeared.
Lily’s eyes lit up instantly, and she hurried over. “Perfect timing, you guys-”
The boys exchanged a cold glance. They were the same ones who’d been punished by Logan earlier because of her. Their eyes flashed with hostility. “Yeah, Lily,” one of them sneered. “We were just looking for you.”
“What are you planning to do?” Lily’s nerves tightened, fear creeping into her voice.
By the time she realized something was wrong, it was too late. The boys had already dragged her into the small grove behind the school.
*****
Meanwhile, Lucas was heading toward the administrative building, his head lowered.
He needed to confront Isla and get some answers.
How had a useless woman like her suddenly become his professor?
The question had gnawed at him all night, leaving dark circles under his eyes.
Sure, Isla had been brilliant when she was younger–no one could deny that
But after they entered college, she’d cheated in competitions, even hired people to sabotage her teammates. Aurora had been hurt because of her, too,
Later, it was revealed that the prizes Isla had won in the past had been bought–she’d paid for the leaked materials.
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The more Lucas thought about it, the more fake she seemed.
Her so–called brilliance had been nothing but a sham.
He even began to suspect that all her good grades had been copied.
Otherwise, how could someone change so drastically?
And now Isla was suddenly a professor? Was she even worthy of that title?
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Disgust churned in his chest. He couldn’t stand the idea of someone he despised showing up in front of him every day.
If Isla’s past scandals ever came to light, even Lucas would end up humiliated by association.
He couldn’t allow that to happen.
He wanted Isla out of the university.
Lost in thought, he heard faint noises coming from the grove behind the building. His expression darkened.
“Who’s in there?” he called out sharply.
No one responded. Frowning, Lucas stepped inside.
A few paces in, his face froze in shock.
Three male students were pinning a girl to the ground, snapping pictures of her with their phones. Lucas’s voice boomed in outrage. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
The boys hadn’t expected anyone to stumble upon them. Panic flared across their faces, quickly replaced by fury. “It’s this slut’s fault for screaming so loud,” one of them snarled.
The leader, burning with anger and shame, slapped Lily hard across the face. Then, yanking up his pants, he bolted with the others.
Lucas’s jaw tightened, his face like stone as he rushed over. He froze for a moment at the sight of Lily’s ruined state, not sure what to do. “I’ll call the police,” he said finally,
Lily had already been slapped twice, her face grotesquely swollen. Clutching her torn clothes, she sobbed so hard her tears and snot smeared across her face. The sight was so pitiful that Lucas averted his eyes, unable to keep looking.
“No, don’t call the cops,” Lily screamed, her voice shrill with panic. “Lucas, you can’t. If the police get involved, this will blow up everywhere–my reputation will be ruined.”
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Lucas froze, staring at her in disbelief. “You know me?”
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Lily wiped her tears with a trembling hand. The moment her fingers brushed the bruises on her face, sharp pain shot through her, making her gasp.
Hatred churned in her chest, but she forced herself to stay rational.
“I’m Lily, Aurora’s close friend. Don’t you remember? When Aurora had her birthday party, I even went to your house,” she explained quickly.
Lucas’s expression shifted. “You’re Aurora’s friend? Then why the hell are you in this state? Did you offend someone?”
The mention of Isla made Lily’s rage boil over, as if her insides were twisting with pain.
Then she remembered how the Beaumont family now sided with Isla. Her eyes flickered, and she broke into sobs. “It was Isla who sent those guys after me. Back then, when Gemma died, I was the one who testified against her. She’s held a grudge ever since, and now she’s back for revenge.”
“What?” Lucas’s voice shot up an octave.
He knew all about Owen’s girlfriend–how she’d drowned after allegedly being pushed by Isla. No hard evidence had surfaced at the time, but there had been witnesses pointing the finger at her.
Now he learned Lily was Gemma’s sister.
Isla had killed Owen’s long–term girlfriend, and now she was going after her younger sister?
How vicious could a person get?
At that moment, Lucas wished he could strangle Isla with his bare hands.
“I only went because Aurora told me Isla was teaching at the university. I wanted to ask her about it. But not only did she hit me, she even sent people to rape me,” Lily wept bitterly, her words tumbling out between sobs.
Lucas didn’t waste another second on her. Rage burned through him as he spun around and stormed toward the office building, ready to confront Isla.
Just as he reached the entrance, Isla and Logan were coming down the stairs.
“Isla-” a voice sounded.
Logan caught sight of Lucas charging over, his expression dark. The corner of his mouth twitched. “Who?”
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Seriously? How many people were going to come looking for trouble in a single day? Would it ever end?
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