Chapter 6 - The Donor's Verdict
My father dropped to his knees, frantically gathering the scattered financial papers as if he could hide his failure.
"Mr. Sterling, please, you can't just seize my company!" he begged, his voice cracking with desperation.
Arthur Sterling looked down at him with an expression of absolute disgust.
"I am not seizing your company, Richard, I am simply transferring the ownership to the person who truly deserves it."
My stepmother grabbed her husband's shoulder and pulled him aggressively back to his feet.
"You can't give his company away, that belongs to Haley's inheritance!" she shrieked, completely losing her composure.
Haley stomped her foot on the stage, pointing an accusing finger at me.
"Clara is a manipulative psycho, she probably poisoned Mr. Sterling just so she could pretend to save him!"
The audience let out a collective, horrified gasp at the sheer audacity of the accusation.
Dean Bradley stepped forward, his face turning a dangerous shade of crimson.
"That is a severe allegation, young lady, and I suggest you choose your next words very carefully."
My stepmother stepped in front of Haley, acting like a shield against the growing anger of the crowd.
"We demand to see Clara's medical credentials right now, because I know for a fact she dropped out of nursing school!"
The heavy wooden doors at the back of the auditorium suddenly slammed open with a deafening crash.
Everyone turned to see the local Chief of Police marching down the center aisle, flanked by four armed officers.
They were escorting the Head of Campus Security, who was carrying a heavy lead-lined evidence box.
"Nobody move!" the Chief of Police shouted, his hand resting on his duty belt.
My father immediately pointed at me again, thinking the police were there to arrest me for hacking.
"Thank God you're here, arrest that girl on the stage for cyber theft!" he yelled eagerly.
The Chief of Police didn't even glance in my direction.
Instead, he marched straight up to the VIP barricade and stopped directly in front of Haley.
"Ma'am, I need you to slowly hand over your designer handbag," the Chief ordered.
Haley clutched her expensive purse tightly to her chest, her eyes darting nervously around the room.
"Why? I haven't done anything wrong!" she lied, her voice shaking violently.
The Head of Campus Security opened the lead-lined box, revealing a pulsing digital tracker.
"Ten minutes ago, a highly classified, experimental medical compound went missing from the university's secure research lab."
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The Chief of Police clicked his flashlight on and pointed the beam directly at Haley's chest.
Through the thin leather of her expensive purse, a strange, radioactive neon-green glow was clearly visible.
