The room stilled for approximately thirty seconds before Catherine burst into laughter, the kind that left her holding her stomach as she reached for the counter for stability.Nicholas, Agnes, and the security guard looked at each other, wondering what was funny, but nobody interrupted her spectacle as they watched, wondering how long she planned to keep it up.After two full minutes, the sound of her laughter slowly waned. She cleaned the side of her eyes where water had pooled.“Wait, why aren’t you all laughing?” she asked, another torrent threatening to burst through.“Didn’t you hear the joke, Silas?” she said, turning to the guard, who only scratched his head in response.“I know you’re a lawyer and all, Ms Baker, and a big one it seems, but you can’t just fire me because of it,” she said, shaking her head and walking back to the counter.“Oh,” Agnes said, looking at Nicholas, whose turn it was to hold his laughter in.“Submit your card and uniform and never step foot into this

“It’s just… we’ve known each other a while,” Agnes said, speeding up her packing.“Yeah… we saw each other around and… yeah,” Nicholas added. He contemplated saying they met in school, but the timeline wouldn’t work as she informed him of the job before the school event.“The details aren’t really important,” Nicholas said again, sipping his coffee slowly.Mikey looked at them both, from Agnes to Nicholas and back. His sixth sense told him something was fishy as he looked at their flustered expressions. They were clearly hiding something.“I’ll take my leave now,” Agnes said, rising from her seat.“I would too,” Nicholas followed suit.“I guess we all would then,” Mikey said, playing along.The three walked out of the coffee shop together. Silas saluted as he saw them walk out.“I admire how you do your job… keep it up,” Agnes said to him, acknowledging him not following Catherine blindly.“I was only following morals and company ethics,” Silas responded, facing his duty post.“So….”

“Mikey…” Nicholas managed to let out as the pain engulfed him.“How dare you, Nicholas? How dare you? Becca cared for you as if you were her own child, and what you do in return is abandon her?” Mikey said, struggling to hold his anger in.“Mr Manson, please calm down,” Dr Burke said, trying to de-escalate the situation.“No. Let him knock some sense into him,” Mikey insisted, rolling his sleeves.Dr Burke stood up from his seat and closed the distance quickly, holding the hand Mikey was about to land on Nicholas, who was now whimpering.“Don’t hit him,” Burke said, gently pushing Mikey back into his chair.“Why would you do that?” Mikey asked, trying to make sense of it.“It’s… it… I had so much…”“Nicholas!” Mikey yelled, prompting Nicholas to face him.Nicholas’ eyes were red as water dripped down his cheek slowly.“Can you hear yourself? Are you listening to what you are saying? You bailed on your sister, Nicholas. On Becca. You left her alone in pain and… and… you are saying you

Everybody, including Nicholas, seemed to hold their breaths as they anticipated Professor Beckham’s response.The air seemed to still as he finally looked up.Nicholas’ eyes followed every other of his movements, a prayer consistent in his mind.“May I not regret breaking my laying low rule,” he chanted several times in his mind.“How would you design a performance appraisal system for a mid-sized company?” Professor Beckham asked.The classmates exchanged glances. A follow up question instead?Nicholas’ heart was now battling with his rib cage as he took a deep breath.“I’d tie every employee’s goals to the company’s strategy, combine measurable KPIs with peer and manager feedback, and give frequent check-ins instead of just annual reviews. I’d also include a self-assessment so employees take ownership of their growth,” he explained, hearing his own voice shaking.Professor Beckham’s face remained the same as he leaned forward.“Okay… but how would you make sure this system actually

Chapter 40.Nicholas's feet slammed against the pavement as he stepped out of the hostel building, tearing across the campus, his breath coming in sharp waves.The phone. The phone. The phone.The words hammered in his skull repeatedly, with each stride, keeping up with his racing pulse.He had to find it. He had to get to it before anyone else did, before anyone saw what was on it.The video.His stomach twisted at the thought as bile rose in his throat. That video could destroy everything. It could get him expelled, thrown in jail, his entire life ripped apart in seconds.All because of one stupid, desperate decision. All for leverage, stupid leverage he hasn't even found the chance to use.His lungs burned but he pushed harder, his arms pumping at his sides."Nicho boy,”The voice cut through the air behind him but he didn't slow down."Yo, why are you running like that, man?" The voice came again, this time with mockery dancing in it.Laughter erupted, multiple voices joining in,