The door clicked shut behind Ethan. Cynthia stood near the table, staring at the closed door. On the table were two paper cups. One was empty, and one was untouched.Cynthia sat down on her chair. She pressed her hands against her face and thought about what Ethan said.She remembered Luis and how he always acted. Luis was arrogant and cared about his image, but he also hated Ethan. He had spent weeks warning her about Ethan. Then she remembered Ethan. Ethan had helped get into HVMX even when he had absolutely nothing to gain and supported her during the scandals. He had never lied to her.She looked at the video on her phone again. In the background, Ethan was standing near a pillar. He was looking at his phone, not doing anything suspicious."What have I done?" Cynthia said to herself.She took her phone and sent a message to Sarah.Where is Ethan right now?Sarah replied a minute later.Sarah: I saw him near the archive building. He was walking toward the south gate.Cynthia picked

The morning sun shone bright over the main courtyard of Aethelgard University. Groups of students stood near the marble fountain, holding their phones and talking in hushed, excited voices. The story naming Ethan as the culprit behind Luis’s scandal had reached every corner of the campus.Ethan walked down the central stone path carrying his leather messenger bag. He wore a simple grey sweater and black pants. He kept his eyes straight ahead, completely unbothered by the stares and pointed fingers around him."Look, that's him," a girl in a red coat whispered to her friend. "That's Ethan Vance.""I can't believe he actually drugged Luis Campbell," her friend replied loudly. "He looks so quiet, but he’s a total snake. The board should expel him immediately."Ethan did not slow down. He continued walking toward the main humanities building for his morning lecture.Suddenly, a loud voice shouted across the courtyard. "Hey! Everyone look! The famous blackmailer has arrived!"Ethan stopped

Three weeks passed after the raw footage from The Sovereign went viral on every campus display screen and news outlet across the city.The initial explosion of gossip at Aethelgard University had finally begun to cool down. In the immediate aftermath, Luis Campbell's public standing was completely obliterated. Students openly mocked him in lecture halls, whispered as he walked past, and posted memes of his botched poisoning plot across social media. To make matters worse, the corporate counter-strike from Crestline Financial had forced Campbell Global Logistics into defensive survival mode, stripping away the family's media arm overnight. The Campbell business empire took a massive hit because of Luis's failure, and Victor Campbell was forced to pull back corporate operations across the city. Humiliated and stripped of his former power, Luis spent the following weeks keeping his head low, taking quiet routes to his lectures just to endure his remaining classes.Meanwhile, Ethan Vance

Official team practices for the Aethelgard Lions began the following week.While Ethan spent his mornings quietly attending economics lectures and reviewing private investment feeds on his phone, Luis was operating on a completely different strategy. He knew he couldn't match Ethan's calm demeanor or natural instincts on the floor, so he turned to the one weapon he believed always worked: money.On Tuesday afternoon, the team locker room was buzzing before practice even started.Two large big trunks sat near the center of the room. Surrounding them were members of the starting lineup including the senior team captain, a tall forward named Trent holding custom, high-end athletic footwear and digital recovery bands."Check these out," Trent said, putting on the brand-new pair of elite performance sneakers. "These aren't even out in retail stores yet.""Courtesy of Campbell Global Logistics," Luis said smoothly, leaning against his locker in a designer track jacket. "My family sponsors

The double doors of the gymnasium slammed shut as the team filed onto the basketball court. The lingering rage from the locker room followed them straight onto the floor, a ticking time bomb getting ready to explode.Coach Martin stood at mid-court with his clipboard, oblivious to the quiet war brewing between his players. He blew his silver whistle, the sharp sound echoing off the rafters."Alright, listen up!" Coach Martin called out. "The major qualifier game against Vanguard State is just around the corner. They play a heavy, physical style of defense. We need to learn quick passes and constant off-ball movement. We're running a full practice game right now. Main team versus the practice team!"Coach Marcus pointed his pen at the group. "Trent, Luis, and the starting lineup you're on the Main team. Vance, you're running with the practice team alongside Toby and the reserves.""Got it, Coach," Trent grunted, throwing a menacing glare sideways at Ethan.Luis stepped onto the floor w