The Pauper Who Ruled the Campus

Chapter 9: The Truth Beneath the Mask

After Emmanuel ended the call, Marcus did not waste a single second. He opened the taxi door and slid inside, his movements swift and urgent.

“To campus,” he said firmly.

The driver nodded and drove off immediately.

Marcus sat back, his mind racing. Professor Frost was looking for him. That alone was enough to make most students panic. But Marcus had already faced worse in a single day. Whatever awaited him now, he would face it head-on.

When the taxi stopped at the campus entrance, Marcus pushed the door open before the driver could even speak.

“Keep the change,” he said as he stepped out and shut the door.

The driver stared at him in surprise as Marcus took off at a hurried pace, heading straight for his faculty building.

By the time he reached his classroom, he realized he was already late.

The room was empty.

His heart sank slightly. Professor Frost had already left.

Before Marcus could even process his next move, two campus security guards approached him.

“Marcus Hale?” one of them asked.

“Yes,” Marcus replied calmly.

“You are to come with us,” the guard said.

Marcus nodded and followed them without resistance.

As they walked through the hallway, phones around them began vibrating nonstop. Messages, notifications, whispers. Students were stopping, staring, pointing. Marcus noticed it, but he did not ask questions.

At the same time, a video was being released across campus platforms.

A video showing Marcus beating Julian and her boyfriend, Daniel, right in front of his house.

The clip spread like wildfire.

By the time Marcus reached Professor Frost’s office, his name was already trending.

Inside the office, Professor Frost was pacing like a wounded beast. The moment Marcus stepped in, the professor’s eyes burned with rage.

“Leave us,” Frost barked at the security guards.

The guards hesitated briefly, then stepped out and closed the door behind them.

The next second, Professor Frost grabbed Marcus by the collar and slammed him against the desk.

“You dare touch my daughter?” Frost roared.

Marcus’s eyes widened in shock. “Sir, I did not touch her.”

“Do not lie to me,” Frost shouted. “Do you know who you are dealing with?”

Marcus tried to steady his breathing. “She came to my house this morning. She slapped me first. I never raised my hand against her.”

Professor Frost laughed bitterly. “Still lying?”

He shoved Marcus away and pointed aggressively at him. “Check your phone.”

Confused, Marcus pulled out his phone with trembling fingers.

A video was playing.

His breath caught in his throat.

It was him.

Or at least, it looked exactly like him.

The video showed Marcus slapping Julian, punching Daniel, pushing them violently. Julian’s cries were loud and convincing. Daniel was seen falling to the ground, blood on his face.

Everything looked real.

Too real.

Marcus’s hands began to shake.

“I would never hit a lady,” Marcus said hoarsely. “This is not real.”

Professor Frost did not listen.

He slapped Marcus across the face so hard that the phone nearly slipped from his hand.

“You animal,” Frost spat. “I will make an example out of you.”

He grabbed Marcus and shoved him toward the door.

“You are finished in this school,” he continued angrily. “No one will save you.”

As he pushed Marcus out and raised his hand to slap him again, a deep voice echoed down the hallway.

“That is enough.”

Professor Frost froze.

Everyone turned.

Mr. Jack had arrived.

He walked calmly down the corridor, his presence alone enough to make the air heavy. Mr. Jack was not a lecturer. He was not a student. He was something far more dangerous.

The leader of a mafia group owned by the Griffin Empire.

Feared by students. Respected by professors. Untouchable.

The moment Professor Frost saw him, his expression changed completely. The anger vanished, replaced by a forced smile.

“Mr. Jack,” Frost said quickly. “You came at the right time.”

He turned and pointed at Marcus. “This student assaulted my daughter.”

Mr. Jack did not respond immediately. He walked straight to Marcus and looked at him closely.

Without a word, he lifted Marcus up gently and guided him back into the office.

Professor Frost followed nervously.

Inside the office, Mr. Jack gestured for Marcus to sit.

“Did you do what is shown in the video?” Mr. Jack asked calmly.

Marcus shook his head firmly. “No. I did not hit her. She slapped me. Her boyfriend almost fought my friend Emmanuel.”

Mr. Jack nodded slowly, his eyes unreadable.

He turned to Professor Frost. “Where is your daughter?”

“She is receiving treatment,” Frost replied quickly.

Mr. Jack’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“I see,” he said.

He stood up and turned back to Marcus. “I apologize for the inconvenience. I will handle this personally.”

Without waiting for a response, Mr. Jack placed a hand on Marcus’s shoulder and led him out of the office.

Professor Frost followed them, confused and uneasy.

Outside, Mr. Jack stopped and turned to Marcus.

“I will show you how power is used,” he said quietly.

He pulled out his phone and made a call.

“Release all documents,” Mr. Jack said calmly. “Everything.”

He ended the call and gestured for Marcus to follow him into his car.

They drove away without another word.

Back in his office, Professor Frost leaned back in his chair and exhaled in relief. He pulled out his phone and called his daughter.

“It worked,” he said with satisfaction. “No one can save him. Not even the chancellor.”

As he ended the call, heavy knocking suddenly echoed through his office door.

Professor Frost frowned and stood up.

When he opened the door, he froze.

A crowd of students stood outside.

Before he could speak, they dragged him out.

Fists flew.

Shouts filled the hallway.

Phones were raised, recording everything.

Professor Frost screamed as blows rained down on him.

“Thief.”

“Fraud.”

“Criminal.”

The documents Mr. Jack had ordered released were now everywhere.

They revealed everything.

How Professor Frost and his daughter had been looting student school fees.

How they stole from the hostel funds.

How they diverted scholarship donations for personal use.

The truth was exposed.

Meanwhile, Julian and her boyfriend tried to flee the campus.

They did not get far.

Police cars blocked their way.

They were arrested on the spot.

As the campus erupted into chaos, the truth spread rapidly. The AI-edited videos of Marcus were exposed as fake. The real story came out.

Media outlets across the globe picked it up.

Footage of students dragging Professor Frost through the hallway.

Police arresting Julian and Daniel.

Headlines exploded.

Back in Mr. Jack’s car, Marcus sat quietly, staring out the window.

His phone rang.

It was his grandfather.

“Come to the Empire,” the old man said calmly.

The line went dead.

Marcus leaned back, his eyes closing slowly as the weight of everything settled in.

His life was no longer his own.