Chapter 0018
+15 BONUS
And now, so did Elijah. I was impressed that he had taken the time to look at my paper and he’d even asked me about the research. itself, and I’d pointed to some academic texts I had used for the research, which he’d pored over in preparation for this discussion as well.
Elijah’s gaze sharpened, and I could almost feel him reeling Dalton in
“Interesting,” he mused, his voice still calm. “Especially considering the information you described matches a passage from Mystical Symbols of the Forgotten Clans–a rare text.”
My breath caught in my throat. That was it. That was the moment.
Dalton froze, his face paling as he realized his mistake. He faltered, stammering over his words.
“I–well, it’s possible I was inspired by… external sources…”
I didn’t wait. I jumped in, my voice stronger than I expected.
“No, Professor. You didn’t cite Mystical Symbols of the Forgotten Clans. Because you didn’t know it existed.”
Dalton’s cyes darted toward me, his confidence crumbling. I pressed on, feeling something inside me ignite.
Η
“That research was mine. You stole it. You claimed it as your own, but you never even bothered to read the original sources.”
The room fell into a tense silence. Dalton’s face turned red, his lips twitching as he tried to come up with an excuse, but it was too
late. The trap had already closed around him
Elijah leaned forward slightly, his tone cool and final. “Thank you for participating in Silvermoon’s interview, Professor Dalton. You’ve brought a lot to light.”
There were murmurs of agreement from the board of trustees that had joined the interview online.
Dalton blinked, completely taken aback. He still hadn’t figured out that this entire interview had been a setup–a carefully
constructed plan to expose him.
Elijah stood, smoothing his shirt with practiced ease.
“You’ll be losing your position,” he said, his voice as calm as ever. “Silvermoon doesn’t tolerate plagiarism, nor does the university. They won’t allow someone like you to continue educating students.”
Dalton gaped at him, too stunned to speak. I watched as the realization sank in, his eyes wide with disbelief. It was over.
After the meeting wrapped up, I turned to Elijah, my heart still pounding.
“Thank you,” I whispered, barely able to meet his gaze. I didn’t know what else to say. He had just saved me from years of false
accusations, from the stain that had ruined my life.
1/2
But Elijah’s response caught me off guard.
+15 BONUS
“I didn’t trust you,” he said flatly, his eyes piercing mine. “I simply gave you an opportunity. If you could prove your innocence, then you’d have your resolution. If you had failed, or if you truly had stolen the paper, I would have acted accordingly.”
His words hung in the air like a cold wind. I stared at him, trying to make sense of it. He hadn’t trusted me?
He would have abandoned me if I had failed?
The thought stung more than I wanted to admit.
But then Elijah’s gaze softened–just slightly.
“A good Luna never lets any opportunity slip by,” he said, his voice quieter now, more thoughtful. “Remember that.”
1 swallowed hard, my emotions swirling in a confusing mess. Part of me wanted to be angry, to lash out at him for his
pragmatism. But another part of me knew he was right.
This world was harsh, and a Luna couldn’t afford to be weak.
“I will,” I replied, my voice firm,
I had proven myself today, not just to Elijah, but to the pack and, most importantly, to myself. And as I stood there, I realized that
was all I needed.
日
Comments
ப
Support
