Chapter 77
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This wasn’t the place for a conversation. Landon gestured for the security guard to step back and, with a renewed smile, respectfully addressed Ashton. “Mr. Wade, how about we head to my office and discuss whatever it is you need in a more comfortable setting? found good to you?”
As Landon took a few steps forward, trying to get closer to Ashton and build some rapport, Brandon stepped in and stopped him.
A single glance from Brandon was enough to leave Landon awkwardly standing in place.
If it weren’t for Briar’s presence, these people wouldn’t even be in the same vicinity as Ashton.
Finally, Ashton spoke. “I’m just here to accompany Briar today. I’ll follow her lead.”
Brandon’s brow twitched. ‘Ashton is really bold,‘ he thought to himself. ‘Ashton, if it weren’t for the situation, Miss Jennings would have given you a piece of her mind.
Landon realized Ashton was referring to the pretty girl standing beside him and quickly turned to her with a smile. “Miss, this isn’t the place
for a conversation. Let’s sit down and talk. How does that sound?”
Briar’s eyes, hidden beneath her eyelashes, were cold. She looked at Landon but didn’t respond to his suggestion. Instead, she asked, “Landon, can you really call the shots here at Shoneport High School?”
Her question was loaded, and it was clear that she was barely holding back her anger.
Landon met Briar’s gaze and felt an intangible sense of pressure, like a sharp icicle piercing through him. He was taken aback. This girl had such a strong presence that he felt intimidated just looking at her.
He glanced at Ashton and stammered, “W–well, of course, I can make decisions.”
“Okay.” Briar nodded, her eyes, now cold and steely, shifted from Landon to Elowen, who was trying to hide behind him as if she wanted to bury her head in the sand. “No need to sit down. I think we should head straight to Class 2, Grade 11.”
Without waiting for Landon or Elowen to respond, she tilted her chin slightly, signaling for Ellen to lead the way. Briar followed, hands casually tucked into her pockets, walking at a leisurely pace behind Ellen.
Both Briar and Ellen were young, but in the eyes of Landon and the others, Briar’s presence exuded a chilling coldness that made everyone instinctively hold their breath.
Ashton, too, watched Briar walking ahead with her back straight. He didn’t need to see her face to know she was angry.
Someone had bullied her friend, and she was willing to step in personally to defend her and fight back. She was quite loyal.
Ashton’s eyes twinkled with amusement, and he found Briar’s actions unexpectedly endearing and innocent. ‘She’s still such a kid, can’t stand any injustice, he thought to himself.
The building for Class 2, Grade 11 was located on the first floor of the central building. It was the middle of class, and even before they got close, they could hear the sound of students reading aloud from each classroom.
Ellen led Briar to the second classroom on the first floor, where a class was still in session. She whispered, “Briar, this is the place.”
Briar nodded, glanced back at Elowen, who was trying to hide behind Landon and crooked her finger at her. “You, come in with me.”
Elowen’s face froze, her heart pounding fiercely. She wanted to pretend she didn’t understand, but she didn’t have the situation further. With heavy, reluctant steps, she followed Briar into the classroom.
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With Ashton personally overseeing everything, she didn’t dare do otherwise.
The class in session was a math class, taught by a stylishly dressed female teacher. She was initially surprised to see Eleven bringing in principal and other school leaders into the classroom to observe the lesson. She hadn’t received any notice about this
But then she saw Landon and the other leaders all nodding and bowing to the tall, handsome man in the center, and she quickly realized who he was.
She addressed the students, who were whispering among themselves, “Everyone, quiet down and sit properly.”
This was Ashton, the big shot everyone in Shoneport had heard about. She was surprised by his sudden arrival.
She looked at the two girls walking ahead with a probing gaze, recognizing one of the girls as a student. She also noticed Elowen, who was following behind with her head down, and seemed to understand something.
But she was a minor figure in Shoneport High School and not well–liked by the other teachers, so she decided not to meddle unnecessarily.
So, when Ellen led Briar into the classroom and the students looked at them with puzzled and curious eyes, she tactfully made her way and stepped aside from the podium.
Briar stood on the podium, looking down at the confused faces of the students below. She pulled Ellen closer and addressed the class. “I’m giving you all a chance.
“Whoever bullied Ellen, step forward and apologize to her. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you pay back a hundredfold.”
“What? You want us to apologize to a poor girl?”
“Are you kidding me? Does Ellen even deserve an apology from me?”
“How ridiculous. Who do you think you are? Her parents don’t even care about her.”
“So what if we bullied her a bit? There were no consequences. Why is she making such a fuss?”
Upon listening to the sneers and laughter from below, Ellen’s head drooped lower and lower, and large tears fell into her tightly clenched fists.
Briar picked up the seating chart from the podium and found the names of the students who had spoken up just now. She realized that these were the same students she had previously identified as bullies of Ellen.
Taking out her phone, she sent the names of these students to a certain email address and made a phone call. As soon as the call was answered, she said, “Alex, I need a favor. I need you to look up a few people. I’ve sent the list to your phone.”
Alex on the other end paused, even taking the phone away from his ear to check the caller ID. “Is this Briar?”
“It’s me. Five minutes should be enough, right?” Briar’s voice was indifferent.
Alex had already sat down in front of his computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard. After pulling up the information on the people listed, he asked curiously, “Briar, these people are all from Shoneport, Dasmieca. You’re in Shoneport, right? Why are you asking me to look this up for you?”
Alex suspected that someone might be impersonating Briar.
“I’m not in a position to do it right now. Just send me the information once you find it,” Briar said briefly. Ashton was still outside the classroom, and his lip–reading skills were top–notch.
Alex was taken aback for a moment.
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A tough guy who could run around the border with an AK and still take calls was telling him that she couldn’t look up a few perable a
information.
“Alright, talk later,” Briar said, cutting off Alex before he could ask more questions. Her phone vibrated with an incoming email from fler. She didn’t give him a chance to ask further and ended the call.
Opening the email, Briar saw that the information Alex had found was very detailed. The list contained five people, headed by Liora Winters, along with Rachel, Jaclyn, Lily, and Angel.
Everything about them, from their childhood to the present, was laid out clearly on Briar’s phone.
