Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Mia's POV 

After seeing Liam the day before, I felt rejuvenated enough to go to school the next day. 

I breezed through the morning routine I had grown accustomed to, and I left for the academy with the two bodyguards that were assigned to me. 

Their expressions and stances were icy and closed off today, and I knew it was because of the stunt I pulled two days prior. 

I said nothing throughout the entire ride, and when we finally got to school, they followed me into the building. 

The moment I stepped into the school premises, people immediately began to point fingers and whisper when they saw me. 

My brows furrowed in confusion as I looked around. 

It had been nearly a week since the announcement. At this point, they should have stopped talking about it and it shouldn't be news to anybody anymore. 

Even scandals worse than mine died down within three days to one week, so what could they be talking about now?

I tried to ignore the murmurs and eyes on me as I made my way to the locker, but it was impossible to ignore the scornful expression on some of their gazes. 

Could something else have happened again? 

I knew I didn't do anything wrong. But at this point, it seemed like things were happening to me without my consent. 

I sighed as I got to my locker. I was about to take out the textbooks I would be needing for my first class when a booming voice called my name. 

“Miss Mia Hale! There you are.”

I turned towards the source of the voice only to see that it was the Dean and the Head Nurse from the school infirmary. 

I looked at them in confusion as they marched towards me, but I still managed a smile. 

“Mr. Derrick, Mrs. Jordan. Good morning,” I greeted politely. 

“Miss Hale, did you not receive an email from the Vice Chancellor’s office? You were requested to meet her by 8 a.m. and you're just coming now?” Mr. Derrick asked coldly. 

My brows knitted together. 

Kai had seized my phone when I returned to the villa after his guards intercepted me. I had no idea the VC emailed me. 

“I'm sorry... I haven't checked my phone—” I was trying to explain when Mrs. Jordan cut me off harshly. 

“That doesn't matter. Come with us to the Vice Chancellor's office right now.”

I looked between them, sensing that something was not right. 

“Is there a problem...?” I asked tentatively. 

“You'll know when you get to the VC’s office.”

I swallowed nervously before following them.

The bodyguards immediately fell in behind me, and the sight of them seemed to make the students whisper even more.

I had no idea what was happening, but the uneasiness in my stomach only grew as we walked through the hallways.

When we reached the Vice Chancellor's office, Mr. Derrick opened the door and gestured for me to enter.

I stepped inside and immediately noticed the Vice Chancellor sitting behind her desk.

There were also two other people in the room, both of whom I recognized as members of the academy's administrative board.

My heart sank.

“Miss Hale, sit down,” the Vice Chancellor instructed.

I slowly took the seat in front of her desk, glancing between everyone in the room.

“What is this about?”

The Vice Chancellor exchanged a glance with Mr. Derrick before looking back at me.

“Miss Hale, yesterday evening, several confidential documents belonging to the academy were leaked to an external party.”

I frowned.

“Confidential documents?”

“Yes.”

She slid a folder across the desk toward me.

“These documents contain private medical information belonging to several students at Lycan Academy. They include medical histories, wolf-spirit assessments, treatment records and other sensitive information that should never have left the infirmary.”

My eyes widened.

“What does that have to do with me?”

Mr. Derrick folded his arms across his chest.

“You tell us.”

I stared at him in confusion.

“I don't understand.”

Mrs. Jordan's expression hardened.

“Your access credentials were used to access those files two days ago.”

My mouth fell open.

“What?”

“You are one of the students authorized to handle medical records in the infirmary,” she continued. “According to the system logs, your account accessed several confidential files and transferred copies of them to an external device.”

My heart began pounding.

“I didn't do that.”

“We have evidence that says otherwise,” the Vice Chancellor said.

“I swear I didn't!”

I stood up abruptly, my voice becoming desperate.

“I would never leak someone's medical information. Why would I even do that?”

“That's what we're trying to determine,” one of the board members replied.

The Vice Chancellor opened the folder and pulled out several printed documents.

“These records were found outside the infirmary yesterday. They were eventually traced back to a device registered under your student identification.”

I stared at the papers in disbelief.

This couldn't be happening.

“I wasn't even in the infirmary two days ago,” I said.

Mrs. Jordan scoffed.

“You were in the academy.”

“Yes, but I wasn't in the infirmary.”

“Then how do you explain your account being used?”

“I don't know!”

My eyes began to sting.

I was already dealing with enough. I didn't understand why something else had to happen to me.

“I didn't leak anything. You have to believe me.”

The Vice Chancellor sighed.

“We aren't accusing you without evidence, Miss Hale. Your credentials were used to access the records, and several students have already confirmed seeing you handling files in the infirmary.”

“I handle medical files because I work there!”

“That doesn't prove your innocence.”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

She was right.

Everything pointed toward me.

Except I hadn't done any of it.

The door suddenly opened, and I turned around.

Kai walked into the office.

My eyes widened.

He was dressed in a black suit, his expression cold as he looked around the room.

“What is going on?” he asked.

The Vice Chancellor stood.

“Mr. Voss, we were just discussing a serious disciplinary matter involving Miss Hale.”

Kai's eyes immediately settled on me.

“What disciplinary matter?”

The Vice Chancellor explained the situation, and I watched his expression grow increasingly serious.

When she finished, he looked at me.

“Did you do this?”

“No.”

My answer came immediately.

“I didn't.”

He stared at me for a few seconds before turning toward the Vice Chancellor.

“Show me the access logs.”

She hesitated.

“Kai—”

“Show me.”

His tone was calm, but there was enough authority behind it to make everyone in the room fall silent.

The Vice Chancellor handed him the records.

Kai scanned through them.

“When were these files accessed?”

“Two days ago at approximately two thirty in the afternoon.”

“What time was the information transferred?”

“Two thirty-seven.”

Kai's brows furrowed slightly.

“Where was Miss Hale at that time?”

Mr. Derrick answered.

“She was on campus.”

Kai looked at me.

“Where?”

I swallowed.

“I was in my second to last class.”

“Which class?”

I told him the name, and he turned back toward the Vice Chancellor.

“Verify it.”

The Vice Chancellor nodded to one of the board members, who immediately picked up a phone.

Kai continued examining the documents.

“Who discovered the leak?”

“We received an anonymous report yesterday evening,” the Vice Chancellor replied.

“Anonymous?”

“Yes.”

“And the files were already outside the infirmary by then?”

“Yes.”

Kai's eyes narrowed.

“Who else has access to the medical records?”

Mrs. Jordan answered immediately.

“Several members of the infirmary staff and a few student nurses.”

“List them.”

She began naming them.

Kai listened carefully.

“Who has access to the system remotely?”

Mrs. Jordan hesitated.

“Only authorized staff with individual credentials.”

“Then why was Miss Hale's account used?”

“We don't know.”

Kai placed the papers back on the desk.

“Then find out.”

The room fell silent.

Just then, the board member who had left the room returned.

“Miss Hale was in class at two thirty. The professor confirms she was there, and several students can verify it.”

My heart lifted slightly.

Kai looked at Mrs. Jordan.

“Then she couldn't have accessed the records from the infirmary at that time.”

“She could have given someone her credentials,” Mrs. Jordan argued.

“I didn't,” I immediately said.

Kai's gaze shifted back to the documents.

“Who else was working in the infirmary two days ago?”

Mrs. Jordan began listing the names again.

One name immediately caught my attention.

“Avery?”

Everyone turned toward me.

I swallowed.

“Avery Windsor was there two days ago. She came into the infirmary during lunch.”

Mrs. Jordan frowned.

“I remember that.”

Kai's expression changed slightly.

“What was she doing there?”

“She said she needed medication for a headache.”

Kai nodded slowly.

“Bring her here.”

Mrs. Jordan immediately left the room.

I stood there nervously, unsure of what was happening.

A few minutes later, the door opened again.

Avery walked in.

She looked confused at first, but the moment she saw me, her expression changed.

She folded her arms across her chest.

“Why am I here?”

Kai stared at her.

“You were in the infirmary yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I already told Mrs. Jordan. I needed medication.”

“Did you access the medical records?”

Avery's eyes widened.

“Of course not!”

“Then you won't mind if we check the infirmary's security footage.”

Her face paled.

I noticed it immediately.

Kai did too.

“We don't need to,” Avery said quickly.

Kai's eyes narrowed.

“Why?”

“I just... I don't see why this has anything to do with me.”

“Because your reaction suggests otherwise.”

Avery shook her head.

“I didn't do anything.”

Kai stepped closer.

“Then you have nothing to worry about.”

He turned to the Vice Chancellor.

“Pull the footage from the infirmary yesterday between noon and three.”

A few minutes later, the footage was displayed on the screen in the office.

I watched silently as Avery entered the infirmary.

She spoke briefly to Mrs. Jordan before walking toward the records room.

My eyes widened.

She looked around before entering.

Then, several minutes later, another student entered the room.

I recognized her immediately.

She was one of the student nurses who worked part-time in the infirmary.

The two of them spoke quietly before the student appeared to type something into the computer. A few moments later, Avery slipped something into her bag.

My heart dropped.

Kai's expression became colder with every passing second.

“Bring that student here.”

The student was brought in shortly afterward, trembling as she stood in front of everyone.

Kai stared at her.

“Did Avery Windsor ask you to access Miss Hale's account?”

The girl immediately looked at Avery.

That was enough.

Avery's face drained of color.

“I didn't do anything!” she shouted.

Kai didn't even look at her.

“Answer me.”

The student began crying.

“She said she would pay me.”

The room went completely silent.

“She told me to use my access to copy the records and make it look like Miss Hale had done it. She said nobody would question it because Miss Hale already had a bad reputation.”

I stared at Avery in disbelief.

She had framed me.

Avery's eyes widened.

“That's a lie!”

But Kai was already walking toward her.

“You bribed another student to frame my mate?”

His voice was dangerously calm.

Avery's face went pale.

“Your... mate?”

Kai's eyes turned grey.

“And you thought you could get away with it.”

“I didn't mean—”

“You publicly humiliated her. You tried to turn the academy against her. And now you've fabricated evidence to have her punished for something she didn't do.”

Avery's lips trembled.

“I was only trying to protect you!”

Kai gave a cold laugh.

“I never asked you to protect me.”

Nobody spoke.

Kai turned toward the Vice Chancellor.

“I want the disciplinary committee to handle this properly. The student who confessed should also receive a reduced punishment for cooperating and providing evidence of the scheme.”

Then his gaze returned to Avery.

“As for you, you're no longer permitted to approach Mia or interfere with her in any way.”

Avery's eyes filled with tears.

“But—”

“Leave.”

She lowered her head and walked out of the room.

I remained frozen in my seat.

I couldn't believe what had just happened.

Kai had saved me. 

I looked at him.

He was already staring back at me.

For a moment, neither of us said anything.

Then he turned away.

“Let's go.”

I hesitated before standing.

As I followed him out of the office, I couldn't help but wonder why he had defended me so fiercely.

He still believed I was a spy.

He still kept me imprisoned in his villa.

Yet somehow, whenever someone else tried to hurt me, he was always there.