Lahat ng Kabanata ng His office my rules : Kabanata 91 - Kabanata 100

CARTERBy noon, I was in a room with someone from the ethics board I hadn't met before now.The room was smaller this time. There was no long polished table and no neutral observers.Just two chairs across from mine And a recorder placed deliberately in the center.The man across from me doesn’t introduce himself beyond, “Lead Investigator.”“Mr. Carter,” he begins, pressing a button on the recorder.“Professor” I interrupted him before he could continue.“Professor Carter” he took to correction “This session is part of an ongoing ethics inquiry. You are required to answer directly. Yes or no responses only.”I don’t miss the word required.“I’m entitled to clarify..” I start.“You will answer yes or no,” he repeats evenly. “If clarification is necessary, we will request it.”But I nod once. “Understood.”He flipped open a folder without looking up at me and he started.“Do you maintain a personal relationship with a student named Eli Rivera” he states Eli’s full name like it’s evide

CARTERThe door closes and immediately, Dante explodes“What were you thinking?”I didn't look at him immediately, I was still seated at the edge of the table in the narrow room. My sleeves were rolled up now and my hair was probably messy from the number of times I ran my hand through it.“I was thinking, that refusing to answer would escalate problems”“They were escalating it anyway,” Dante snapped. He didn’t bother to sit, instead, he paced around“You should have asked for me the second they started asking yes-or-no questions about your personal life.”“I handled it.”“You only complied. It's not the same thing”I finally look up at him. His hands were on his hips and he looked like he was forcing his jaw to clench hard.“They boxed you” he continued “Yes or no format is a containment strategy. It's a way of springing up implication”“Do you think I don't know that?,” I said quietly.“Do you?” he shot back, “Because you just admitted a bunch of stuff without context”“I didn't ad

CARTERI was halfway through drafting a response memo when my assistant buzzed my office.“You have a walk-in,” she said carefully. “Liam Vale”I closed my eyes for half a second.“Send him in.”A moment later, the door opened without a knock.Liam stepped in like he owned the place, as usual his hands were shoved into his jacket pockets, his jaw was set, and his eyes immediately started scanning the office, he even gave a slight nod of approval.“You’ve upgraded,” he says."What is your point?.” I replied evenly“It's not that bad” he shruggedHe shut the door behind him.For a second, we just looked at each other.It’s strange how someone can share your face in fragments, the same brow line, the same posture when guarded and still feel like a stranger you once knew intimately. We were only a tad different in physique.“What do you want, Liam?”He exhaled sharply through his nose.“Can’t I visit my brother?”“You don’t do social visits.”He gave a small, crooked smirk.“Okay. Fair.”

CarterDean Holloway did not sit until I invited him to and I knew it was not a courtesy visit.He stood in the center of my office as though he was measuring it, the glass walls, the skyline behind me, the degrees I had framed in the mini shelves around my office.This was probably his first time in my firm's office. He had only ever been to my office at school, not at the firm.I was more than concerned about why he was at my office today. He folded his hands.“Professor.”“Dean.”His jaw was tight. I watched his expression, but there was nothing.I gestured toward the chair across from my desk.“Please.”He sat but I remained standing.“I came personally,” he began, “because I believe you deserve that.”That sentence definitely didn't lead to anything good.“I appreciate the effort,” I said evenly.He studied me for a moment, as though deciding how blunt to be.“The ethics board has acquired additional materials.”There it was.“Materials? What kind of materials?” I asked.He exh

CARTERI ended the call with Dante at precisely 10:42 a.m.“Carter.”“Yes.”“Control what you can.” He said before the line disconnectedI set my phone down on my desk and stared at the reflection of my office window. Campus lawns stretched beyond it, students crossing with coffee cups, laughter carried faintly through the glass.It was just a normal day. But my life, apparently, was in its final hours of stability.I straightened the cuff of my shirt, gathered the thin folder I had prepared, not because I intended to use it, but because it felt foolish to enter a board meeting empty-handed, and stepped out of my office.The walk down the faculty corridor felt different that morning. By the time I reached the conference room, my discomfort had sharpened. It seemed like clarity but at the same time, I wasn’t sure what it was.Some of the board members were already seated around the long polished table. Dean Holloway sat near the center, his posture composed, and he had an unreadable ex