All Chapters of His office my rules : Chapter 81 - Chapter 89

ELIToday’s class ended late, the room was emptying in uneven waves with the chairs scraping and voices overlapping, that restless energy that comes when everyone’s already mentally elsewhere. I pack my bag slower than usual, letting the noise thin out before I leave. My head is still full of everything going on, the previous meeting, of the investigation with Maya and of the way Carter’s voice had gone careful when he talked about procedure.I stepped into the hallway and nearly collided with Theo.“Oh, hey,” he says, stepping back with an easy grin.“Hey,” I reply, already shifting my bag higher on my shoulder but I don’t stop walking. He falls into step beside me anyway.“I didn't think you’d be staying back so late,” he says casually. “You’ve had… a lot going on.”I glance at him. “Everyone has. And well, I just finished a class.” I wondered if he wasn't taking the class with us.He laughed quickly and lightly. “True. Still, people notice when someone’s under pressure.Something

ELIWe were all sitting in Carter’s office. Maya, Carter, and I. It was like a meeting where we planned to discuss what had happened so far.Except the office felt different today, not physically though, everything was still where it always was. The tall bookshelf is stuffed with case files and journals. The window that was never fully opened. But the air itself felt heavier.Maya sat on the arm of one of the chairs, legs crossed, and her notebook already open. I took the seat closest to Carter’s desk. Carter remained standing for a moment, hands were braced against the edge of the table, staring down at a file as if it personally offended him.“So,” Maya says, clapping her hands once softly, trying to inject energy into the room. “Let’s recalibrate.”Carter hums. He didn't say a word.Maya doesn’t let it throw her.“Eli and I went back over everything,” she continues. “Timeline, access points, motive. And honestly? Dean Holloway doesn’t fit as cleanly as we thought.”That gets Carter

ELII woke up before my alarm and stared at the ceiling for a full minute, then I rolled out of bed like the day hadn’t already started chasing me. Outside my window, everything looked normal. The other tenants were walking out as usual, one was even walking their dog. No one looked like they were waiting for the floor to collapse beneath them.I showered, dressed, and checked my phone. I had no missed calls, no emails with ominous subject lines. Nothing from the ethics board and nothing from Carter.That should’ve been comforting. Instead, it made the silence louder.By the time I got to my first lecture, my mind was already elsewhere. I took notes slowly, my pen moving while my thoughts spiraled. I stopped when I caught myself writing the same phrase twice and scratched it out harder than necessary. That was when I noticed the professor was talking about institutional accountability, ironic enough that I almost laughed.Almost.Maya slid into the seat beside me halfway through the l

ELIMy phone rang as I finished up the dishes.Carter’s name flashed across the screen and I froze, I was alone and probably unprepared for whatever he was about to say.I answered anyway. “Uhm, this is new. Please tell me there's no problem.”“Not yet” his voice was cold “Are you on your way in?”“Nope, not at all” even though I felt the urge to lie that I was on my way. “Well hurry. I need you and Maya in my office immediately. The minute you step onto campus”I was confused“That serious?”“Yes”“Got it. I’ll go grab Maya” I don't think he waited for me to finish talking before he ended the call.I hurriedly packed my things. Good thing I was showered and dressed up.I texted Maya to meet at the bus stop and made sure to text in all caps so she knew it was important.I got to the bus stop before Maya, thankfully, I was early and the bus hadn't arrived yet.It didn't take long before I sighted her and started waving frantically like a maniac.“I got your text” she stared at me.“C