All Chapters of The Nerd and the Hockey King : Chapter 21 - Chapter 24

The word echoed in Lila’s mind.Suspension.It didn’t feel real.Not after everything.Not after what she had already been through.“This is insane,” Lucas said, grabbing the phone from the table. “They can’t just”“They can,” Vanessa cut in calmly.All eyes turned to her.“And they will,” she added.Ethan’s jaw tightened.“This is because of Carter.”Vanessa gave a small shrug.“Partly.”Lila’s chest tightened.“What do you mean partly?”Vanessa stepped closer.Her voice lowered.“Once something becomes public,” she said, “people don’t care about the truth anymore.”A pause.“They care about control.”Silence.Lila swallowed hard.“So they’re going to blame me,” she said.Vanessa didn’t answer.She didn’t need to.Ethan stepped forward.“No. That’s not happening.”Lila let out a soft breath.Tired.Overwhelmed.“You don’t get to say that like you can fix it,” she said.Ethan’s expression shifted.“I can help,” he said.“How?” she asked.Silence.Because that was the problem.Lucas st

Lila’s hand stayed on the door handle, but she didn’t push it open.Inside, Professor Carter’s voice was too calm.“There’s no need to hear her side.”Something in her chest tightened. No fear this time. Something sharper. Anger.So that was it.They had already decided.She glanced back at Ethan, Lucas, and Vanessa. No one spoke, but the message was clear in their eyes. This was the moment.Lila exhaled slowly, steadied herself, and pushed the door open.The room fell quiet almost instantly.Rows of faculty members sat behind a long table, their expressions unreadable. Some looked uncomfortable. Others looked bored. A few didn’t even bother to hide their judgment.At the center sat Professor Carter.Composed. Unshaken. Like none of this surprised him.Lila stepped inside.“I believe you were about to make a decision without me,” she said.Her voice didn’t shake.That alone shifted the room.One of the administrators cleared his throat. “Miss Bennett, this hearing was scheduled”“And