Chapter 161

Inside the monitoring room, Salma’s aged face was a mask of astonishment as she gazed at Juniper’s exam paper. She had tried to brace herself, but seeing the results with her own eyes was still a profound shock.
Not only had Juniper finished early, but she had achieved a perfect score. In all her years as principal, Salma had never encountered a student with such raw talent.
But then… why had Juniper’s guardian, Saskia, claimed she had only completed her freshman year of high school? How could a student with that level of education get a perfect score? It was simply mind-boggling.
Unable to contain her excitement, Salma shot to her feet. She turned to the man beside her, who watched with a gentle smile playing on his lips. “Mr. Schwartz, the exam is over. Shall we go see her?”
“The situation has been resolved, so I’ll stay here,” Shanley replied, his tone placid as he inclined his head. “Just have Juniper come by when everything is wrapped up.”
The girl had proven her innocence on her own merits, and she clearly wasn’t one to suffer an injustice quietly. His presence wasn’t necessary.
“Of course,” Salma said with a composed smile. “Please, make yourself comfortable, Mr. Schwartz.”
Shanley gave a slight nod. As soon as Salma had left, his gaze drifted back to the monitor, landing once again on the girl in the corner. She stood with her hands by her sides, as quiet and still as a cat.
A dance prodigy. A jewelry designer. An academic genius…
Shanley’s eyes narrowed, a sly, languid smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. The interest gleaming in his gaze was unmistakable. Beyond all that, just how many other secrets was she hiding?
…
In the administrative office, the two exams had been graded and the scores tallied. To ensure there were no errors, the Dean and the other teachers present had double-checked everything. The result was unchanged.
A perfect score!
The teachers glanced at the girl, whose expression remained calm and composed, and a wave of embarrassment washed over them. No one knew what to say to break the thick, awkward silence.
Just as the tension became unbearable, footsteps echoed from the doorway. Salma pushed the door open to find more than a dozen teachers huddled together in a somber group, guftily stealing glances at the girl in the corner. No one dared to be the first to speak.
“Salma, you’re back!” Seeing her, the Dean rushed forward as if he’d found a savior,
his expression a mixture of relief and shame.
Salma shot him a stern, reproachful look before saying a word.
“She… I…
welly
“the Dean
stammered, wanting to explain but finding himself at a loss for words He knew he had handled the
situation rashly But who could have predicted the girl was some kind of prodigy, acing the test like it was nothing? You couldn’t really blame him for being suspicious.
Ignoring the Dean, Salma walked straight over to Juniper, her voice warm. “Juniper.”
“Yes,” Juniper replied, immediately straightening up with polite respect.
“I know what happened today. I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” Salma said, her eyes fixed on the girl’s face, unwilling to look away for even a second.
“It’s true that I never went past my freshman year, so it’s normal for the teachers to be suspicious,” Juniper said with a slight pout, looking more annoyed than angry. “Besides
She paused for a moment, her lips pursing slightly before she added unhurriedly, “After all, a perfect score isn’t exactly easy to come by.”
The other teachers collectively held their breath, feeling as if they might faint. Her casual tone, her nonchalant expression, her breez explanation… It felt less like a
defense and more like a deliberate,
resounding slap in their faces.
“It certainly is rare,” Salma agreed, a bead of sweat forming on her brow. She
pressed gently, “But I recall you only completed your freshman year.”