Chapter 140
140 Emma Gets Framed
Just then, a text popped up on Alice’s phone.
“I’m a classmate of Emma’s. She’s in danger. Please help her.”
Alice frowned as she read the message.
It reeked of another one of Irene’s schemes.
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Just yesterday, Irene had stormed off in defeat. Word was, she had barely made it back to the old mansion before pulling every string she could to find help.
But the truth behind Matt and Josh’s involvement had been carefully hidden. No one could get any information.
In her desperation, Irene fell ill before dawn.
Now, the family doctor couldn’t leave her bedside.
Alice had thought that might buy her a few days of peace.
But clearly, Irene wasn’t done yet. Even bedridden, she had found a way to drag Emma into her mess.
Alice ignored the first text but couldn’t quite shake the worry.
She tried calling Emma again, only to find the line still unreachable.
A few minutes later, a second message came through. The sender had probably grown impatient.
“I get it; you probably think I’m lying. But if you log onto our university’s website right now, you’ll see I’m telling the truth.”
Alice didn’t plan on wasting her time.
But Eric had just finished his meal and needed to rest quietly for a while, so she figured–why not?
She opened her laptop and browsed the homepage of Riverview University.
There it was, right at the top: a disciplinary notice against a student.
Alice’s stomach turned. She thought of that text message and had a bad feeling about this.
She clicked it open and found Emma’s name listed as the offender.
The punishment was anything but light.
Expulsion, and they were pressing charges.
The accusations? Assaulting a professor and driving a classmate to attempt suicide.
Alice frowned. Emma had never struck her as the kind of girl who’d bully someone.
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09:12 F1 ,
140 Emma Gets Framed
“I’m not going to the office today,” Alice said, snapping the laptop shut. “I’m heading to Riverview University.”
She grabbed her keys from the entryway.
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Eric was still busy handling issues with the fashion department, so going with her was out of the question. He glanced over at Daniel.
“I’ll drive you, Mrs. Nolan,” Daniel offered before she even had to ask.
Alice didn’t argue and tossed him the keys.
She added, “Mr. Eric, since you’ve got time on your hands, help me dig into this professor’s background.”
Before he could protest, she fired off a message with the professor’s name.
“I want everything–no detail left out.”
Before Eric could reply, she was already out the door.
On the way to Riverview University, Eric sent her a message.
Professor Nelson Clem was a renowned expert in biomedical engineering–one of the most influential researchers in the country.
He was currently a postgraduate mentor at Riverview University, and when he joined the faculty, he had brought a major research project with him.
That gave him a serious pull on campus.
Alice read through his profile and let out a cold laugh as she stepped through the university gates.
Security guards were posted at the entrance, but as long as you weren’t driving in, they usually wouldn’t bother you.
She walked straight through without a hitch,
Inside the chancellor’s office.
Nelson sat on the couch, his face tight with anger.
Beside him stood a young woman, Pandora Robson, gently rubbing his back while holding a cup.
“You’re too kind, Pandora,” Nelson / grumbled. “If it were up to me, this wouldn’t end here.”
He sneered toward the doorway, where Emma stood.
She looked fragile, barely dressed for the cold. Her exposed wrists bore fresh scrapes and bruises.
Even when she was juggling part–time jobs to keep her family afloat while her father clung to life, she had never looked this defeated
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09:12 Fri, 11 Jul
140 Emma Gets Framed
Now, her eyes were blank. The sparkle was gone.
She stood there like a ghost–merely a hollow shell of her past self.
Byron Reese, the chancellor, let out a heavy sigh.
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“I was away on business for just a few days. When I got back, the statement had already gone public. Emma nearly took her own life. If I hadn’t happened to be nearby… ” his voice trailed off.
Nelson’s expression hardened.
“Mr. Reese, I have to disagree with your sympathy.”
He had research projects to his name. Even if Riverview University dropped him tomorrow, other institutions would line up for his work.
And if not as a professor, he could still make a fortune from the projects alone.
He wasn’t about to sacrifice his pride for something as trivial as a paycheck.
Even speaking to the chancellor, he showed no respect.
“For all we know, Emma staged the whole thing, just knowing you’d pass by.
“Otherwise, why didn’t she die?
“If she really was innocent, if she really was framed, then she should’ve proved it–with her life!”
Emma stood there, completely still. It was as though the humiliation didn’t reach her at all.
It was as if none of it mattered.
Byron slammed his hand on the desk.
“Nelson, what the hell is wrong with you? She’s just a kid! That’s a cruel and unfair thing to say.”
Nelson just laughed, cold and dismissive.
“Unfair to her? And who’s being fair to Pandora?
“They share a dorm room. They’re supposed to be learning from each other, supporting each other.
“But Emma? She envied Pandora for her looks and for her grades.”
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