Chapter 39
Andrew wore a proud expression, and his words sent the students of Argrol University into another uproar.
Everyone knew that the Lewis family, mentioned by Sharon, was at the top of the four major families in Seacrity. In Seacrity, the Lewis family was practically a household name.
Their enterprises spanned the entire country, and rumors suggested they were also planning to expand overseas this year. The fact that such a colossal family was being belittled by Andrew, who seemed to have appeared from nowhere, struck some as dangerous; a few wondered if Andrew had just sealed his own fate by offending the Lewis family.
quite foolish.
There was a sense of pity for Andrew among the crowd. They felt that although he was handsome, he was o Andrew, noticing the sympathetic glances directed at him, was utterly confused.
He believed he hadn’t said anything wrong. To him, the Lewis family and the Sullivan family were nothing significant. In his eyes, these two families barely qualified as third–rate in Betrico, and he didn’t regard them at all. In Jeremiah’s eyes, these families were as weak as ants.
Andrew’s sister Samantha ran a small business but still had assets far exceeding those of the Lewis family. Of course, the students at Argrol University had no idea of Andrew’s thoughts; to them, the Lewis family seemed an unattainable existence. Yvette, who had remained silent, slowly lifted her head, her eyes darkening and her face devoid of expression. She glanced at Sharon and said slowly, “Apologize, or else the Sullivan family will go bankrupt and disappear in Seacrity within an hour.”
Sharon froze for a few seconds before scoffing dismissively. “Yvette, stop talking big. You think you have what it takes to make the Sullivan family go bankrupt and disappear? Ha! I’ll be right here to see how you do that.”
Jeremiah, standing beside Yvette, had not spoken until then, but no one dared ignore his presence. He retrieved his phone and spoke in a cold, deep voice, “Ensure the Sullivan family goes bankrupt within half an hour.”
Sharon looked up at Jeremiah in disbelief, a sense of panic creeping into her heart. Jeremiah truly seemed unlike an ordinary person, but she didn’t believe he could bring down the Sullivan family in just half an hour.
At that moment,
someone in the crowd said. “I know him; this guy is a librarian here.”
Everyone fell silent again, surprised that this seemingly noble and powerful man was actually just a librarian. They couldn’t understand how a librarian could make such grand claims.
Some boys, who were already jealous of how Jeremiah attracted the girls‘ attention, seized this opportunity to mock him. “A mere librarian dares to talk big
“Right? And he says he’ll inake the Sullivan family go bankrupt
“He’s just boasting. I thought he was some big deal.
The girls, however, remained unfazed; they hoped that at a critical moment like this, they’d have a guy willing to stand up for them, even if he was just a librarian.
“Hey, you guys are just way too jealous. What’s wrong with being a librarian? Look at how he’s defending this girl! Can any of you do that?
Yeah, exactly!
The auditorium was now in complete chaos, with everyone shouting. That was what Simon saw when he arrived at the auditorium.
In front of the auditorium stage, the crowd had split into two groups. One group was led by the arrogant Sharon, will.
Winona, Victor, and Patrick standing beside her.
Facing them was another group led by Yvette, which included two men; Simon didn’t recognize them, but he could tell they were not ordinary people. There was also a boy and a girl he couldn’t name. To Simon’s surprise, he spotted Tobias. Tobias. usually avoided getting involved in things, and Simon wondered why he was here.
“Mr. Sunderland is here, someone announced as they turned to see Simon standing at the entrance. The previously raucous auditorium fell silent instantly.
Simon had barely been on campus for the past year, except for a few major events. Now that he suddenly appeared, everyone was taken aback and greeted him. Simon acknowledged them with nods.
Patrick quickly stepped forward, eager to please Simon. “Mr. Sunderland, what brings you here? Didn’t you have a meeting this morning?”
With a serious expression and an air of cultured elegance about him, Simon responded to Patrick’s flattery with indifference. “The meeting finished early. I heard there was a speech contest today, so I thought I would come by and take a look. Has the competition concluded?”
It seemed he was asking Patrick, but his gaze slipped toward Tobias. Tobias avoided Simon’s eyes and lowered his gaze. Disappointed, Simon redirected his attention, understanding that Tobias still hadn’t put his concerns to rest.
Next, Simon’s eyes landed on Yvette and Jeremiah. Their striking appearances and distinct presence made them impossible to be ignored. Among the crowd, Simon’s eyes were drawn instantly to the two of them.
Yvette had a cold elegance, her rebellious spirit evident in her eyes. Jeremiah was sharp and reserved, exuding an air of nobility. Simon had encountered many people, but none made him feel a sense of danger simply by standing there like Jeremiah did.
Patrick wanted to say something, but Tobias spoke up first. “Ms. Zeller from our department won, but Ms. Sullivan from the Frixyia department wants to back out and won’t apologize to Ms. Zeller.
Patrick’s face darkened, having been interrupted, and he reprimanded Tobias sharply. “Mr. Sunderland, I’m still here; what are you butting in for?”
Upon hearing Patrick chastise Tobias, Simon gave Patrick a displeased look. However, Patrick was too caught up in scolding Tobias to notice Simon’s expression.
“Is what Mr. Sunderland said true?” Simon asked.
With all eyes on him, Patrick couldn’t lie and could only nod. “Yes, But Ms. Zeller threatened Sharon, saying she would bankrupt the Sullivan family. The man next to her is a librarian here, and he just helped Yvette threaten Sharon. People like him don’t belong at Argrol University; they’ll corrupt the students.”
Simon turned to Yvette after hearing Patrick’s statement. “Ms. Zeller, do you have any explanation?”
Yvette stood nonchalantly, her gaze unfettered and her demeanor haughty. Even in front of Simon, she remained casual, a trait that earned her admiration from the students at Argrol University for her composure.
“I was speaking the truth, not making a threat, she replied.
As Sharon noticed Simon’s presence, she realized the situation was beyond salvaging. Patrick was in a different league than Simon, their power and status were too disparate. Sharon felt emboldened to act defiantly in front of Patrick, but she wouldn’t dare do so in front of Simon.
Yvette’s words were clearly intended to inform everyone that her threat to bankrupt the Sullivan family was not a mere bluff.
Simon had probably pieced together the situation. He glanced at Sharon, and in doing so, he noticed Winona and Victor, who both instinctively took a step back.
They didn’t dare speak in front of Simon; Victor had just gotten scolded by Simon and then reprimanded by his grandfather, making him wary of attracting Simon’s ire again.
Sharon instinctively lowered her head, as if she wasn’t the aggressive person who had just refused to apologize.
“Ms. Sullivan, you must accept the consequences. The first rule of campus is honesty and integrity; apologize,” said Simon.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Just then, Sharon’s phone rang from her bag. A wave of panic filled the faces of the onlookers as they recalled Jeremiah’s words.
The timing of the call was suspicious. Several people glanced at their watches; it had been exactly half an hour, not a minute off. In a flurry, Sharon picked up the phone.