Chapter 185
185 The Verdict
Aubrey’s POV
10 Pearls
“Enough! Stop making a scene–haven’t you embarrassed us enough already?!” my father barked at Aurelia, his face dark.
Jax! You’re just going to stand there and watc
but isn’t Bailey too?!”
bully Bailey? Aubrey’s your daughter,
Aurelia’s expression twisted with outrage. “The way Aubrey’s acting today, she clearly doesn’t see us as a family! Even if she wants to keep researching this topic, there was no need to expose Bailey. When the final product comes out, she could just say it was a joint project between the sisters. But no–she’s so selfish that she’d rather crush Bailey completely just to be the only one in the spotlight!”
Her argument sounded reasonable to the unthinking, but it was laughable–apparently, not covering for Bailey was now some unforgivable sin.
Before I could even respond, the academic dean’s patience snapped. His round face hardened.
“Ma’am, that’s not how this works. How you raise your children is your business, but theft is something the school will always punish. And Aubrey’s exam is extremely important–she’s the first omega to attempt jumping straight into a graduate program at eighteen, and the school only gave her one chance. If she fails now, there won’t be another.”
Then his mouth curled in a faint, mocking smile.
“I understand that as parents, you want all your children to succeed. But if Aubrey covered for Bailey, this research would legally become Bailey’s property. Her mentor would help her complete it, the school would back her patent application, and from then on, if Aubrey tried to work on it again without handing over the full, completed formula, she’d be accused of infringement.”
Half truth, half bluff–but enough to scare those who didn’t understand the details.
Several of the onlookers burst into laughter.
“That’s hilarious–give the finished product to a thief, let her get famous, and end nothing but a reputation for stealing from your sister? Who’d be that stupid?”
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“Exactly. Why should Aubrey have to sacrifice her own interests for her sister? If you ask me, that woman’s definitely a stepmother. I bet she’s been mistreating Aubrey for years.”
I stood by, calm and detached, watching it all unfold. After today, Aurelia and Bailey would find it nearly impossible to stay in Shadowmoon Pack.
News of my research would spread quickly–everyone would know I was on the verge of producing an advanced healing potion for the northern wolf clans. But just as widely spread
12
Tue, 2 Sept
185 The Verdict
would be the fact that Bailey had almost stolen it. In Shadowmoon Pack, she’d be trapped with no escape except one: leave the pack and run to the mysterious benefactor she and Aurelia served.
And when she did… I’d finally learn who was pulling their strings. The thought sent a thrill through me.
I turned to the dean. “Director, given Bailey’s offense, what will the school’s punishment be?”
“Aubrey!! You wouldn’t dare!!”
Realizing what I meant to do, Aurelia stepped toward me, eyes blazing.
“I dare,” I said sweetly, my tone sharp enough to cut.
“Bailey stole from me. Based on the value of what she took, if I sent her to the wolf guard, she’d never recover. But I’m a kind person. As long as she withdraws from school and never shows her face to me again, I won’t call the authorities.”
The dean weighed the situation for only a moment before delivering his verdict.
“That’s right. Our school cannot keep someone like this–not only did she steal, she turned around and tried to slander her victim. This is a serious character flaw.”
“Bailey, you’re expelled!”