Adrian stood in the surveillance room, his arms crossed as the video played on the large monitor. Beside him, Marcus clenched his fists, his frustration visible. On the screen, the footage showed Mia discreetly handing an envelope of cash to one of the university workers near the climbing wall.
Adrian’s face was unreadable, but his eyes were cold as ice. “There it is,” he said, his voice low and controlled. “Proof of her involvement. She bribed the worker to tamper with the rope.”
Marcus nodded sharply. “This isn’t just petty behavior; it’s dangerous. She put Elena’s life at risk. We can’t let this slide.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Call her in. Now.”
A few minutes later, Mia walked into the room, her confidence radiating as if she had nothing to fear. She wore a smug smirk, her head held high, but her demeanor shifted slightly when she saw the grim expressions on Adrian and Marcus’s faces.
“Professor Adrian, Professor Marcus,” she began sweetly. “What’s this about?”
Adrian wasted no time. He pointed to the monitor, his tone icy. “Care to explain this, Mia?”
She turned to the screen, her smirk faltering as the footage played. The video clearly showed her slipping the worker an envelope of cash. Her face blanched for a split second, but she quickly recovered, plastering on a look of mock confusion.
“I don’t see how this proves anything,” she said, shrugging. “So what if I gave someone money? Maybe I was just helping them out.”
Marcus stepped forward, his voice sharp with frustration. “Helping them out? Don’t insult our intelligence, Mia. The timing is too convenient. Right after this exchange, the rope Elena used was tampered with. Do you really think we’re that gullible?”
Mia’s eyes darted between the two professors, her mind racing for an excuse. Her voice rose defensively. “This is ridiculous! You’re accusing me without solid evidence. I wasn’t the one who touched the ropes!”
Adrian’s cold glare cut through her defiance. “But you orchestrated it. You bribed someone to do your dirty work, thinking you could walk away clean.”
Mia’s facade began to crumble, but instead of apologizing, she lashed out, her voice filled with venom. “Why do you even care? It’s always about Elena, isn’t it? She gets special treatment, and everyone acts like she’s perfect! You’re the ones being unfair!”
Adrian’s anger flared. He took a step closer, his voice a low growl. “This has nothing to do with favoritism and everything to do with your reckless, selfish actions. You risked a student’s life, Mia. This isn’t a game.”
Mia’s face twisted with frustration and jealousy. “Oh, please! Everyone here knows you’ve been coddling Elena since day one. It’s obvious you like her more than the rest of us!”
Marcus slammed his hand on the desk, making Mia jump. “Enough, Mia! This isn’t about favoritism; it’s about accountability. You crossed the line.”
As the tension in the room escalated, Andrew and Gabriel entered, both looking grave. Andrew held a flash drive in his hand, which he inserted into the computer.
“We thought you might want to see this as well,” Gabriel said, his voice cool and measured.
The new footage played on the screen, showing Mia and her gang cornering Elena near the university pool. The girls were laughing as they tied Elena’s wrists with ropes and pushed her into the water. The image of Elena struggling to free herself while the group mocked her was unmistakable.
Mia’s confidence shattered as the footage ended. Her eyes darted to Adrian, Marcus, Andrew, and Gabriel, all of whom were looking at her with varying degrees of anger and disappointment.
“Care to explain this?” Andrew asked, his voice calm but laced with disapproval.
Mia’s lips trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. “I-I didn’t mean for it to go that far,” she stammered, her voice breaking. “It was just a prank. We didn’t think she’d…..”
“A prank?” Adrian interrupted, his voice cutting through her excuses like a blade. “You call tying someone up and throwing them into a pool a prank? What if something had happened to her? Do you even understand the consequences of your actions?”
Gabriel’s usually stoic face showed a flicker of anger. “This isn’t just about Elena anymore, Mia. Your behavior has crossed into dangerous territory. You’ve endangered another student, humiliated her, and disrupted the integrity of this institution.”
Mia’s tears spilled over, but her desperation turned into defiance once again. “You’re all against me! You’re treating me like a criminal while Elena gets away with everything!”
Andrew sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This isn’t about taking sides, Mia. It’s about consequences. And you’re going to face them.”
Mia sank into a chair, her hands shaking as the weight of the situation hit her. The shame, the anger, and the fear of what would come next overwhelmed her. For the first time, her usual bravado was gone, replaced by the realization that she couldn’t talk her way out of this.
Adrian turned to Marcus. “We need to report this to the administration. Let them handle the disciplinary action.”
Marcus nodded. “Agreed. This has gone far beyond anything we can resolve here.”
Adrian looked back at Mia, his expression cold. “I hope you understand, Mia, that your actions have consequences. This isn’t just about a punishment; it’s about taking responsibility for what you’ve done.”
As Mia sat silently, tears streaming down her face, the room fell into an uneasy silence. The weight of her choices was finally catching up to her, and there was no escape from the truth.