Chapter 86

Early the next morning, sunlight filtered through the ginkgo trees at an angle, scattering across the asphalt like fragments of gold.

Elena's Audi rolled slowly along the tree-lined campus road before stopping near the main auditorium.

She was having unusually good luck this morning.

She had actually found a parking spot above ground.

It was still a bit of a walk from her classroom, but that was nothing compared to the time she would waste driving into the underground garage and making her way back out again. Surface parking on campus was almost always full, and whenever a space opened up, someone usually grabbed it within minutes.

Elena quickly parked, picked up her bag, and headed to class.

By the time she finished two painfully dull lectures, it was almost noon.

She stopped by her dorm afterward, packed up a few more personal belongings, and carried them back to the car.

She had just closed the trunk when a large group of students came down the tree-lined road. Most seemed to be from the business and mathematics departments, probably just getting out of a large lecture.

Among the crowd, Elena spotted Victoria and Adrian.

They were walking near the back.

Victoria looked as polished and elegant as ever. Adrian, on the other hand, looked exhausted. His shirt was neatly pressed, but dark circles shadowed his eyes. Clearly, he hadn't slept much the night before.

The two had been talking when Victoria noticed Elena first.

Her expression darkened.

Adrian followed her gaze, and his face hardened as well.

Victoria frowned and walked over. She stopped in front of Elena, glanced at the Audi, then back at her.

"Elena, I really wish you wouldn't do this."

Elena blinked.

Then she looked at her car.

"I'm in a parking space."

Victoria fell silent for a second.

"That's not what I'm talking about." Her expression cooled. "People eventually answer for what they do. You know exactly what you've done. Ryan was wrong yesterday, but you already had him beaten. That should have been the end of it. If you take things too far, sooner or later there will be consequences."

She was talking about Ryan's legs.

Elena stared at her for a moment before finally understanding.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

She folded her arms and glanced around.

Most of the students had already moved on, but a few had deliberately slowed down. One or two were pretending to check their phones while clearly listening.

Elena looked back at Victoria.

"Although, now that you mention consequences, there is someone standing right here who was taken away by the police yesterday."

Adrian's face immediately darkened.

Elena deliberately raised her voice.

"Why don't you ask this brilliant, morally upright genius what kind of consequences come with being investigated over an illegally accessed government computer system?"

The nearby students erupted into whispers.

"You—"

Adrian's face turned livid.

"Elena!" he snapped. "Stop making accusations you know nothing about! Yesterday was nothing more than a procedural misunderstanding. I gave my statement and was released. I wasn't involved in any criminal activity!"

His voice grew louder, clearly intended for the students listening nearby.

"If I'd actually done something wrong, would I be standing here right now? Do you really think they would've released me that quickly?"

The students a short distance away began whispering among themselves.

"Oh. A misunderstanding."

Elena nodded with obvious disinterest.

"Fine. Whatever. Is that all? Because I have somewhere to be."

Adrian no longer dared raise his voice. The last thing he wanted was for Elena to announce something even more damaging in front of half the campus.

"Elena," he said in a low voice, "Ryan is the Foster family's only son. His family has deep roots and connections everywhere. You had your people beat him like that yesterday. Do you really think the Foster family is going to let this go?"

His expression turned cold.

"When they come after you, you and that old man behind you won't even know what hit you."

Elena raised an eyebrow.

"Doesn't Ryan have an older sister?"

Adrian stiffened.

"So what exactly is that supposed to mean? That because she's a daughter, she doesn't count?"

Elena gave him a pointed look.

"By that logic, if someone only has daughters, would you say they have no children at all?"

Victoria's face went cold.

Adrian immediately realized what he had just said.

"Stop twisting my words—"

A deep horn cut him off.

Everyone turned.

A black Maybach S680 glided to a stop at the side of the road, its presence understated but unmistakably expensive.

The door opened.

A middle-aged man in a black suit hurried out, carrying an exquisite rosewood box in both hands.

Victoria recognized him immediately.

The Foster family's butler.

Adrian had no idea who the man was and merely watched him approach.

The butler carried the heavy wooden box straight toward them.

Then he stopped in front of Elena.

And bowed.

A full ninety degrees.

The gesture was so formal—and so deeply deferential—that there was almost something anxious about it.

"Miss Hayes."

His voice was exceptionally respectful.

"I'm the butler of the Foster family. I came today on behalf of Mr. Foster's elder sister to offer you our family's sincerest apology."

The cold sneer on Adrian's face froze.

His lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. After everything he had just said, the expression on his face was almost comical.

Victoria stared at the man in disbelief.

The butler carefully presented the rosewood box to Elena.

"Miss Hayes, Mr. Foster's sister asked me to tell you that she deeply regrets failing to keep her younger brother under control and allowing him to behave in such an unacceptable manner."

His voice grew even more careful.

"This is a personal letter of apology from her. As for what's inside... it's a set of antique ruby jewelry dating back to the late imperial period. She hopes you'll accept it as a small gesture of apology for the distress Mr. Foster caused you."

He carefully opened the box.

Under the brilliant midday sun, an entire set of antique ruby jewelry gleamed against the lining—a necklace, matching earrings, and a bracelet.

The rubies were a vivid pigeon-blood red, set in intricate antique filigree work. Even the students who knew nothing about fine jewelry could tell at a glance that the set was extraordinarily valuable.

It looked less like an apology gift and more like something that belonged behind glass at a major auction house.

The butler lowered his head again.

"This is only a small token of our sincerity. If Miss Hayes is willing, Mr. Foster's sister would like to visit you personally and apologize in person."

He paused.

"And when she does, she intends to bring additional gifts."