All eyes turned toward the source of the voice.
"Sorry for being late."
The man walked in calmly, each step measured as he crossed the student council hall without the slightest hint of urgency.
Yet somehow—
The atmosphere shifted with him.
The noisy murmurs that had filled the hall moments ago died almost instantly, swallowed by an invisible pressure that settled over the room.
His presence was quiet.
But overwhelming.
Sharp black eyes swept across the hall once before stopping briefly on Kim.
And for the first time since the trial began—
The rigid tension in her shoulders loosened.
The Chancellor stood.
So did Richard Mackenzie.
A subtle action.
But one loud enough to stun the students watching.
Lynn's eyes narrowed immediately.
What…?
Her father was not a man who stood for people lightly.
Especially not instinctively.
Yet there he was.
Straight-backed.
Respectful.
The unfamiliar sight unsettled her more than she cared to admit.
The man finally stopped before the council platform, his dark coat falling neatly around him as he slipped one hand into his pocket.
"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Woods," Chancellor Von Vanguard said carefully.
Anderson Woods inclined his head once.
"Apologies," he replied smoothly. "It appears I arrived after the entertainment began."
A few nervous chuckles escaped the students.
Nobody else laughed.
Not even the board members.
Lynn watched everything carefully.
Every expression.
Every movement.
Every shift in atmosphere.
And for the first time since entering Aurikon Academy—
She realized there were levels to power she had yet to touch.
---
The discussion that followed no longer felt like a disciplinary meeting.
It felt like a battlefield hidden beneath polished words.
Richard Mackenzie attempted to nullify the punishment almost immediately.
"She acted under emotional provocation," he stated firmly, glancing toward Lynn briefly. "Context should matter."
Lynn remembered feeling relieved then.
Of course her father would defend her.
But Anderson Woods merely leaned back in his chair calmly.
"And yet," he replied evenly, "she still raised her hand inside a council chamber."
Silence.
No raised voice.
No aggression.
Just facts delivered with enough weight to suppress rebuttal.
"Rules exist precisely because emotions are unreliable," he continued. "Or would the Mackenzie family prefer selective law?"
That sentence cornered the room instantly.
Even Richard Mackenzie paused.
Because no matter how powerful the Mackenzies were—
The Woods family existed somewhere else entirely.
Anderson never once sounded angry.
That was the terrifying part.
He controlled the room effortlessly.
Like someone accustomed to people listening.
Like someone accustomed to winning.
In the end—
The punishment remained.
Equal for both parties.
No exceptions.
No favoritism.
And somehow, that outcome shook the students even more than the revelation of Kim's identity.
---
Though the verdict had ended over an hour ago, Aurikon Academy still buzzed with restless energy.
Students filled the corridors in clusters, whispers spreading faster than wildfire.
"I still can't believe Kim Cross is Anderson Woods' daughter…"
"No wonder she wasn't scared of Lynn."
"I heard Mr. Mackenzie actually tried to defend his daughter."
"No, no—you heard wrong. Mr. Woods insisted the punishment stay equal."
"That pressure in the room was insane…"
"Even Chancellor Von Vanguard looked careful around him."
The academy had not seen excitement like this in years.
Connections.
Power.
Influence.
The student council had barely begun, yet the hierarchy inside Aurikon Academy was already shifting.
And the people at the center of it all—
Were surprisingly calm.
---
"I honestly did not expect that."
Kim turned toward the voice.
Kacy sat comfortably beside the window of their private study room, one leg crossed over the other as she flipped lazily through the pages of a book.
Like the chaos earlier had nothing to do with her.
Like the revelation shaking the academy wasn't connected to her at all.
Sunlight spilled across her features softly, outlining the quiet elegance she carried so naturally.
Kim stared for a moment before exhaling heavily.
"You knew he would come?"
Kacy turned another page calmly.
"I knew he wouldn't leave you alone."
Kim's throat tightened.
That simple sentence alone nearly shattered the composure she'd struggled to maintain since the trial ended.
"I told you before," Kacy continued softly, finally lifting her eyes toward her. "You're like a sister to me."
Kim looked away quickly.
"And don't forget," Kacy added with a faint smile, "Mother made you her goddaughter long ago."
The room fell silent.
Not awkward.
Just warm.
Kim lowered her head briefly before laughing weakly.
"You make it sound so simple."
Kacy hummed lightly.
"Isn't it?"
"But…"
Kim hesitated.
The fear from earlier still lingered in her chest.
The humiliation.
The panic.
The terrifying realization that everyone would discover who she was.
"Also," Kacy interrupted casually, "what kind of sister would I be if I allowed you to carry punishment alone for something that wasn't your fault?"
Kim froze.
Then her eyes watered instantly.
Idiot.
Why did this girl always say things so naturally?
Before she could stop herself, she walked forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Kacy.
"Thank you…"
Her voice cracked slightly.
"Thank you so much."
Kacy giggled softly.
The sound was light.
Gentle.
Almost childish.
Her arms slowly wrapped around Kim in return.
"Always remember," she murmured quietly, "I have your back, sister."
Kim shut her eyes tightly.
For a moment—
The pressure from the academy disappeared completely.
---
Meanwhile—
Lynn Mackenzie stood alone beside the corridor window, arms folded tightly as sunlight stretched long shadows across the marble floor.
The whispers around her blurred into background noise.
Her mind remained trapped inside that hall.
Inside that moment.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Sorry for being late."
That voice replayed endlessly in her mind.
Calm.
Steady.
Controlled.
She remembered the exact moment Anderson Woods entered.
The way Chancellor Von Vanguard immediately straightened.
The way her father rose instinctively.
Respect.
No.
Reverence.
Anderson Woods walked into the hall like the air itself moved aside for him.
No arrogance.
No visible intimidation.
Yet the pressure he carried swallowed the room effortlessly.
Lynn's fingers tightened slightly.
She remembered his eyes sweeping across the council members.
Cold.
Measured.
Sharp enough to dissect intentions without asking questions.
Then—
His gaze landed on Kim.
And softened.
Only slightly.
But enough for her to notice.
Enough to unsettle her.
Lynn bit lightly against the inside of her cheek.
What bothered her wasn't the punishment.
It wasn't even Kim.
No.
It was the realization that from the beginning—
Nobody in that room had truly been looking at Kim Cross.
They had been looking at Anderson Woods' daughter.
And somehow…
Kacy had known all along.
A memory surfaced quietly.
The rose garden.
Kacy laying carelessly on the grass beneath the sun, eyes half closed, expression serene as though the world itself could collapse and she still wouldn't move.
"You're like the big sister I never had…"
Lynn's gaze darkened slightly.
No.
That wasn't ordinary closeness anymore.
Not after today.
And the more she thought about it—
The more suspicious everything became.
Kim Cross.
Kacy Woods.
Anderson Woods.
The sudden reinstatement of the student council.
The timing.
The carefully selected names.
It all felt connected somehow.
Like invisible pieces moving toward a conclusion only a few people understood.
And she hated not knowing.
A slow smile curved onto her lips despite herself.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
---
Meanwhile—
Colton dropped dramatically onto the couch inside Kaiden's room, one arm thrown lazily over his eyes.
"I honestly did not expect that."
Kaiden sat near the large window, one leg crossed over the other as he flipped through a document with practiced indifference.
"You've repeated that several times."
"Because it deserves repetition!" Colton shot upright immediately. "Kim Cross? Anderson Woods' daughter? Do you understand how ridiculous that sounds?"
Kaiden turned another page calmly.
"You're loud."
"And you're suspiciously calm."
No response.
Colton narrowed his eyes immediately.
Then suddenly pointed.
"Ohhh."
Kaiden didn't look up.
"That expression means nothing good."
"You knew."
Silence.
"You definitely knew something."
Kaiden finally lifted his gaze.
"I suspected."
Colton gasped dramatically.
"Aha!"
"Their interactions made it obvious."
Colton blinked.
"…Their interactions?"
"Kacy trusts her."
The answer came too naturally.
Too quickly.
And Colton caught it immediately.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"Oh my God."
Kaiden frowned slightly.
"What?"
"My baby is actually from a terrifying family."
Kaiden's expression flattened instantly.
"Your baby?"
Colton leaned back proudly.
"Yes. My future emotional support person."
"She doesn't even like you."
"That has never stopped me before."
Kaiden sighed softly and returned his attention to the document in his hands.
But Colton wasn't done.
"No seriously," he continued, voice quieter now. "Did you see the way Anderson controlled the room?"
A brief pause.
Then—
"Yes."
"He didn't even need to raise his voice."
Kaiden's eyes lowered slightly.
"That kind of authority isn't built overnight."
Colton whistled softly.
"And now Kacy's connected to all that…"
His grin slowly returned.
"Scary."
Then he tilted his head mischievously toward Kaiden.
"But your girl is scarier."
Kaiden looked up again.
Coldly.
"She's not my girl."
Colton burst into laughter immediately.
"Sure she isn't."