Minjae's eyes flickered to Mrs. Sung, who had slapped Mina just moments ago.
"You," she called out, her tone laced with restrained fury as she stepped toward her.
Mrs. Sung flinched but tried to keep her composure. "What? Are you going to hit me too? Knowing I was only disciplining a disrespectful brat—"
Smack!
The sharp crack of Minjae's palm colliding with Mrs. Sung's cheek echoed through the hallway. Mrs. Sung landed hard on the ground, blood dripping from the corner of her lip. Gasps erupted from the crowd of students. Even Principal Hong staggered back in shock.
Minjae tilted her head, her eyes burning with unrestrained fury.
"How does it feel?" she asked, her voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "Or should I do it again? Maybe harder this time?"
"Mum!" Sunny shrieked, rushing forward, but froze mid-step when she met Minjae's dead-cold gaze. She stopped instantly, trembling. Beside her, Olivia quickly grabbed her own mother's arm, pulling her back, terrified of what might happen if she interfered.
The students shrank back. Fear rippled through them. This wasn't just a rumor anymore—the Choi Tigress was real.
Just then, Mrs. Kwon forced herself to her feet, face twisted with rage.
"You rotten bitch!" she screamed, about to lunge forward—until her husband yanked her back, holding her tightly.
Minjae smirked. "No hard feelings, Mrs. Kwon Nari," she said smoothly. The woman froze, startled that Minjae even knew her name. Minjae's smirk deepened.
"What's that saying again? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." She turned her gaze to Mrs. Sung. "A cheek for a cheek."
Mrs. Sung gulped. She wasn't entirely afraid of Minjae's status—truthfully, she barely knew how powerful Minjae was. But the raw strength behind that slap had told her enough: Minjae wasn't just financially powerful. She was dangerous.
"Principal Hong," Minjae called.
The man, who had been keeping to the back, jerked before stepping forward nervously.
"I was only late for a moment," Minjae continued, her voice calm but sharp, "and yet, somehow, a melodrama unfolds with my niece as the victim. What exactly am I missing here?"
Before the principal could respond, Mrs. Kwon burst out, "A victim? Have you seen my son?! He's the real victim here, thanks to your—"
Minjae silenced her with nothing more than a raised finger.
"I'm talking, Mrs. Kwon." She didn't even glance at her. Instead, her eyes locked on her husband. "Chairman Kwon Tae Soo. Could you do me the favor?"
It sounded like a polite request—but everyone knew it was a command.
Immediately, Mr. Kwon dragged his wife aside.
"What's wrong with you? Just stop," he hissed at her.
"Are you insane? It's our son we're talking about!" she snapped back.
"Can't we just let it go this time?" he argued. "Jaemin is already better. Why are you making this a big deal? Do you not realize we're dealing with Miss Choi?"
"So what?" she barked.
Her husband's expression hardened. Hands on his waist, he sighed heavily.
"So what? Were you not listening the whole time when i told you that I had applied for a contract with Choi Company. My so-called company is on the verge of bankruptcy—and that contract is the only thing that can save it. Do you really want to risk everything over this?"
Meanwhile, Minjae's gaze cut back to Principal Hong, waiting for his explanation. Under the weight of her stare, he looked away, exhaling in defeat.
"Miss Minjae," he began hesitantly, "no offense, but this matter should be discussed with the student's legal guardian. Mr. Lee should be the one here."
"Should he?" Minjae smiled faintly. "No need to worry. You are speaking to Choi Mina's legal guardian."
The room went still. Shock rippled through every parent, every student—Mina herself looked up, wide-eyed.
"Until her mother wakes up, I am her guardian. If you still doubt, we can settle it in court—I will bring forth the necessary documents," she said, noticing the skeptical look on his face. But he had no choice but to accept it. Even though he didn't know Minjae personally, from her present behavior and everything he had seen and heard about her, he could tell Minjae wasn't the type to make a cheap lie just to save her skin.
He nodded slightly.
"Now," Minjae said, her voice cool and commanding, "start explaining."
He sighed, adjusting his necktie before speaking.
"Lee Mina here—"
"Choi," Mina interrupted, walking forward to stand beside Minjae.
A faint smile touched Minjae's lips, pride flickering in her eyes. Mina had finally found her courage.
"C…Choi Mina," Principal Hong corrected quickly. "She was involved in bullying. A student was hospitalized. This meeting was arranged to settle matters with his parents."
"And somehow it turned into a mob trial," Minjae tilted her head. "Although I must ask—was she really the bully though? From what I witnessed today, it looks the other way around."
"I apologize for what you saw," the principal replied stiffly, "but that isn't the case. She attacked the student—hit a student with a chair. She nearly did the same to her," he pointed at Olivia, who tried to hide her face, "and she assaulted her," he gestured to Sunny, who leaned on her mother. "And there's proof. The CCTV captured everything." His tone grew confident.
"You do?" Minjae asked, unfazed. "Good. Show me."
Gasps and murmurs broke out. Some were eager to see proof; others were stunned Minjae would go this far for a niece they thought she hated.
The principal hesitated, then motioned to a staff member. "Bring the laptop."
As they waited, some students began shuffling toward the exit, whispering about how long this was dragging out.
"Jung Shin," Minjae called.
"Yes, Miss Choi?"
"Make sure no one leaves this place until I say otherwise. Summon extra bodyguards if necessary."
A chill swept through the hallway.
"I never said we're done here," Minjae continued, her smile razor-sharp. "Since you were all so eager to witness my niece's humiliation, I believe more than just a few students were involved in this bullying. No one leaves until I'm convinced you're not part of it. So—spare me your time, won't you?"
Her tone was pleasant, but everyone knew—this was no request.
The students hesitated, fear etched across their faces, before shuffling back. This wasn't the ending they had expected. They thought Mina and her poor father would be left begging pathetically in front of powerful parents. Instead, everything was unraveling in the opposite direction.
Just then, Olivia's mother stepped forward, ignoring her daughter's desperate attempt to pull her back.
"Don't you think this behavior of yours is absurd?" she snapped. "Keeping us all here? That's illegal—you're holding us hostage!" She turned sharply to the two police officers. "And you two just stand there doing nothing?"
Then her glare swung back to Minjae.
"Do you think you're above the law just because you're a Choi?"
Minjae only looked at her with that faint smile.
Just then—two tall men walked in.