The walk to the surveillance office was quiet.
Too quiet.
Elara's steps echoed down the tiled hallway, every tap of her shoe deliberate. Behind her came the teacher, expression unreadable, and just a step further back were Zian and Meilin—who no longer looked so confident.
They thought this would go the same way as before.
But this time… she was ready.
They entered the small office near the teacher's lounge. The walls were lined with monitors and filing cabinets. An older security guard looked up from his desk with a raised brow.
"We need to check the footage from the east hallway this morning," the teacher said.
The guard nodded, not asking questions. He moved to the controls.
"I really don't think this is necessary," Meilin said quickly. Her voice still sweet, but her smile was gone. "Maybe the watch was just misplaced—"
"Are you worried about something being seen?" Elara interrupted, turning to face her calmly.
Meilin blinked. "Of course not."
"Good," Elara said.
The footage loaded.
Everyone leaned in.
The screen flickered, showing the timestamp from that morning.
There was Zian, walking past the teacher's office.
Then Meilin. She stopped. Looked around. Opened the office door. Entered.
Several seconds later, she stepped out. Looking over her shoulder. Smiling.
Zian froze.
Meilin's face turned pale.
The teacher's eyebrows rose sharply.
"I—" Meilin started, her voice trembling. "This—this isn't what it looks like—"
"Oh?" Elara tilted her head. "Because to me, it looks like you entered the office alone. Without permission."
"I was just looking for Mr. Liu!" Meilin said quickly. "I didn't take anything!"
"And the watch?" Elara asked. "Still missing, isn't it?"
The teacher straightened. "We'll need to notify administration."
"That's not necessary," Zian said quickly. "I'm sure there's an explanation—"
"There is," Elara cut in. "Check her locker. Or her bag."
The room was silent.
The teacher gave a slow nod. "I'll call the principal."
---
By the time they returned to the classroom, word had already spread like wildfire.
"Elara wasn't lying?"
"Wait… it was Meilin?!"
"I thought Zian said he saw her steal it—"
"Did he lie…?"
Zian's jaw tightened as he shoved open the door.
"Elara!" he snapped. "You've humiliated the entire family—"
"She told the truth," the teacher interrupted. "You, on the other hand, made a public accusation without proof. That's slander."
Zian flushed.
The classroom went quiet.
And in the back, Lina Zhou—perfect, poised, observant Lina—watched everything with a thoughtful gleam in her eyes.
Interesting.
Elara didn't look at her. Not yet. That would come later.
Now… there were other things to deal with.
The teacher cleared his throat. "We've informed the principal. And Mr. Liu has requested that both your parents be called. Because an item was taken from faculty property, the police may also need to be involved."
Meilin let out a sharp gasp. "No! Wait! That's too much—"
"It's the procedure," the teacher said coldly. "Unless the item is returned and there's a full confession."
"I didn't—!" Meilin cried.
Zian stepped in. "Let me speak to her privately—"
"No," Elara interrupted again, voice firm. "Let the truth be seen."
Everyone turned to her.
She stood straight, hands behind her back, expression calm.
"If the innocent are accused, they should be protected. If the guilty are caught, they should answer."
"You're just saying that to make yourself look good," Zian hissed.
"No," she said softly. "I'm saying that because last time… no one listened."
He flinched.
---
The principal arrived within the hour. So did Mr. Liu. So did the security report. And so did the police.
The entire classroom had gone quiet.
And Meilin… cracked.
"I'm sorry!" she sobbed. "It was just a prank! I didn't mean to steal it—I just wanted to scare Elara!"
"Scare her?" Mr. Liu said, shocked. "You entered a teacher's office and took school property. That's a serious offense."
The police officers said little. They took notes. Quiet. Efficient.
"I'm sure we can handle this within the school," Zian said quickly. "No need to escalate—"
But the principal shook his head. "You lied. Both of you. Publicly. This is beyond a school issue now."
The Lin family was known for their prestige. But today… that pride was smeared across the floor.
The entire class watched in silence as the officers asked to speak with Meilin and Zian outside.
But not before Meilin turned to Elara, her eyes filled with rage and fear.
"This is your fault!"
Elara raised an eyebrow. "No. This is your consequence."
And as they left the room, whispers erupted once more—but this time, they weren't about her.
They were about the siblings who thought they could never fall.
---
Outside, as the sun dipped behind the school building, Elara sat on the bench beside the garden. Her bag rested on her lap.
She could hear the wind in the trees, the laughter of younger students, the soft hum of the world moving forward.
And inside her… quiet peace.
She wasn't done.
This was only the first step.
But it felt good to win.
To stop them—just once—from crushing her again.
Her fingers curled slightly.
They wouldn't see her coming.
Not until it was too late.