No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)

Noelle was slightly taken aback by the sight of the police officers. She wondered if Samantha had been the one to call them.

Xenia smirked smugly and said, "Officers, Noelle wasn't in her right mind when she locked our classmates' phones. She didn't mean to break the law. I hope she'll recognize her mistake and learn her lesson."

"That's right," Samantha added. "Noelle hacked the school forum and locked everyone's phones just to cover up the fact that she's materialistic."

Turning to Noelle, Samantha's mood visibly lightened. "Looks like we won't have to wait until class is over. Someone else is going to take care of you now-get ready to be expelled, Noelle!"

She was confident that a quick word with the principal would be enough to get that pathetic country bumpkin, Noelle, kicked out of school.

Noelle, however, remained calm as she glanced at the officers, already considering whether she might need to hire a lawyer. She was determined to stand her ground.

But then, the officers turned to Samantha and said, "Ms. Merlock, we're here for you."

"Me? What for? You're supposed to arrest Noelle, not me!" Samantha snapped, bewildered by their actions.

"Ms. Merlock, please come with us," one of the officers said.

"Why should I? I haven't broken any laws!" Samantha replied.

"Ms. Merlock, our investigation shows you were involved in bullying a classmate in high school, which led to the victim's suicide by jumping off a building. We've uncovered new evidence and need you to come in for questioning."

Samantha's face went pale at the officer's words. She took a step back, her fear evident. "But... I thought that case was closed." She was certain her family had settled the matter for her long ago.

"Ms. Merlock, this is the arrest warrant. Please come with us now," the officer said as he approached her.

"Stay back!" Samantha screamed in fear. "Let go of me! Do you know who I am? My brother-in-law is a prominent figure in the capital's elite circle! Touch me, and you'll regret it!"

Despite her protests, Samantha was taken away. Everyone in the classroom exchanged glances, startled by the unexpected turn of events.

Even Noelle hadn't expected Samantha to be taken away by the police. But based on the charges mentioned, it did seem to match Samantha's daily behavior.

Xenia, who was watching Samantha get dragged off, couldn't help but feel her mood lift-served her right!

Feigning a righteous demeanor, she said, "Noelle, now that Ms. Merlock is gone, don't you think it's time to unlock our phones?"

"Oh, so you've slandered me, too?" Noelle replied with a mocking smile.

Xenia averted her eyes uneasily. "I was just trying to explain things in your stead. Anyway, you shouldn't have locked everyone's phones. Right, Mr. Yade?"

Patrick could feel his head start to ache.

It was clear this incident was tied to the business school, and they had intentionally targeted Noelle. However, they hadn't expected Noelle to be so tough- stubborn and incredibly skilled.

Even he couldn't crack Noelle's code, which was a testament to her being a one- in-a-million genius.

Patrick couldn't afford to offend either side. Clearing his throat, he said, "I'll bring this to Mr. Farrell, the counselor, and we'll decide how to handle it."

Xenia grew anxious. "Is it really necessary? This is just a small matter. Imagine the inconveniences without our phones!"

Patrick turned to her and said, "Until we verify the truth of this post, we can't jump to conclusions."

In fact, Patrick doubted Noelle would go after the rich for money-there were so many ways for her to make money with her skills. He believed she was probably being slandered by the spoiled rich students in the business school.

Personally, Patrick hated to see a promising student like Noelle lose her future over something like this.

He looked at Noelle, his tone

softening "Ms. Liddell, I'll report this

matter to the school and make sure

it's handled properly. I trust the

school will take this seriously." noveldrama

"Thank you, Mr. Yade," Noelle replied, slightly surprised that Patrick would stand

up for her instead.

After Patrick left, the classroom buzzed with conversations.

"What should we do now? Are they going to help us unlock our phones?"

Noelle stood at the podium, glancing at her classmates. "Just do as I said, and your phones will be unlocked."

With that, she walked to her seat, packed her bag, and left.