Grady didn''t stick around long before he gracefully excused himself from Mr. Hammond''s office, mentioning he wanted to have a look around the school.


    Mr. Hammond had initially offered to show him around, but Grady turned him down politely, so he had no choice but to have someone else ready to assist if needed.


    Once Grady was gone, the smile faded from Mr. Hammond''s face, revealing the beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.


    Picking up the check from his desk, he was struck by the thought that there were still good-hearted people out there. I mean, who just donates a whole research building on a whim?


    His mind drifted back to what Grady had said earlier. He grabbed the phone and called his assistant, "Any updates on that student who fell into theke yesterday?"


    The assistant had just returned and replied with respect, "I went to the hospitalst night, and they said Summer had already been picked up by her family. We can''t get in touch with her, and neither can the police. As for any mental health concerns, the hospital hasn''t given any assessments."


    Mr. Hammond frowned, "So Summer''s gone off the radar?"


    "Yes, her school records are really sparse, no details about her parents or home address," the assistant said, sounding puzzled.


    Normally, records wouldn''t be this iplete.


    Mr. Hammond rubbed his temples, aware that Summer''s thin file was because she was specifically admitted by Dr. Joen.


    He wouldn''t normally approve a student without the proper paperwork, but Dr. Joen was an exception.


    Joen wouldn''t take on a student with mental issues, so something else was going on here.


    The more he thought about it, the more it bugged him. "Does the student who fell into theke have any significant background?"


    "I''m not sure, but the team leader from Prestige University was pretty firm about getting an exnation from us," the assistant said calmly.


    "Of course, their student''s near-ident here deserves an exnation," Mr. Hammond mused, then asked, "Is Dr. Joen in theb today?"


    "I''ll check," the assistant replied, pulling out his phone.


    A short callter, the assistant informed Mr. Hammond, "The doctor''s in theb. Would you like to speak with him?"


    Mr. Hammond nodded and reached for the phone.


    Soon, Joen was on the line, "Mr. Hammond, what can I do for you?"


    Mr. Hammond cleared his throat, "I wanted to ask about your student Summer. We can''t seem to reach her."


    Joen seemed to expect this, "She''s gotten involved with someone she shouldn''t have. You can just wipe her from the school records like she was never here."


    Mr. Hammond felt a pang of unease.


    He knew Joen''s connections could easily protect a student in trouble Yet here was Joen, not only unwilling to protect Summer but


    eager to distance himself.


    This meant the student who ended up in theke had quite the backstory.


    Mr. Hammond couldn''t help but


    think of Mr. Davis, who had just


    It seemed unlikely Davis would randomly bring up a student with mental health issues.


    Could he have been here because of the student who fell into theke yesterday?


    Joen noticed Mr. Hammond''s silence and prompted, "Mr. Hammond, is there anything else you need?"