?Chapter 343:


    Though he felt uneasy, Hurst had always been careful when it came to his daughter. He didn’t waste any time.


    “Okay, I’ll be there soon,” he said.


    He ended the call, his fingers gripping the phone tighter.


    In the teacher’s office, only a handful of parents had shown up. Most parents, hearing that the issue involved a child from the slums, simply shrugged it off. They made excuses about being swamped with work and didn’t bother showing up.


    The few who did walk in oozed confidence, decked out in designer clothes from head to toe, looking down on everyone.


    “My kid’s always polite and well-mannered. There’s no way they’d start any trouble. It must’ve been that young man, Ethan, right? He’s the one who threw the first punch.”


    “Honestly, this is nothing. Kids get into scraps all the time. You really want to blow this up? What, looking for hush money? I’m busy, okay? Just tell me your price. I’ll write you a check and be done with it.”


    “Just spit it out. How much do you want?”


    “Please, don’t go running to the police over this. What, you think we’re scared of that?”


    The group clucked like hens, pointing at Maia, smirking as if they owned the ce. They acted as if money and a few condescending words could solve any problem. Some even started taking jabs at Maia, sneering that her brother Ethan didn’t belong in the elite ss. “People like him only get in to cheat the decent ones out of their money.”


    Maia rubbed her temples, fed up with the noise.


    Without saying a word, Maia hit y on the surveince video. The screen flickered to life, clearly showing the footage to everyone in the room.


    Her voice was steady, but it held undeniable authority. “I want them to publicly apologize to my brother, Ethan, in front of the whole school. They also need to swear this will never happen again. I’m giving them a chance to make things right.”


    The parents paused, then erupted intoughter.


    “Apologize to amoner? And in front of everyone at school, no less?! What aughable notion!”


    Seeing the mockery on their faces, Maia wasn’t too surprised. Her lips twisted into a cold smile. “If you refuse, I’ll upload this video online. Let everyone see what Wront University’s elite ss is really like.”


    Immediately, the parents’ faces darkened. Did this woman have any idea who they were?


    Families like theirs always had skeletons in the closet, but bad news was easily buried with the right connections and a big payout. Deleting a post? Taking something off the trending list? It was all about money.


    One parent even chuckled and said, “Go ahead, post it. For every video you upload, I’ll have it taken down. Let’s see who wins this race.”


    Another chimed in smugly, “Seriously, you think you can cause a storm online? Don’t be so foolish.”


    Maia’s icyugh filled the room.


    She felt no need to move a muscle. If she wanted, her men could easily take down the entire tform’s backend, ensuring that not a single video vanished, no matter how much money was thrown at it.


    She didn’t argue with them over this; she simply lifted her cold eyes and looked at the smug parents. “If you think your kids’ reputations are worthless, go ahead and try me. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. There’s always an exception. Sometimes, being too confident in your connections might backfire.”


    The parents had brushed her off at first, but now a sense of difort began to settle in.


    How could she remain soposed? Did she possibly have some powerful support? Was that why she felt bold enough to speak up? The parents found themselves somewhat unsure.


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