Marry Ex's Billionaire Uncle After Divorce (Aurora and Jasper) novel Chapter 182

(Author’s POV)

“That’s a reasonable request,” he said.

“It’s not-” Zachary started.

“It’s a reasonable request,” Mr. Zimmer repeated, with more firmness than he’d used in the last hour. “I’I

pull the footage.”

Quentin’s confidence flickered. Just for a second.

Leo had gone very still.

He was staring at his sister. His eyes were red, and his jaw was working like he was trying to hold something in. When Aurora turned and found him looking at her, he dropped his gaze immediately,

shoulders curling inward.

“Aurora,” he said. His voice came out quiet and rough, barely above a murmur. He didn’t say anything else.

He didn’t have to.

She crossed the room and stopped in front of him.

She looked at the cut on his cheek, the redness around his eyes, the rigid set of his shoulders that said he was furious at himself for being here, for letting her get called, for needing her to show up and fix

something again.

“Hey.” Her voice was low, just for him. “Look at me.”

He did, reluctantly.

“I’ve got you,” she said. “I won’t let anyone wrong you.”

Mr. Zimmer folded his hands on the desk. “The classroom does have cameras. But no audio.” He pulled up the footage on his monitor and turned the screen so everyone could see. The angle was clear enough – Leo’s arm swinging first, Quentin stumbling back. “That’s what we have.”

Zachary’s mouth curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “So the evidence is right there. Question is, what are you going to do about it?” He directed this at Aurora.

Aurora kept her expression level. “Were there other students present?”

“The whole class,” Mr. Zimmer said.

“Then I’d like to speak with a witness.”

Quentin didn’t hesitate. He pointed across the room. “Sam. Sam saw everything. He was standing right

there.”

Leo’s head snapped up. His jaw tightened, and something raw moved through his eyes – the kind of look

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that came before a person said something they couldn’t take back.

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Aurora reached over and pressed her hand lightly against his back. “Don’t,” she said, quiet enough that only

he could hear. “Don’t give him what he wants.”

Leo exhaled through his nose. He gave a short, stiff nod.

He knew what Quentin was. He’d known it for weeks. He’d been planning to test out of his current year

entirely, to skip ahead and put as much distance as possible between himself and people like Quentin.

That had been the plan. Then Sam had said something careless – let something slip that Quentin had

immediately grabbed onto and turned into ammunition – and Leo had stopped being able to think about

plans.

Zachary was already talking to Mr. Zimmer. “Bring the boy in. Let’s hear what he saw.”

Mr. Zimmer looked like a man who had run out of options. He pressed the intercom on his desk and asked

the front office to send Sam down.

Sam came in looking like he’d rather be anywhere else on earth. He was a teenager with the particular misery of someone caught between two things he was afraid of. He didn’t look at Leo. He didn’t look at

Quentin. He stood just inside the door and stared at the floor.

Quentin leaned forward in his chair. “Sam. Just tell them what happened. It’s simple, right? You saw Leo

come at me. That’s all.”

He kept his voice casual, almost bored. Like it was a formality. Like the answer was already decided.

Sam’s throat moved. “Yeah,” he said. “I – yeah. I didn’t hear Quentin say anything. Leo just – he just went for

him.”

Leo shot to his feet. “That’s not-”

“Leo.” Aurora’s voice was calm and firm.

He stopped. He sat back down. His hands were shaking.

Aurora looked at Sam for a moment. He still wasn’t making eye contact with anyone. His shoulders were

pulled in, and he had the posture of someone bracing for impact.

“Sam,” she said. “Do you remember a phone call? A few days ago – you helped someone make a call.”

The room went quiet.

Sam’s head came up. His eyes went to Aurora, then cut sideways to Quentin. Quentin had gone very still.

Neither of them said anything. They didn’t need to. The two–second silence between them said everything.

Aurora felt the last piece settle into place. Leo had thrown that punch for her. Not for himself. For her.

She turned to Mr. Zimmer. “The reason Leo hit him wasn’t random. Quentin had been spreading false information about me in the classroom – personal information, framed to humiliate. That’s what this was

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about.” She kept her voice even. “I’d suggest you go to the classroom yourself and ask the students directly. I think you’ll find people willing to tell you what was actually said.”

Mr. Zimmer looked at her, then at Leo, then at Quentin. He pushed his chair back and stood. “I’ll need

everyone to wait here.”

He left.

The moment the door closed, Zachary moved. He crossed the room toward Aurora, dropping his voice.

“Look. This is getting out of hand. Why don’t we settle this quietly?” His tone had shifted – less aggressive,

more practiced. The kind of smooth that came from a lot of practice. “I’m sure we can come to an

arrangement that works for everyone.”

Aurora looked at him. “If the school doesn’t handle this fairly, I’ll escalate to the district board. And I’ll be

consulting with my attorney about defamation.” She said it the way someone might read off a grocery list.

“Those are the arrangements I’m interested in.”

Zachary’s expression went flat. He stepped back. He didn’t say anything else.

Quentin was studying the wall. Leo was studying the floor. Sam looked like he wanted to dissolve.

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