She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 382

Loyce didn't bother arguing. She simply opened the proposal and scanned the list of submitted store names. She hadn't known exactly what these families did for a living until now.

The crowd watched as she made a phone call. Her voice was calm and steady. "Look up the roster for the senior class, room two, at Victory High School. Pull all the business records connected to their families. Find out how many of them submitted evaluation forms for storefronts in the Futura-Silicon district. Filter the list and send it to me right now."

Less than five minutes after she hung up, an anonymous email popped up on Loyce's phone, listing a handful of business names.

The parents were still throwing insults, drawing stares and whispers from onlookers in the hospital.

Loyce simply asked her bodyguard for an ink pen. Reading from her screen, she casually recited, "Lace & Belle lingerie boutique, Delune Fragrance, Tranquil Wellness Spa, and..."

With every name she read, her pen slashed a definitive line through the corresponding entry in the proposal. When she finished the last one, she paused, lifted her gaze, and looked at the group in front of her. "Did I get that right?"

Their expressions froze. Without a single mistake, Loyce had pinpointed the exact businesses run by their families.

She looked so entirely in control that it was terrifyingly believable.

Seeing them momentarily stunned, Cyrilla quickly spoke up. "Loyce, I know you and Lucian are friends, but you can't just throw your weight around and steal his project files. You probably just confirmed these business names with the other teachers beforehand."

Loyce didn't bother explaining. She closed the folder and handed it back to her bodyguard. "Take this to my oldest brother. Tell him every business I've crossed out is permanently blacklisted. None of them are allowed in Futura-Silicon. Cancel any existing partnerships with them immediately. People who lie must pay the price."

"Yes, Ms. Sampson," the bodyguard replied respectfully.

"Who do you think you are? 'Cancel all partnerships'—what a joke," Mabel scoffed. "A lot of our high-end contracts are directly tied to the Lonsdale family, the wealthiest family around. Do you think you're their daughter? They don't even have a daughter—they only have sons!"

Loyce's lips curved into a faint smile. She didn't argue. Instead, she turned to Cyrilla and offered a meaningful piece of advice. "Cyrilla, you've lived at the Shapiro estate for so long. Have you never bothered to find out who lives next door?"

Cyrilla only knew that Loyce also lived in Serenity Manor, but she had never bothered to look into who else resided in the sprawling, exclusive estate.

Loyce's chilling gaze and cryptic words made Cyrilla's chest tighten. A wave of inexplicable anxiety washed over her.

Before Cyrilla could formulate a response, Loyce gestured for her bodyguard to wheel her back to the VIP ward. She had originally planned to get some fresh air, but this ridiculous circus had entirely ruined her mood.

After Loyce left, Mabel was still shouting, demanding someone call the cops to have Loyce arrested. But Cyrilla knew that if this escalated to the police, unexpected evidence might surface, and their lie would collapse.

Cyrilla forced a smile. "I understand."

Once Marnie and her relatives dispersed, the classmates cornered Cyrilla, their voices hushed but urgent. "We took a huge risk framing Ms. Sampson for you. Cyrilla, everyone is counting on you to secure our parents' storefronts. You have to keep your promise. Otherwise... we're going to have to tell the truth."

Cyrilla's smile turned brittle. "Of course."

...

Ever since leaving Loyce's room, Lucian Shapiro had been dealing with the bear incident. He ordered a complete media blackout regarding the bear. Since the "victim's" family had agreed not to press charges, the situation was legally contained.

Bypassing military protocol, Lucian personally disciplined the soldiers who had neglected their duties in the security room, stepping on the toes of Mr. Hampton, the Army Commander. Using the city's traffic grid, he tracked down the suspicious truck.

The vehicle was eventually recovered from a lake at the bottom of a cliff. The only useful piece of evidence salvaged from the wreck was a sealed bag containing granular pills.

Drugs? Or some kind of medication?