The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 1687

Pandora squeezed her hands together and stared at the floor, her guilt written all over her face. She didn’t dare make a sound. Sure, she had played her part in this mess, but Karan was the one who’d come up with most of the plan. Now that Karan was getting expelled, surely the school wouldn’t expel her too. Right?

Charlotte noticed Pandora trying to play dead. With a small smirk, she strolled back over to Patricia, gently helping her sit down. Then Charlotte leaned against a nearby table, hands stuffed casually into her pockets, a hint of icy sharpness flickering across her beautiful face.

“Charlotte, what’s that supposed to mean?” Gallagher’s weathered face darkened, his eyes cloudy as he fixed Charlotte with a questioning stare. His voice came out gravelly. “You’re saying Karan wasn’t the only one who hurt Shirley? Is there someone else?”

Right then, Gallagher’s heart skipped a beat. He glanced over at Pandora, who was practically shaking, and his frown deepened. Was Charlotte really talking about Pandora? Judging by Pandora’s guilty look, it sure seemed that way. But he’d already forced himself to expel Karan. Did he have it in him to punish Pandora too?

Gallagher’s expression grew even more stormy. Sure, the girls had been wrong, but this was starting to feel like overkill.

“That’s right,” Charlotte replied. She lifted her chin, her lips curling as her clear voice cut through the air. “If we care about fairness, Karan has already been punished. Isn’t it a little unfair to her if her partner in crime, Pandora, just walks away?”

The color drained from both Gallagher and Pandora’s faces.

Across the room, Adonis and Jackson traded glances, struggling not to laugh. Charlotte really knew how to get under Gallagher’s skin. She made it sound like she was standing up for Karan, but really, she was putting Pandora on the chopping block and leaving Gallagher with nothing to say.

She’d expected Pandora to admit she played a small part—nothing major. After all, if both granddaughters got punished, their grandfather might not be able to take it. But Pandora hadn’t even hesitated before throwing her under the bus.

“If you hadn’t texted me, if you hadn’t warned me that Shirley was about to win the scholarship and study abroad and put that idea in my head… If you hadn’t kept pushing me, hinting that I should take action, do you really think I’d have risked everything and gone after Shirley? And don’t forget, you’ve always wanted to get rid of her too.”

Karan balled her hands into fists, glaring at Pandora with cold anger and disappointment. “Unbelievable. As soon as things get tough, you toss me aside. I really thought you were different.”

Pandora was shaking, but she tried to stand her ground. “Karan, you’re just mad about getting expelled and trying to take me down with you. Don’t drag me down for something that was your idea.”