The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 37

Twenty minutes later, an elderly man with silver-streaked hair entered the classroom, the homeroom teacher of Class 8 trailing closely behind.

The teacher quickly introduced him. "Everyone, this is Mr. Xavier, our school's headmaster."

The announcement stunned the entire class.

No one had expected to see the headmaster in person—much less in their classroom. It felt like an immense honor.

At Havencrest Preparatory Academy, the headmaster was a reserved figure who rarely appeared on campus. Yet Mr. Xavier was legendary across all Havencrest schools—famous for his unyielding principles and refusal to bow to power.

Thanks to Mr. Xavier, Havencrest Prep had avoided the unsavory practices plaguing other elite schools: no wealthy families buying their way in, no teachers playing favorites based on a student's background. It was a place where merit truly mattered.

Every student at Havencrest admired him deeply.

Now, under dozens of watchful eyes, the headmaster strode straight toward Citrine.

He caught sight of the blood smeared across her forehead and gave a startled gasp. "Good heavens, Citrine! What on earth happened to you? Come on, let's get you to the nurse's office."

Concern clouded his face.

But Citrine just wiped the blood from her temple, unfazed. "I'm fine. Actually, I asked you here to help me prove I didn't cheat on the exam."

"Cheat? Who's accusing you of that?" The headmaster's expression darkened at her words.

She shot a glance at the crowd around her, subtly indicating the culprits.

Mr. Xavier's eyes hardened, voice laced with warning. "Let me make this clear to you troublemakers—spreading rumors is a crime. Don't think I won't call the authorities."

"And if you're still suspicious, go ahead—quiz her yourself. Ask something tough. If she can't answer, then maybe you'll have a case."

After that, the room was silent. No one dared object.

Clifford and Laird were left humiliated, but even their bruised egos couldn't drive them to further protest.

Though the matter had been settled, the scuffle between Citrine and Clifford couldn't be ignored. The homeroom teacher summoned both to the office for a stern lecture, and by the end, each received the dreaded "call your parents" slip. After school, the two of them were kept behind in the office.

They sat side by side, both exuding an air of icy indifference, each trying to outdo the other in silent defiance.

That's how Sawyer found them when he walked in—the once inseparable siblings, who used to be so close that not even Jeanette could wedge herself between them, now sitting worlds apart, locked in a chilly standoff after coming to blows.