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Meanwhile at Lunaris Academy, the atmosphere in Principal Jameson’s office was absolute chaos. Phones rang nonstop and the scent of strong coffee and fear clung to the air.

Four staffers sat hunched at desks around the room, juggling calls, typing furiously, and barking into receivers. Everyone was speaking over one another, rapid-fire updates flying.

"No, ma’am, the video has already been scrubbed from most major platforms—yes, the school’s legal team is working on the rest—"

"Mr. Avax wants a confirmation his daughter is not being dragged for this."

"No, we cannot confirm who leaked it. That’s confidential—"

Meanwhile, at the center of the commotion, Principal Meredith Jameson stood at her desk, one hand pressed against her temple, the other gripping her phone like it was a ticking bomb.

"Yes, sir, there’s nothing to fear," she said, voice crisp and composed despite the chaos surrounding her. "This is a minor setback. We’ve got everything under control."

Pause.

"Yes, sir. Your daughter is safe. No one in East House has been affected directly. No, she’s not the culprit. We can confirm that."

She glanced at one of her assistants, who gave a frantic thumbs-up to confirm it. Jameson nodded slowly, still speaking into the phone.

"Yes, sir. Yes. Absolutely. No need to escalate. Lunaris remains committed to the safety and integrity of all its students."

Another pause.

"Yes, sir. Thank you for your continued support."

She ended the call with a sharp press of her thumb and exhaled long and heavy.

Then she turned, slowly, as if bracing for the next disaster to erupt.

"Who’s next?" she asked coolly, scanning the room like a general mid-battle.

"Governor Elrick on line four," her assistant Ashley piped up.

"Minister Navarro on two."

"We’ve got two mothers from District Eleven threatening legal action—"

"And the Alpha King’s Beta is on hold."

Jameson felt like fainting.

"Of course he is," she muttered under her breath. She rolled her neck, eyes flicking toward the clock on her wall. It was only 9:17 AM and it already felt like midnight.

Jameson began to question why she accepted this job in the first place because she was close to losing her mind.

She walked briskly toward the center of the room, heels clicking across the polished tile.

"Someone call the legal team and get me a liability shield for the footage. I want full damage control proposals on my desk in twenty minutes."

Then, she paused.

"And somebody tell Elsie Lancaster’s mother to keep her daughter off social media. If she posts so much as a flower emoji, I’m going to wrap my hands around her pretty neck and kill her myself."

And oh, she meant it.

Just as she was about to turn back to her desk, Ashly, her assistant at the far right stiffened. "Principal Jameson, the Alpha King’s Beta says he’s calling directly in thirty minutes. He wants a private briefing."

Jameson closed her eyes for a long, silent second. When she opened them, her expression was unreadable.

"Clear my schedule," she said flatly. "And someone bring me more coffee! And no sugar!"

"Yes, ma!" One of the staff was happy to leave the room. It was beginning to get suffocating.

Principal Jameson was just about to sit down and catch her breath when her ears caught muffled sounds. There was chanting, clapping and raised voices and it was growing.

"Ashley," she said tightly, without turning, "didn’t the security hold the protesters at the gate?"

Ashley, her wide-eyed assistant, froze mid-typing. "Yes, ma’am, I believe so..."

"Then why," Jameson said slowly, "does it sound like there’s a protest going on right outside my office?"

Ashley didn’t answer. She simply stood and walked to the window instead, her heart racing anxiously. She reached for the blinds, pulled them open and then went deathly still. Her face drained of color. "Oh my God..."

Jameson didn’t need to be told. She stormed over and shoved Ashley aside with one arm, planting herself in front of the window.

And there they were.

Dozens of students were packed into the courtyard outside the administration building holding placards, and shouting angry chants.

Jameson’s jaw clenched. "You have got to be kidding me."

She let out a groan of sheer frustration, yanked open her door, and marched down the hall in a fury. By the time she pushed through the front entrance, the noise was at the loudest.

Signs waved through the air with words like : "Tear Down the Ranking System!",

Students chanted in rhythm, their voices blending into a roar. Some stood on benches while thers banged on drums or trash can lids, echoing across campus. It was an organized chaos.

Jameson pushed forward until she was at the edge of the crowd, screaming over them. "What is going on here?! Aren’t you all supposed to be in class?! Do you want to be expelled?!"

One student with fire in her eyes, stepped out. "Sure. Go ahead. Expel us. But you won’t stop us from protesting!"

"Yes!" students around her shouted in unison. "Try it! We’re not backing down!"

Jameson opened her mouth to retaliate, but before she could speak, a loud voice came through a microphone.

"We’re here live at Lunaris Academy..."

Jameson spun to find Nicole facing the lens with that perfect anchorwoman energy.

"—where students have taken to the courtyard demanding institutional reform, accountability, and transparency after the now-infamous Parents Week Gala Scandal. Tensions are rising as Principal Jameson attempts to suppress the growing unrest."

What did she mean suppress—?! Jameson’s face went crimson. Dear God, this was getting out of hand.

At once she turned on her heel, and stormed back inside before she did something that would get her in more trouble. Behind her, the protest only got louder.

But when Jameson re-entered her office, she stopped dead because Roman, Alaric and Griffin were seated casually in her office like they owned the place. Which, arguably, they did.

Her staff hovered nervously along the edges, no longer answering their phones, their attention frozen on the three Cardinal Alphas.

"Hello, Jameson. I hope you don’t mind, we made ourselves comfortable." Roman purred, his voice likr velvet.

Jameson groaned internally and shut the door behind her. Stars above! She was so not ready for this.