The Platonic Trap novel Chapter 36

Evelyn's hands shook violently. Just as the officers moved to escort her out, she finally cracked, her voice shrill and panicked. "I-I just wanted to keep my scholarship!"

She stared at Alistair, nothing but pure terror in her eyes. "Celia is filthy rich! She doesn't even need the money! But I do! I just... I just borrowed some of her notes! I didn't steal it!"

Dead silence fell over the office.

Alistair's expression didn't change. He simply glanced down at his watch.

"Process it by the book," he told the officers.

With that, he walked over to Celia. Even in her heels, she only came up to his chin. He looked down at her, his voice low and cool. "I'll take you home."

Celia kept her head bowed, her voice faint and dismissive. "No need. Thank you, Uncle Alistair."

Without waiting for a response, she gave him a polite, detached nod and walked out of the room.

She walked out of the administration building, crossed the campus alone, and slid into the driver's seat of her own car.

In the quiet solitude of the cabin, Celia flipped down the visor. Looking at her tear-stained, pitiful reflection in the mirror, the corners of her lips curled up into a wicked smile.

—She won.

From now on, she held all the cards.

--

For the next few days, Celia completely ignored Ken's messages.

She had moved back into the Stafford estate to stay with her grandfather, and her mood couldn't have been better.

Ken would text her occasionally. It was never anything urgent—just casually asking how her grandfather was doing, if they needed any premium tea delivered, or checking if anyone was giving her trouble. He made sure to add that if she needed anything, she should let 'Mr. Zucker' know.

Celia knew perfectly well that Ken wouldn't be sending these texts without Alistair's explicit instruction—or at least his silent approval.

She left every single one on read.

Three days later, she got the final update on Evelyn's situation.

Academic plagiarism was handled internally, but filing a false report to the authorities to frame someone was a different story. Evelyn had spent two miserable days in a holding cell.

Capital University had also slapped a massive disciplinary strike on her permanent record. If Talbot ever dumped her from the Forrester Group, she'd be practically unemployable.

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