Dean Sanchez blinked, clearly taken aback by her presence. For a moment, he looked almost star-struck, his eyes lingering on Miss ire. It wasn''t until Mrs. Dugarte cleared her throat that he snapped out of his daze.


    "Good morning, Dean Sanchez," Mrs. Dugarte greeted with a cool smile. "You seem well."


    The Deanughed awkwardly. "It''s always a pleasure to see you Mrs. Dugarte," he replied, his forced smile never wavering. "But really, there was no need for you toe. I was just finishing up with the boys here, saying the matter would be resolved if both parties agreed to pay for the damage to school property."


    "Both?" Mrs. Dugarte''s voice turned sharp as her green eyes flicked toward Don. A sh of disgust crossed her face before she quickly looked away, focusing once more on Starboy. "Timothy, stand."


    Starboy''s face drained of any remaining defiance, his posture shifting. "Yes, Mother," he muttered, rising to his feet as if he''d beenmanded by some invisible force. Like a well-trained dog, he obeyed without hesitation.


    Don''s eyes flicked to Starboy. ''Mother?'' he thought but remained silent, though he couldn''t help the brief flicker of surprise in his mind.


    Mrs. Dugarte''s expression softened slightly as she turned back to the Dean. "What exactly happened here?"


    The Dean tensed up, the forced smile slipping just a little. ''Goddammit,'' he thought. ''This woman always makes things difficult. If I exin what really happened and make it sound like Starboy was at fault, she''ll have my head.''


    He nced at Starboy, the city''s rising star, and then at Don, the boy he assumed wasn''t important.


    Dean Sanchez let out a weary sigh, feeling the weight of the situation. "I''m sure your son can exin better than I can, Mrs. Dugarte," he said, ncing briefly at Starboy. "The two haven''t exactly informed me of what happened yet."


    Mrs. Dugarte turned her head slightly, her eyes narrowing as they locked onto her son. "Timothy, what happened?"


    Starboy, clearly ufortable, avoided meeting her gaze directly. It was obvious he didn''t want to tell the truth, but he couldn''t remain silent. "We agreed to a little exchange," he said, trying to sound nonchnt as he summarized his own version of the events. "But he didn''t hold back and caused damage, while I did hold back."


    Mrs. Dugarte didn''t even flinch at this, nodding as if it confirmed her expectations. "I thought as much," she said, her voice carrying disdain. "It''s always the untrained riff-raff running amok," she added while giving Don a nce in the corner of her eye.


    Miss ire''s expression darkened slightly, a subtle frown forming on her otherwise calm face. "Are you nning on only hearing one side of the story?" she asked, her tone cold yet restrained.


    Dean Sanchez inwardly grumbled, already feeling the situation spiraling out of control. ''Don''t tell me this Miss ire is going toplicate this. If she shes with Mrs. Dugarte, it won''t end well for any of us.'' He mentally sighed. ''But better to side with her, just to avoid her wrath.''


    Clearing his throat, the Dean began, "Well, I did hear both booms myself from their exchange. It''s clear that Starboy held back, given his level of power, that was the best he could do. As for this chap here—"


    Before the Dean could finish his sentence, Mrs. Dugarte interrupted, her voice sharp andmanding. "I think that about proves it enough," she said curtly. "So I advise you to have him settle the matter of property damage and consider some disciplinary action. It''s the only way these people seem to learn."


    Dean Sanchez nodded quickly. "Of course. That''s only natural."


    Miss ire''s eyes flickered with a cold intensity, and her voice dropped slightly, her words coated with indignation. "How dare—"


    Before she could finish, Don stood up, calmly yet purposefully, cutting off the brewing confrontation. "It''s fine, Miss ire," he said, his voice even but firm.


    "I don''t mind paying for the damages." He looked directly at the Dean and then at Mrs. Dugarte, his tone growing sharper. "But as for the matter of disciplinary action, I find it unfair that you only intend to punish me, so I''ll be withdrawing from the university."


    The Dean blinked in surprise, his expression faltering for the first time. He could understand Don''s frustration and quickly tried to smooth things over. "That''s not necessary, I—"


    But Mrs. Dugarte wasted no time cutting him off again. "Good," she said, her voice oozing satisfaction. "If that''s how he feels, Dean Sanchez, then allow him to leave."


    Her tone made it abundantly clear that she was more than pleased with Don''s decision. It wasn''t about fairness to her—she simply wanted him gone, as if his very presence had somehow offended her.


    Don stood firm, his expression unreadable, while Miss ire nced at him, herposed demeanor never faltering. "Are you sure about what you''re saying?" she asked softly, her voice low and measured.


    Don nodded. "Yes. Trust me."


    Without missing a beat, Miss ire turned to the Dean, reaching into her purse and pulling out a ck business card. "Since my client has made his decision," she said, handing the card to Dean Sanchez, "you can send the bill for the damages to me. My firm will review it to ensure that you aren''t overcharging him."


    Dean Sanchez epted the card with a nervous nod. "Yes, uh, of course. Have a good day, and—"


    Before he could finish, Don had already turned and walked toward the door, his footsteps steady. Miss ire followed a momentter, her heels clicking softly against the floor as she moved with grace.


    As the doors closed behind them, Don heard Mrs. Dugarte''s voice, cold and dismissive. "Good riddance."


    Once outside the office, Don and Miss ire made their way across the hallway and into the elevator at the far end.


    The doors slid open with a soft **ding**, and they stepped inside. Don pressed the button for the ground floor, and the doors closed behind them, enclosing them in silence.


    For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Miss ire stood with her arms crossed, staring ahead, her expression as calm as ever. Without turning to look at him, she finally asked, "Is there a reason you prevented me from doing my job in there?"