After Gavin and George left the office, Chancellor exhaled deeply and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Without wasting any time, he grabbed his phone and issued a firm order to the Academic Affairs Bureau. “Serena spread false information about a teacher on the forum and caused significant trouble. She’ll be given a formal punishment to set an example for others. If she violates the rules again, she will face expulsion. The forum exists as a space for academic discussion and collaboration—not for malicious individuals to manipulate public opinion or harm others!” The person on the other end hesitated, clearly shocked. “Chancellor, are you sure about this? But Serena’s connection to Brandon—” “Enough excuses. Just follow my instructions,” Chancellor snapped, his patience wearing thin. Who cared about Brandon’s influence? Gavin was the head of the Stone family, a man with power and authority that far exceeded Brandon’s. Serena, who hadn’t even officially married into the family, was in no position to compete with Liza, who had already become Gavin’s wife. As Gavin exited the administrative building with his usual composed demeanor, he spotted Mason hurrying toward him from the entrance. “Hey, didn’t Liza come to find you?” Mason asked, glancing around as though expecting her to appear behind Gavin. Gavin’s gaze was calm, his tone unreadable. “What’s the matter?” “Oh, nothing much. Liza just asked me for a favor earlier—she wants to look up Li City University’s student records from 20 years ago.” Mason paused, raising a brow. “You’re a director of this university and her legal husband. Why didn’t she come to you for help? Seems a bit odd, don’t you think?” Gavin’s eyes narrowed slightly. He licked his lips, his voice laced with a subtle challenge. “She asked you to check those records? Interesting. Tell me, Mason, are you so close to Liza that she’d rather rely on you than her own husband?”Mason blinked in confusion. “What… what are you talking about?” Gavin took a slow, deliberate step forward, his sharp gaze locked on Mason. “Explain. Just how close are you and Liza? Close enough to surpass her relationship with me?” The sudden intensity made Mason falter. He gulped nervously, then managed to stammer, “G-Gavin, don’t twist things. Liza is my junior! She’s the one I’ve always told you about! Of course, she came to me first—we’ve known each other far longer than you two have. If she doesn’t ask you for help, maybe you should reflect on why that is. Could it be that your marriage is… rocky? Maybe she just trusts me more!” By the time he finished, Mason had regained his confidence and crossed his arms defiantly. He had long been curious about how his junior had ended up married to Gavin. This cold, aloof man must have tricked her into it. Gavin’s expression darkened at the pointed remark. His jaw clenched as he closed his eyes briefly, suppressing his irritation.Gavin's momentary lapse in composure vanished as quickly as it appeared. When he reopened his eyes, they were cold and calculating. “You claim to have known Liza for a long time? I doubt that,” he remarked with a cryptic tone before brushing off his sleeves and walking away. Mason blinked, bewildered. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he muttered to himself. Meanwhile, on the university’s public announcement board, a notice about Serena’s punishment was posted promptly. The news spread like wildfire among the students. Those passing by between classes stopped to read, and the campus soon buzzed with heated discussions. “Wait, what? Why is Serena being punished by the university?” “I heard she was the one behind that post about Liza. Sure, it’s wrong to spread gossip about her own sister, but isn’t a warning too harsh?” “Come on, there’s got to be more to it. Someone’s pulling strings here!”“Are you even listening to yourself? If the university issued a formal warning, it means the rumors about Liza were false. Think about it: Serena probably fabricated everything because she’s jealous of Liza! That photo she shared must’ve been taken out of context just to stir trouble.” Oblivious to the public announcement, Liza sat in her office, staring at a text from Mason. She couldn’t make sense of his cryptic message. [Liza, what’s the deal with you and Gavin? Why do I feel like he’s known you for longer than I have?] Liza typed back dismissively, [It’s just your imagination.] After all, she was confident that her first meeting with Gavin was at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Mason, she concluded, had fallen for one of Gavin’s tricks. When Mason received her response, he groaned in frustration and ruffled his hair. [Neither of you are any good! You want the student records from 20 years ago? Go ask Gavin yourself!]It was clear he wasn’t about to help her anymore. Liza sighed, exasperated. This person has such a short fuse, she thought. But the idea of asking Gavin for help was no better. The thought of dealing with him made her pause. He’s even more of a handful than Mason, she mused, her eyes lifting toward the ceiling in silent frustration. Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a sharp voice nearby. “Is that Judith? Let’s confront her right now!” The speaker was a student from Class 3 of the fashion design department, one of the few who had defended Liza during the earlier commotion at the administration building. Their class monitor stepped forward, addressing Judith directly. “You owe Teacher Sinclair an apology. It’s time to make things right.” Judith, however, remained defiant. With her head held high, she sneered, “Apologize? For what? Does Liza even deserve an apology from me?” Her arrogance set the atmosphere ablaze with tension.