Ch. 611..620

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 611-The salesperson explained, "Mr. Shaw, this customer accuses us of selling fake jewelry, and she refuses to talk it over with us. We really can't do anything about this."

"Got it. Leave it to me." Tom told the salesperson to stand aside before walking toward the woman. "Madam, I'm the store manager. How about we head for the VIP room for a nice chat over a cup of tea?"

"Who the hell wants to have f*cking tea with you?!" The woman still refused to cooperate, though. "I bought this red jade necklace here three days ago for 1.2 million, only to find out that it was a fake! Do you know how embarrassed I was at the time? How am I gonna show my face in public from now on? You're the store manager, huh? Fine, tell me how you're gonna compensate for this!"

Before anyone realized it, a bunch of reporters had gathered at the entrance while the woman was speaking, broadcasting the scene live right away with their videography equipment.

The customers in the store broke into a discussion as well.

"Red jade is Alexis' trademark product. There couldn't be a mistake here; the necklace has to be their product."

"That's right! I'm here for their red jade as well. And besides, didn't they just win the jewelry design competition using jewelry products that were made from it?"

"Red jade is as hard to come by as rare animals, but Alexis launched a whole series of jewelry products made from it. It's really intriguing to think about how many of these products are genuine!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. That's why people are worried while using small companies' products. Saunders Jewelry sells faux jewelry as well, but they put these products on public display with price tags attached, letting their customers decide whether or not to buy them as they please. On the other hand, Alexis is using crooked means to force customers into buying fake jewelry!"

"I heard that Alexis and Smith Co. belong to the same owner. Now that I've seen this, I'm gonna have to be careful while doing business with Alexis!"

A troubled expression instantly came over Tom's face when he heard the last comment. Alexis was starting to make profits very soon, so it would be a fatal blow to the jewelry brand if a scandal were to break out at this very moment that Alexis was selling fake jewelry. Moreover, now that even Smith Co. was involved, it was evident how serious the implications could be. After all, the former Shaw's Jewelry Co. had been forced to close down because of such rumors!

"What do we do now?" Tina asked Tom in a whisper.

Shooting a glance at the overbearing woman, he whispered, "Go ask Miss Sinclair for instructions."

Instantly realizing what he meant, Tina stepped aside and called Elise, telling her what had happened.

Elise had been wandering around near Alexis' store all this while. Upon receiving the phone call, she immediately hurried back to the store. Five minutes later, a loud and clear female voice rang from behind the door to the staff's break room. "What a lively scene it is today!" With that, Elise showed up in front of everyone.

Unaware of the truth of her being Alexis' actual owner, the crowd looked around them in confusion. "Who is she?"

"I'm one of Alexis' employees, of course. Didn't I just come out of the room? And besides, Mr. Shaw is my uncle, so why can't I be here?"

Upon hearing Elise's words, Tom was rendered speechless. She calls me her uncle? That's flattering me!

The middle-aged woman ignored Elise, though. Instead, she refused to let Tom off, saying, "I don't have time for your family shenanigans here. Now that you guys have sold a fake product to me, you've got to pay me ten times its selling price as compensation, or else I'm gonna go around telling people about this. Let's see who will dare to buy your company's jewelry products after this!"

A hint of a sneer flashed across Elise's eyes when she saw the well-equipped reporters at the entrance. What a cheek she's got, bargaining with us in such a high-sounding tone after she's gotten the reporters here! She's simply trying to appear dignified while acting like a total b*tch!

Hearing the woman's words, Tom had no choice but to turn to Elise for help.

Elise stepped forward unhurriedly. "In that case, please show us the red jade you've bought here as well as the receipt."

Obviously, the woman came well-prepared. Immediately, she took out the jewelry box and receipt, which she had prepared beforehand, slamming them on the table with a loud thud. "I just knew you guys were gonna make an issue of this. Just take a look; both the necklace and the receipt are kept well. Let's see what sort of excuses you're gonna make!"

Tom immediately picked up the receipt and the box containing the red jade necklace, which he then opened before him to take a closer look. In reality, he secretly adjusted the angle to let Elise have a better look at it. On the surface, though, he was still dealing with the woman, saying, "Madam, isn't it unreasonable to demand ten times the product's selling price as compensation? How could you demand 12 million from us after having spent only 1.2 million in total? There's no business in which you can reap such a fat profit at little cost!"

"Be reasonable, you guys! She lost face completely after going around wearing jewelry from your store. It's nice enough of her not to ask you guys to compensate for anything else. Why act so stingy now that she's only asking you for peanuts?"

"That's right! How could you have the nerve to rip her off but not the courage to take responsibility for it? Since you guys dared to sell fake products, you should've expected the consequences you're facing today!"

Having put up with these comments for so long, Tina finally blew her top, unable to restrain herself any longer. "Who told you that we're selling fake jewelry? Do you have any evidence to prove that? Keep on saying that, and I'm gonna sue you for libel!"

This was Tom's first time seeing Tina being so furious. He hurriedly pulled her toward him to placate her, saying, "Easy, Tina. Don't be mad with such people. Those in the wrong should be the ones who feel uneasy instead."

Just then, however, the middle-aged woman mocked meaningfully, "Ha! If you're not selling fake jewelry, why would you haggle with me here over the amount of damages you have to pay?"

Thanks to her misleading remarks, the atmosphere in the store was thrown into confusion again all at once.

Just then, a curious "Hey!" rang all of a sudden, resounding throughout every corner of the room in the seemingly hopeless situation.

Everyone looked in the voice's direction, only to see Elise holding up the red jade necklace that the woman had brought with her. Studying the necklace with great interest, she said, "Uncle, this part of the red jade feels different to the touch somehow. The other pieces of red jade in the store feel much thicker!" She was referring to the anti-counterfeit label.

"Different?" Tom was startled for a moment. After looking into Elise's eyes, he finally realized what she meant. He said excitedly, "That's right! Alexis' jade products are marked with a special anti-counterfeit label. This piece of jade is different from Alexis' ones; it's not a product of our store at all!"

"How's that possible?!" The middle-aged woman raised her voice all of a sudden. She said confidently, "I've scanned the laser code on the necklace, and it shows that the necklace is Alexis' product. Don't think that I don't know anything!"

Elise's lips curled into a smirk as a flicker of disdain flashed across her eyes. It must have taken them a lot of trouble to even fake the laser code, she thought. "Uncle, with so many people watching, why don't you pick a random piece of red jade in the store and prove it before everyone to convince this woman?" She raised her left eyebrow at Tom.

Tom immediately went to the display cabinet at the center and took a jade bracelet from the corner while getting a UV lamp at the same time. Then, he shone the UV lamp on the anti-counterfeit laser code, ordering the staff, "Turn off the lights!"

The instant the lights were turned off, a purple "Alexis" logo appeared on the jade bracelet Tom was holding where the anti-counterfeit label was supposed to be. "Look closely, everyone! This is the second anti-counterfeit code custom-made by Alexis. Alexis stands firmly against piracy and counterfeits and will never give copycats any opportunity. Facts speak louder than words, and I believe everyone has made your judgment on which of us is the wronged party here," Tom said in a sonorous voice while expressing his inner beliefs.

Many of the customers were moved by Tom's words. This is exactly what jewelry stores lack—a jewelry brand that's responsible to the public!

"Looks can really be deceptive, huh? To think that this seemingly benign woman is actually a fraudster!"

"If it weren't for Alexis being able to weather such scrutiny, another conscientious enterprise would've been ruined!"

"Could this woman be sent by Alexis' rival?"

In an instant, everyone immediately directed their criticism at the middle-aged woman.

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 612-Elise tossed the woman's red jade necklace onto the glass display counter with a clank. She questioned with a frosty expression, "Who sent you here?!"

"Who sent me here? What do you mean by that? I don't know what you're talking about!" The woman lowered her head guiltily. She muttered to herself, "I bought the necklace here. How would I know that it didn't have any UV anti-counterfeit—"

"Is that so? This jade necklace of yours can't be equated with our store's red jade necklace, but it's good stuff, and it's made to look indistinguishable from Alexis' ones inside out. You say you know nothing and that it's just a coincidence, but how's that possible?" Elise began to guide the crowd in a tone similar to the woman's tone of voice just now. "If you insist that this necklace is yours, well, it's fine. By extorting such a huge amount of money, you've at least guaranteed yourself a jail sentence of eight to ten years. Uncle, this woman here wants to go to jail, so why not do her the favor?"

"Huh? Oh, right! I just had dinner with the chief of detectives yesterday! I'll call him over now!" Tom took out his phone and pretended to call Jackson, though he was actually calling his aged mother. She was hard of hearing, so she could hardly hear her phone ring nine times out of ten. Even if she did hear her phone ring and answer it, she would only keep repeating, "Huh? What'd you say?" so he wasn't worried about causing any misunderstanding at all. He pretended to say, "Hello, is Captain Gleeman speaking? It's me, Tom. I have a—"

"Wait a minute!" Frightened at last, the woman lunged at Tom in an attempt to snatch his phone.

However, Tom stepped back and dodged her.

"Fessing up at last, huh?" Elise taunted.

The woman fidgeted with her fingers, looking as though she was caught on the horns of a dilemma. After turning to look at the reporters and the video cameras at the entrance, she tried to negotiate with Elise, saying ingratiatingly, "This isn't a good place to talk. Can we talk it over in the break room?"

"Huh? But I remember that you just turned down our staff's invitation, and now… Your behavior keeps changing from one moment to the next. Don't tell me you're trying to stall for time." Elise purposely wore an innocent look on her face. "I think we'd better call the police."

"No, no, no! Please, don't do that… I'll confess! I'll confess to everything, okay?" The woman heaved a long sigh. "Will you not call the police if I tell you everything?"

"No, we won't!" Elise forced a bright smile on her face. Well, whether the others will call the police or not is none of our business.

"Okay, I'll fess up." The woman hemmed and hawed. "It's true that the red jade isn't mine. I-It's…"

Just when she was about to tell the truth, another commotion broke out at the door.

"Here comes somebody from Smith Co.!"

"It's Kenneth Bailey! To think that he would actually come in person! Alexis and Smith Co. belong to the same owner indeed."

Amid the crowd's discussion, the dark-suited bodyguards cleared a path for Kenneth, who then strode in with vigorous strides while wearing a pair of sunglasses. He was dressed in a black leather jacket and black leather pants, but only his gloves were spotless white. "I heard somebody's doubting Smith Co.'s credibility, so I came here especially to see what the big deal is about," he said while walking all the way up to Elise and the others. Then, he took off his sunglasses and darted his eyes around the whole store with a poker face.

Smith Co. was a mysterious organization in the first place, and its huge industrial chain lent Kenneth an aura that allowed no one to challenge him. Therefore, the instant he finished his sentence, the store turned as silent as a grave.

A moment later, the woman who had been on the verge of a breakdown just now suddenly pointed at him, shouting, "It was him! It was Kenneth Bailey who ordered me to come and make trouble!"

The instant she said that, everyone at the scene immediately held their breaths. They couldn't help worrying for the woman, not because it surprised them that the incident was Kenneth's doing, but because they were impressed by the woman's courage. Even if Kenneth really were the culprit behind this, was she totally unafraid of what Smith Co. was capable of, exposing him in public like this? This woman probably has a death wish.

Shocked, Tom and Tina involuntarily shifted their gazes to Kenneth.

Despite the rumors about Alexis and Smith Co. belonging to the same owner, they knew that the two companies never had any business dealings with each other; it was Kenneth who had been helping them for no reason from the very start.

However, no friendships would last forever in the field of business, so who would know if Kenneth had shown goodwill toward them at the jewelry design competition for the purpose of stabbing them in the back today?

Even though Kenneth appeared to be vying for Elise's affections, Tom knew as a man that in reality, a top dog who had achieved quick success in a short time like Kenneth didn't really regard women or love as important. Perhaps he had noticed the link between Elise and Alexis, so who knew if he had approached them in the beginning to win their trust? Gods were unattainable, unfathomable, and so were men who were as mysterious as devils.

Kenneth's impassive gaze swept across everyone at the scene before eventually resting quietly on Elise. "Seems like everyone believes her story, huh?" He didn't care a damn about what everybody else might think; he only cared about what Elise would think of it.

Almost instantly, Elise understood tacitly that Kenneth's question was directed at her. In reality, she didn't believe Kenneth would use such despicable means against anyone. If someone whose mind even she couldn't read really wanted to set anyone up, they'd never give that person the opportunity to bite back at them.

However, the middle-aged woman wouldn't let Kenneth off. She complained tearfully, "Mr. Bailey, it was for your sake that I risked getting into such a predicament. You can't leave me in the lurch!"

Kenneth's chilly eyes gleamed as he slowly turned to look at the woman.

Seeing the man's dark eyes, the woman suddenly felt a chill run up her spine. Feeling guilty, she hurriedly lowered her head.

Just then, an informed customer muttered in a low voice, "What bad luck it is for Alexis. They were plagiarized during the jewelry design competition, and now they're being set up and framed for selling fake jewelry. Isn't it too much of a coincidence that Kenneth was present on both occasions?"

"Doing business is like fighting a war. Who knows if Kenneth has turned against Alexis because Alexis and Smith Co. had a falling-out or something?"

"Alexis is so tactless. Being able to collaborate with Smith Co. is equal to having a protector, so what makes them so dumb as to set themselves up against the company? Now look at the trouble they've gotten themselves into. I guess such incidents will only be a dime a dozen in the future!"

Everyone had witnessed how that woman had fought back just now, so now that she had spoken against Kenneth, the onlookers naturally wouldn't doubt the veracity of her story. Although she didn't manage to bring Alexis down, she had pulled the rug out from under his feet by successfully dragging Kenneth through the mire. At this point, it'd be meaningless no matter whether Kenneth defended himself or not. Unless he could produce evidence on the spot to prove that the woman had been hired by somebody else, there was no better way to clear this Prince Charming's name.

Kenneth's eyes lowered slightly. Lost in his own thoughts, he was silently wondering if he should acknowledge the woman's false accusations directly and then find out the truth later.

Just then, however, Elise made a bold decision. She said loudly, "We've given you a chance, but you don't cherish it, don't you?!"

Her words instantly drew everyone's attention. Then, they heard Elise continue, "Smith Co. has been in talks with my uncle to acquire Alexis for a long time. What reason has he to harm his own property?!"

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 613-Sorry, Alexander, but I can only prepare another gift for you later. At the moment, this is the only way to fix the urgent situation. Kenneth has done too many things for me, so let's take this as a favor in return, thought Elise to herself.

Acquiring Alexis? Tom was stunned; Elise had never told him before that she was going to sell Alexis. So Kenneth is being so kind to us because he really values our potential? Somehow, at the thought of this, he looked at Kenneth with a hint of hostility in his eyes. What an opportunistic profiteer!

On the other hand, Kenneth looked somewhat stunned, and his brows furrowed. Ever since he found out that Elise was planning to found Alexis, he had been aware that the jewelry brand was a gift for "Alexander." As he was well aware of her intentions, he defended Alexis at all costs—even if it caused him to be accused of "shielding" the jewelry brand. However, he didn't expect that Elise would be willing to present to him with both hands the gift she had intended for Alexander in order to help prove his innocence. Could this mean that Kenneth Bailey's identity already has a place in Elise's heart?

"That's nonsense!" The woman's eyes widened in surprise. She pointed at Elise, saying, "Smith Co. is so powerful that it can do whatever it wants. Why would they want to buy an old store on the brink of bankruptcy like yours? This doesn't make sense at all!"

Upon hearing this, Elise became even more certain that the woman wasn't sent by Kenneth. The culprit's even able to find out that Alexis is on the brink of bankruptcy, huh? Seems like they've predicted beforehand that we'll try to clear Kenneth of the accusation by claiming that Alexis is going to merge with Smith Co., which is why they've blocked this escape route in advance, she thought. She could be certain that Kenneth had nothing to do with this, but for a moment, she had trouble coming up with a retort to what the woman had said. Indeed, no businessman would do business at a loss.

"You're right." Kenneth's magnetic voice resounded throughout the whole room just then. "Both the present Alexis and the former Shaw's Jewelry Co. are of little value. What I truly have eyes on is Mr. Shaw's niece, a graceful and fine young lady whom I desire to be my bride, which is why I'm spending big bucks to please her. Anybody here has any objection to that?"

No one at the scene dared to refute him. Well, what he said does make sense.

"How is that possible?!" yelled the middle-aged woman. "The person you like isn't this lady surnamed Shaw at all! It's said in the magazine that you fancy Yoona Anderson, the Anderson Family's younger daughter, and that you even went to the Anderson Residence personally to ask for her hand in marriage!"

"Sorry for interrupting." Elise purposely put on a cheeky and haughty demeanor. She continued nonchalantly, "But I think I have to introduce myself. I am Yoona Anderson. Thank you, everyone."

"Y-You…" The woman was at a loss for a retort.

"I what?" Elise raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes with a cheeky grin. "I look familiar, huh? You've seen me on TV, and I don't carry the surname Anderson on TV. Is that what you're trying to say?"

"That's right!" the woman replied with certainty at once. The next moment, however, she was startled. Why is she so well-meaning as to blow her own cover? She smacked her lips. When she looked at Elise again, she noticed the malice that lay behind the latter's smile, which instantly gave her the creeps.

Then, she watched as Elise's rosebud lips parted again. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that Yoona Anderson went missing as a child and grew up under the identity of Elise Sinclair? Elise Sinclair and I are one and the same. Got it?"

Got it? I got confused, okay?! "J-Just who the hell are you?" The woman looked at Elise in despair. Just who is this woman? Is she Tom Shaw's niece, the Anderson Family's daughter, Elise Sinclair, or some other woman Kenneth Bailey fancies?

"It doesn't matter who I am. In any case, your scheme to play us off against one another has failed. If you've got anything to say, say it to the police," Elise said while taking out her cell phone. Then, she dialed a number, saying, "I know you're nearby. Come in. I've got you another person on your list of achievements." With that, she hung up.

Half a minute later, Jackson pushed past the crowd and entered the store, looking at Elise with loathing.

"That's very quick of you." Elise was somewhat surprised to see the man. She teased, "Captain Gleeman, you've been tailing me more and more closely now."

"Get straight to the point!" Jackson replied grumpily with a sullen expression.

"This woman tried to slander us and extort money from our store using counterfeit jade. Captain Gleeman, please take her back to the police department for interrogation," Elise replied.

Jackson turned to glance at the woman. Then, without another word, he took out his handcuffs and frogmarched her away. As he walked out of the store, he grew more and more irritable. How did I, the chief of detectives, end up becoming Elise's exclusive errand boy now? Doesn't that make me a doormat?! Well, whoever likes this job can do it. I'm not coming here anymore. This is so damn frustrating! "Hurry up!" he urged the woman fiercely.

Frightened, the woman held her breath in fear while skipping and running ahead of him.

As soon as they left, there was nothing more to watch, and the customers in the store dispersed. Not only that, but those customers who had originally been on the sidelines immediately bought jewelry from Alexis by card as Smith Co.'s relationship with Alexis was now established.

While Tom and Tina took care of the customers at the front, Elise and Kenneth entered the reception room together.

Elise heaved a heavy sigh as soon as she sat down. At first, she had wanted to keep her distance from Kenneth, but today's incident had made their relationship even murkier. Now, in the eyes of outsiders, her relationship with Kenneth had become too tangled to unravel. Furthermore, Alexander had yet to visit Alexis himself.

"You don't look very happy, Miss Sinclair. What's the matter?" Kenneth asked in a soft voice.

Elise raised her eyes without the slightest hint of a smile in them. "I've paid off what I owed you."

Kenneth lowered his eyes with a half-smile. "There's no way you could pay off debts of gratitude."

Elise averted her eyes without refuting him. How could she not understand this? But now that she already had Alexander, she didn't want to give anyone else a chance, nor would she give herself a chance either. However, it seemed that things weren't going according to her will.

"Let's talk about something else." Kenneth diverted the subject. "Seems like somebody wants to play us off against each other, Miss Sinclair. But it's too bad that they've underestimated our IQ."

"Uh-huh," Elise mumbled impassively. "Perhaps this is directed at me, and you're only being dragged into this. Now that we're in the same boat, we have to work together."

"So you mean that I can come to you anytime from now on?" Kenneth resumed his flippant tone of voice.

Elise turned to look at him, and her eyes narrowed in a sly smile. "Yeah, you can. Not only can you come to me, but you can also go to my husband."

"What do you mean?" Kenneth had a bad feeling.

"I'm ready to introduce you to Alexander." Elise was certain that she was incapable of dealing with Kenneth at the moment. Well, since that's the case, let's leave this guy to Alexander.

Kenneth replied, "…I don't want to meet him."

"That isn't up to you!" Elise slapped her thigh and stood up before walking out of the room. "It's decided!" What a genius I am! she thought.

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 614-Meanwhile, at the Saunders Residence…

Today was the last day before Edwin had to pay off his debts, but he only had less than 600,000 in his bank account, with the divorce compensation offered by David included. In other words, he was still 1.9 million short. Early that morning, he quietly came downstairs carrying a big traveling bag before the servants even got up.

However, just as he reached the gate, Mrs. Woods suddenly called out to him. "Are you leaving the house so early in the morning, Master Edwin?"

Edwin nervously gulped a mouthful of saliva before turning around to face her with a forced smile. "Yeah. I enrolled in a postgraduate course, so I have to go to college early to do some studying. I've got to improve myself so that I can take better care of Nana in the future."

For a second, Mrs. Woods' eyes rested on the big traveling bag Edwin was carrying. Then, she replied meaningfully, "I see. That's very ambitious of you. In that case, come home early this evening. I'll make you something delicious and nourishing."

"Thank you, Mrs. Woods. I will." Edwin gave her a polite smile. Then, he turned around, opened the gate, and walked out in haste.

However, no sooner had he left than Mrs. Woods headed for David's room upstairs…

As soon as the pawn shop opened for business at 8:00AM sharp, Edwin rushed in. "Sir, please take a look at how much these things are worth!" he said while putting the traveling bag on the counter. Then, he unzipped the bag, revealing its contents.

The pawnbroker had a discerning eye for gemstones, so he noticed at a glance that the jade ornament in the traveling bag was out of the ordinary. He asked in surprise, "Are you serious about selling these?"

Edwin replied with a straight face, "Yes, I am! To tell you the truth, my company has run into some financial difficulties, so I have no choice but to pawn these family heirlooms. You've got to offer me a reasonable price!"

Upon hearing Edwin say so, the pawnbroker could no longer restrain himself. Immediately, he picked up the jade ornament and examined it carefully, saying, "Such a large ornament must've been made from fine-quality materials. Just look at how translucent and vibrantly-colored it is. What a top-quality piece of ornament…"

Edwin didn't have time to listen to the pawnbroker's babble, though. Cutting to the chase, he said, "Just tell me how much you can offer me for this."

Upon hearing his words, the pawnbroker hurriedly put the ornament back into the traveling bag. A stone of such weight and quality has to be worth at least 1 million, even if it's just freshly out of the quarry. And with such extremely fine craftsmanship and carving techniques, the ornament has to be worth at least ten times greater than that! he thought. He rubbed his chin while staring at Edwin with shrewd eyes, asking cautiously, "Is this really an heirloom of your family? It'd better not be stolen from somewhere else. I don't want to get in trouble for this!"

Feeling guilty, Edwin gave a gulp, but he still put on a dignified front. Raising his voice deliberately, he replied, "How could you say something like that? Do I look like I don't deserve to be in possession of a family heirloom? I'm telling you, even if you take this thing, we've got to sign an agreement so that you won't sell it within the next five years. I'm gonna come back to redeem my pawn!"

The pawnbroker let his guard down at once. With a nod, he raised his hand and gave Edwin an "OK" gesture. "This is the price. I've got to take risks, after all. If I offer you a price higher than this, and you don't come back to redeem it later, I won't be able to sell it."

Edwin protested, "300,000? That's too low an offer!" He had walked around the Saunders Residence before settling on this ornament. 300,000 plus his savings were nowhere near enough to pay off his debts!

Upon hearing Edwin's words, the pawnbroker nearly laughed out loud. Turns out this guy has no idea what this is really worth, eh? Seems like this thing is indeed not some family heirloom, but now that he's presented it to me, how can I not take advantage of it? "An offer of 300,000 is high enough. I reckon you've done some asking around before coming here. Just go somewhere else and ask the others. If there's anyone who offers a price higher than this, I'll quit this trade!" he said confidently while beating his chest.

"Can't you raise the offer a bit more?!" Edwin argued irritably.

The pawnbroker paced back and forth, pretending as though he could do nothing about it. "No, I can't offer any higher than that."

Feeling that the pawnbroker was deliberately beating down the price, Edwin picked up the jade ornament and pretended to leave. "In that case, I'm not gonna sell it!"

"Hey! Wait a minute!" The pawnbroker hurriedly stopped Edwin. He advised him in a kindly manner, "How could you be so impulsive, young man? I'm still open for negotiations…"

Edwin narrowed his eyes. As expected, businessmen are all wily old foxes. "It's 400,000 or no deal!" He pulled a long face in a fiercely determined manner.

"Well… you've got to let me make some money, right? I can't offer you more than 380,000!" the pawnbroker replied with a sincere expression.

Edwin agreed at once. "Okay, but I want to have the money transferred right now!"

"Okay, no problem! I'll transfer the money to you right now!" The pawnbroker was overjoyed. This stuff could've been sold for millions, and yet I got it at the price of 380,000! What a dumb thief!

Soon, the money was transferred to Edwin's bank account. Looking at the balance on his account with satisfaction, he immediately put his hand on the pawnbroker's shoulder and started to get all buddy-buddy with him. "You're quite an accommodating person, only that you just had to insist on haggling over the prices. I consider us friends as of today. If I come here with good stuff again next time, you've got to give me a more reasonable offer. Don't behave like you did today again!"

"Sure, no problem…" The pawnbroker was grinning from ear to ear. To think that there's really someone who's dumb enough to thank the person who duped him! Well, since he wants to be made a dupe, I'm more than happy to grant his wish. After all, who would turn away a golden goose, right? "Well, the moment I saw you, I could tell at a glance that you're a man with a promising future. I believe it won't take long before you rise high in the world…" He heaped flattery on Edwin while seeing him all the way to the door.

However, as soon as they reached the door, Edwin saw David standing by the roadside with Mrs. Woods and a few bodyguards; he was glowering at him in a towering rage. "Dad, why are you—"

"I shouldn't be here, huh?!" David questioned viciously. "How much did you pawn that jade ornament for? How much of it are you gonna spend on Nana?"

Edwin's face turned ashen at once. Unconsciously, he relaxed his grip, dropping his traveling bag to the ground with a thud. David found out about it! How did he find out about it?! "I… I…" He trembled all over. For a long time, he was unable to say a complete sentence.

David ground his teeth in exasperation. He chided, "Edwin, oh, Edwin! Did I provide you with a comfortable life only for you to bite the hand that fed you? I kept my guard up against outsiders at all times, but I never imagined a thief had been living inside my house!"

Edwin clenched his fists as words failed him.

"Enough of this. You don't have to say anything; just go back and sign the divorce papers. We Saunderses have been kind enough toward you. Let's not get in touch anymore from now on," David said before turning around to leave.

Edwin caught up to David and slumped to his knees with a thud. Clutching the man's trouser leg, he begged for mercy, saying, "Dad, I was wrong! I'm really sorry for my mistakes! Please give me one last chance! I only stole from our family because I had no other choice. I promise that I won't do so anymore!"

"Your promise is worthless to me!" David kicked Edwin away, though. "I'm giving you two options right now. Either I'll send you to the police department and have you sentenced to prison for the rest of your life, or you'll divorce Nana and leave our family with nothing to your name. Make the choice for yourself!"

"No… I'm not gonna make any choices. I can't; who's gonna take care of Nana if I'm gone?! Dad, you can't treat me like this!" Edwin burst into tears in a panic.

However, the more David looked at Edwin, the more he found the latter an eyesore. He took out his phone immediately to call the police, saying, "Save your excuses for the police later on!"

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 615-As Edwin looked at David's insistent indifference, a cold light flashed in his desperate eyes. So, this was how lowly David viewed him, to the point where he could be abandoned without any hesitation. The Saunders Family didn't treat him like a human being at all! He had had enough of groveling like this!

Edwin's eyes suddenly became fierce. He clenched his fists and suddenly stood up, snatching David's cell phone directly and smashing it onto the ground.

David was taken aback for a moment, before his expression quickly changed again, and he provoked, "How dare someone like you try to hit me!"

Seeing the situation, the bodyguards behind him took a step forward as well.

Edwin suddenly laughed and mocked, "Dad, you're my father-in-law, and I'm closer to you than my birth father. How could I hurt you? I just realized that I really am not worthy of Nana, so I'll agree to the divorce."

"Oh?" David looked at him in doubt. "Will you still be fine with it even if you leave this marriage with nothing?"

With a smile, Edwin shook his head gently. "Of course. During my recent stay in Saunders Residence, you and Nana have already given me a lot of care. How could I ask for anything else? I just have one last wish. I want to see Nana one last time, is that okay? You know how much I love her."

David gradually lowered his guard. If this incident blew up, it would be akin to him announcing to the world that his son-in-law was a thief, which would ruin the Saunders Family's reputation. It was good for everyone that Edwin was able to realize that.

"Yes, you can go now. After you see her, you don't need to come here anymore. I don't want to see you again. After that, I'll ask Mrs. Woods to take the agreement to the psych ward, and you can just sign it there," David said.

"All right, Dad, you can decide. However, can you lend me a car? It'll take too long for me to walk over or take the bus," Edwin asked gently.

"Give it to him." David ordered the bodyguard to throw the car keys over, and then said sharply, "From now on, I'm not your dad anymore. Don't call me that again! Mind yourself!"

Saying that, he left with his bodyguards.

As Edwin looked at the car keys in his hand, the smile on his face spread a little wider, and an evil light flickered in his eyes.

...

At school, after a few days passed, the students' starstruck feelings for Elise subsided a lot, and they now treated her as an ordinary classmate. The last class in the morning was taught by Martin. Halfway through the class, Mason Young, the head of the physics department, suddenly knocked on the classroom door.

"Mr. Kamp, I'm here to look for the students in your class who are going to participate in the Know-All competition," Mason said softly.

"All right," Martin answered politely, turning his head to look at Mica. "Class rep, lead the team over."

With a nod, Mica quickly got up from her seat and was about to call Sophie when the latter walked out by herself. Stefan exchanged glances with her before walking out.

Elise was using her phone and didn't notice the movement in front of her. Mica whispered to her, "Elise, it's time to go for practice."

"Hmm? Oh, okay!" Elise was taken aback for a moment, then remembered that she had promised to accompany Mica, so she kept her phone away and walked to the door.

"Hold it." Martin called her back. "You weren't proactive at all when you signed up for the competition. What are you going there for? Sit back down!"

Elise stopped and shrugged her shoulders, looking at Mica for help.

"Mr. Kamp, Elise is a top student in the liberal arts and has a wide range of knowledge. I've discussed with her, and she'll be a reserve member so that we will have a better chance of winning," Mica explained.

Although Martin was reluctant, he didn't want to embarrass his good student, so he waved his hand and said, "Go."

It was only then that the two of them were able to leave.

As they walked to the hallway, Sophie was already chatting with Mason and Stefan. When she saw that Elise was also tagging along, her smile suddenly dropped. "What are you doing here?"

"I asked Elise to help us. She's a liberal arts student, and she has a good memory," Mica said with a smile.

"The competition is in groups of three. What will happen if she joins in? Are you going to quit?" Sophie quipped unkindly.

"It's fine… According to the rules, we can have a reserve member." Mason tried to lighten the atmosphere in a gentle tone.

Looking at Elise again, he smiled kindly and said, "You must be the top student in liberal arts. I've heard of you. There aren't many top students who would choose to transfer to other departments, so your courage is commendable. I'm Mr. Young from the Department of Physics, and I've taught physics all my life. If you don't understand anything, please feel free to ask me."

"Thank you, Mr. Young," Elise agreed obediently.

As expected, there were only a few teachers in the world who were as snarky as Martin.

Mason nodded slightly. "Liberal arts students have a huge role in this kind of competition. Although you're a reserve member, you have to go all out."

"I'll try my best, sir." Elise loved this kind of encouraging education.

"That's good. I'll take all of you over to meet with the other participating teams in our school now. While you're there, familiarize yourselves with the rules of the competition and practice accordingly."

Saying that, Mason turned around and walked downstairs. Sophie stomped her feet angrily before going after him, followed by Stefan, while Mica and Elise walked arm in arm far away behind them, walking slowly.

The training venue was a specialized lecture theater. After Mason brought them inside, he went to pick up other students who were not there yet.

Shortly after, Alexander called, and Elise went outside to take the call. As soon as she went out, Sophie secretively pulled Mica aside.

Before Sophie could speak, Mica stepped aside and looked at her warily. "What are you doing?"

Sophie instantly became upset. Was her lovable face really that scary? As expected, she had guessed right; Elise must have been speaking ill about her to Mica!

After quickly calming herself, Sophie put on a pitiful look. "Mica, Elise must have made me seem worthless to you, but you should be able to tell that I am not that bad... Elise is targeting me because I know a lot of her secrets. Don't be fooled by her obedient act; when she's outside, all she does is flirt with guys. I don't even know how many men she's done that kind of thing with... You know what I mean?"

Sophie actually wanted to say that Elise had not been a virgin since a long time ago, but she was afraid that Mica would think that she was too open, so she deliberately said it in a roundabout way.

Hearing that, Mica frowned and looked at her in surprise, causing Sophie to secretly feel overjoyed. She was about to add more to her story, but Mica didn't give her a chance to.

"Sophie, how could you badmouth someone behind their back?"

"Huh?" Sophie was taken aback. Shouldn't she dislike Elise by now?

"Elise never talked about you to me at all. You only slandered her because you yourself are guilty." Mica looked at her up and down meaningfully. "Elise is my friend now, so I hope you won't target her again in the future!"

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 616-"You—" Sophie frowned, probably knowing that this kind of misguided person would not stand on her side, so she spat out, "Let's see," and walked away angrily.

After her call ended, Elise came back just in time to see the two in a bad mood. Mica's expression was quite dark.

Elise walked over and asked in concern, "Sophie didn't do anything to you, did she?"

"Her target isn't me; it's you." Mica was upset on her behalf. "Though I don't know what happened between the both of you before, I think that since Sophie would badmouth you behind your back, she'll definitely do something else secretly. Elise, you gotta watch your back from now on."

Elise pursed her lips and smiled lightly. "Sophie must've made me seem heinous. Even so, do you still want to be friends with me?"

"I'm an adult. I can judge what kind of person you are for myself. If I have to understand my friends from what other people say, then maybe I wouldn't be someone worth being a friend with. Even though I'm kinda antisocial, I don't think that it's to the extent where I can't form my own opinions," Mica said calmly.

Elise voluntarily wrapped her arm around Mica's and clung to her like they were good friends. "Then I'll be in your care in the future."

Who didn't like to hang out around beautiful women? Mica was flattered to be friends with a celebrity like Elise. Her face instantly flushed red, and she was too shy to say anything in reply. However, because Elise openly acted close with her, Mica became much more cheerful during practice. She was no longer hiding in the corner alone, but took the initiative to drag Elise to interact with the other teams.

——

As the night gradually darkened, Edwin drove into the psychiatric hospital. As it was currently the time when the patients were most excited, he could hear their eerie screams from all sides of the hallway as he walked.

Besides, it was already past visiting time and it was also late at night, so except for a few nurses and doctors on duty, there were no other outsiders in the hospital. Edwin made his way to Celina's ward familiarly, then pushed the door and walked in.

The lights were turned off in the ward, and Celina was lying in bed, staring blankly at the dark ceiling. The nurse had injected her with a tranquilizer not long ago, and although the effect was almost gone now, she didn't have the strength to struggle anymore. In a daze, she heard footsteps approaching her. When she turned her head and saw Edwin's rough and bumpy face, her face became full of disgust, just like every time she saw him after they got married.

Celina suddenly broke through the effect of the medicine and sat up from the bed. "I told you, I don't want to see you anymore. If you show up in front of me again, I'll ask my dad to break your leg. You think I'm joking, don't you? If you want me to lend money to some trash like you, forget it. When Dad comes next time, I'll tell him about this. Let's see how you can remain in the Saunders Family!"

If it were before, Edwin would've felt devastated as though his heart twisted like a knife, but today, he was unfazed, and there was even a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. With his back facing against the light, his whole face looked very terrifying. Celina was overcome with anxiety, and she couldn't help but turn her head away and clutched her blanket tightly.

"If you don't leave, I'm gonna call for help." Celina lowered her voice, not wanting to irritate him.

"Are you afraid, Nana?" The corners of Edwin's mouth lifted, and he whispered softly as though he were soothing a child, "Don't be afraid. I'm not here to borrow money from you. I'm here this time to do one last thing for you and free you from this place."

The psychiatric hospital was like hell on earth, and Celina had wanted to leave a long time ago. Her eyes lit up at his words, but the moment she looked up at Edwin, she became wary again. "Since when were you this kind?"

"You're right. I was unwilling at first." Edwin sighed. "But now I'm debt-ridden, and after all, I am not worthy of you. Instead of watching you being tortured here, it's better to let you out. If you're doing well, I won't have to worry anymore, and I can fully let you go."

Agitated, Celina stood up from the bed. "Great! Get me out of here now!"

"Yes, of course..." Edwin took out the knife that he had prepared a long time ago and sliced the straitjacket on her body.

Immediately after Celina's hands and feet were freed, she got out of bed and stretched her limbs excitedly, finally smiling in joy.

She completely let down her guard and said, "Edwin, let's forget everything bad that happened between us. In fact, I don't really hate you. It's just that we aren't suitable for each other as husband and wife. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I do." Edwin nodded faintly. In the dark, his dark eyes flashed evilly. "I should have understood earlier."

"Yeah, if you did, there would be no need to blow things up this much." Celina was immersed in the excitement of being free. "But you really thought I was out of my mind. Now that it's all right and we've forgiven each other, as long as I have you testifying for me, Daddy won't insist on locking me up here. When I get home, I will definitely ask Daddy to give you some money to pay off your debts."

"Oh yes, he will," Edwin said meaningfully. He then urged, "The nurse will be here to make her rounds soon. Let's hurry and leave so that we won't be discovered."

"Okay!" Celina put on her shoes, and followed Edwin out of the psychiatric hospital.

Before getting in the car, she was even thinking about how to find Elise to teach her a lesson. If Elise hadn't provoked her again and again, she wouldn't have reached her breaking point and temporarily lost control of herself. David had to put her in a mental hospital as a last resort. For one, she had to avoid criminal punishment, and the other reason was that he genuinely got suspicious of her mental state. I must prove that I'm not crazy!

Perhaps it was because she had been on edge at the hospital for too long, for she fell asleep as soon as she got in the car. When she opened her eyes, she found that they were completely surrounded by the wilderness. The road back to the Saunders Residence should've been brightly lit.

Celina swallowed nervously and turned to look at Edwin. "Edwin, aren't we going home?"

Edwin smiled faintly and said in a soft voice, "You're my wife. Your home should be wherever I live, right?"

"Didn't you say you were going to divorce me just now?" In an instant, Celina's face fell, and she ordered haughtily, "Stop the car and turn around. Take me home!"

Edwin was unfazed. A faint light shone into the car, illuminating his hideous and terrifying face. "You can't leave anymore."

Celina finally realized that she had been tricked. She turned and was about to open the door and jump out when Edwin quickly stepped on the brakes. The moment the car came to a stop, he yanked her back to her seat and took out a drugged towel from his pocket, covering her mouth and nose. In just ten seconds, Celina stopped struggling.

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 617-Once she had finished practicing for the entire afternoon and had dinner, Elise returned to the Elite Class for an evening test. Sophie had always tried the hardest for anything related to grades, but she was the last one to return that night.

"Mr. Kamp," Sophie shouted from the door.

"Miss Bowen, you're late." Martin didn't allow the people he valued to slack off.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to, but I had to deal with some things. Sir, if you're free, I have something to explain to you in private," Sophie said.

Although Martin was unhappy, he was still partial to Sophie. "Let's go outside and talk."

The two walked out of the classroom together and only stopped at the end of the hallway.

"Okay, Miss Bowen." Martin was growing a little impatient. "Just say what you want to say. There isn't anyone else here."

Sophie did not directly indicate her purpose, but asked tactfully, "Mr. Kamp, I remember that when you read out the class rules, there was one that said students who start arguments and cause trouble can't stay in the Elite Class, right?"

"Of course." Martin nodded. "Why are you asking me this?"

It was only then did Sophie take out her cell phone from her pocket and hand it to him. "Mr. Kamp, this is a big deal, so I think you need to judge for yourself whether this counts as causing trouble."

After a pause, Martin took her phone. A video was playing on the screen, showing a girl leading more than a hundred men in suits and surrounding a dozen people who were kneeling on the ground before she abruptly broke one of their legs. From the demeanor of those who were kneeling, it was not difficult to see how terrified they were of this girl.

In the last few seconds of the video, the camera focused on the girl's face, and Martin could see very clearly that the girl was not just anyone else, but Elise! Although she was wearing a cap, her facial features, which were as exquisite as a work of art, were too easy to distinguish.

Sophie keenly captured the disgust in Martin's eyes, and took the chance to say, "Mr. Kamp, to be honest, the one who got his leg broken is the son of a relative of mine. They knew that Elise was my classmate and looked for me, which is why I was late. I'm a student, so I don't know what to do, and I can only ask for your help."

Martin's ears were red with anger. Among all the students he had taught, most of them were talented and intelligent, but there had never been one who had bullied others and caused trouble. Just by herself, Elise had done all these things. It was one thing to bully others, but breaking someone's leg was assault! This wasn't just a violation of class rules—it was a crime!

Martin almost fainted from anger, but after thinking about it, he suddenly felt a little gleeful. This way, even Leon couldn't protect Elise anymore.

After he gathered his thoughts, he put the phone in his pocket and said with a calm expression, "You can go ahead and take your tests. Don't speak up. I'll hold onto your phone for you first. I can't be the master of this matter, so I'm going to see the principal now. After I come back, I'll let you know."

"Okay, I'll leave it to you, sir!" Sophie nodded obediently. She wouldn't say anything even if she could. If someone was willing to speak up, the blame wouldn't fall on her.

Elise must've thought that if the surveillance footage was erased, no one would know what she had done. Fortunately, Sophie had a wide range of contacts and found a hacker who restored the footage. If she wasn't guilty, why would she bother to delete the footage? What's done by night appears by day. This time, I'll have these words etched into your mind, Elise Sinclair!

Deep in her thoughts, Sophie walked back and returned to her seat. However, she couldn't help but look back and gave a sympathetic look at Elise. Elise, oh, Elise, enjoy your last day in the Elite Class!

When Elise glanced at her out of the corner of her eyes, she knew that this woman was up to something again. She shook her head. One day, I'll bring Sophie to ruins.

In the principal's office, Leon was playing chess on the computer. Just as he reached a critical moment, a series of hurried knocks suddenly came on the door.

Knock, knock!

"Come in." Leon stared at the stalemate on the screen without raising his gaze.

"Mr. Haas." Martin walked directly to him. "There's something concerning the reputation of Tissote University that I think is necessary for you to know."

"Okay, go ahead," Leon said absentmindedly.

Martin pushed Sophie's phone across the table. "I hope you can approve and expel Elise from the school after watching this video."

Leon raised his gaze and showed a look of surprise. "Mr. Kamp, is your memory that bad or did you not take my words to heart? How many times have I said that I didn't send Miss Sinclair to your class to be bullied? Do you have to target her like this?"

"I'm not targeting anyone." Martin said with an air of indifference, "Things are different this time. Elise is suspected of assault. Should we wait for the victim to come forward and inform us, it'll be too late to deal with it by then!"

"Assault?" Leon's expression became solemn. "I need an explanation. What's going on?"

"The video will explain everything," Martin insisted.

Left with no other choice, Leon could only put his chess match aside, and opened the video and watched it. Two minutes later, he clutched onto Sophie's pink phone with a frown speechlessly. He sighed, regretting clicking on the video.

For Elise to be able to lead a gang like this, could it be that she was part of the underworld? It was clear that this wasn't a trivial matter from the way the person almost lost their life after just one hit.

Martin looked at his expression and said confidently, "Mr. Haas, these should be enough to expel Elise, right?"

Leon did not answer, but stared at the paused screen on the phone in a daze. Although the group of people who were beaten up were few, they didn't look like good people from the looks of their outfits. He couldn't readily decide what was right or wrong.

After a moment of hesitation, Leon said, "Elise Sinclair is a top student of our school that we worked hard to recruit. Expelling her is not a simple matter. This issue still needs to be investigated."

However, Martin pressed, "If students who hurt others' lives in fights like this don't get expelled, I really doubt if Tissote University still has a bottom line."

Leon's face sank when he heard the words, and his usual kind demeanor was suddenly shrouded by an air of authority.

"Mr. Kamp, you've been insistent in trying to expel a student who has been nothing but perfect in terms of character and studies. You'll know for yourself if you're doing this for your self interest or not. As the school principal, I'm responsible for every student. Making rash decisions based on one-sided arguments—potentially jeopardizing a student's future—is something I will never do!"

"The truth should be clear at a glance from the video. I don't understand what else you would need to make a decision." Martin was unmoved.

"A motive. There has to be a reason for this. Who would cause trouble for no reason? Maybe Miss Sinclair was just forced to fight back."

"Is that possible? Mr. Haas, you can clearly see that Elise's men greatly outnumber their opponents, at least ten times more than the other. This is obviously an overwhelming case of bullying. There's nothing wrong with it!"

"Fine. But if you're wrong about this, you'll hand over the position of the homeroom teacher of the Elite Class and let someone else take over!"

"Deal!"

With Sophie vouching for him, there was no way he could be wrong!

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 618-In the Elite Class, Sophie was growing impatient from waiting until the door finally opened, and her eyes lit up. Sure enough, Martin walked in with Leon.

As soon as Martin entered the door, his gaze locked onto the back of the classroom. "Miss Sinclair, someone reported that you were fighting on Snack Street not long ago. Is that true?"

Sophie gloated inwardly, but she still pretended to be innocent and said to the boy with glasses next to her, "I didn't expect that someone quiet like Elise is actually a gangster. You really can't judge a book by its cover, don't you think?"

However, the boy with glasses didn't bother humoring her at all. He glanced at her and retorted, "Mr. Kamp has been targeting Goddess Elise for a long time. Maybe he's just causing trouble for no reason again."

Sophie's expression froze. Did this person become stupid from studying too much? How could he blindly support Elise without knowing what happened?

"Elise led a gang fight? Are you alright? She didn't even look nervous when I was answering the questions."

"It must be another false alarm."

"Ugh, why does Mr. Kamp trouble Elise all day long? To be honest, this kind of teacher is the most annoying kind."

Sophie's face turned red with anger. She couldn't believe that these people were willing to stand on Elise's side and refused to listen to Martin, a reputable teacher who had been hired by Tissote University with a huge amount of money!

There was a look of dissatisfaction on Sheldon and Elliot's faces, and they turned to look at Elise to ask if she needed help. However, Elise shook her head impassively, motioning them to remain calm.

Seeing that the students were getting restless, Martin hurriedly walked to the rostrum and picked up the cane, tapping it on the table twice. "Quiet down!"

At that, the chatter stopped.

Leon leaned over. He covered his mouth with his hand, pretending to cough while he whispered, "We don't know the truth yet, so just ask Elise to come out alone. It isn't ideal to discuss this in front of everyone."

"No, Mr. Haas. Elise is a very cunning person. We can't give her time to react. We must find out the truth immediately!"

Saying that, Martin ignored Leon holding him back and connected Sophie's phone to the projector using Bluetooth before he played the video. As the video played, the originally quiet classroom burst out in chatters again.

Sophie leaned over again and asked the boy in glasses in a gloating tone, "Now that the truth is presented before you, do you still think Elise is innocent?"

The boy stared at the video on the projector intently and pushed his glasses up. With a look of adoration, he said to himself, "Was my goddess always this cool?"

Sophie was confused. Cool? Men in science really have a strange way of looking at things.

The other students couldn't help but cast concerned glances at Elise.

"I can't believe Elise actually fought people like a gangster. Is she going to be expelled?"

"I can't believe she's actually a part of a gang. I read a novel once where the popular girl was actually a mafia leader. Look, it became a reality!"

"Huh? What kind of novels are you reading?"

"Is this the time to talk about that?"

Seeing the chaos that ensued, Leon couldn't directly speak up to defend Elise, so he could only try to control the situation by playing dumb. "This is the only video we have right now, and there isn't any sound. We cannot confirm that Miss Sinclair is in the wrong…"

However, before he could finish speaking, Sophie stood up with a clatter.

"Mr. Haas, the truth has been revealed. What else is there to say? Aren't you just trying to defend Elise? If word gets out that students of this school deliberately hurt people, who else would dare to study at Tissote University? As for the rest of us, I'm afraid that we'll be criticized when we go out as well."

Sophie was persistent in her pestering. "Elise is a liberal arts top student. If you wouldn't let anything happen to her, would you let us science students be ostracized by others?"

Leon's palms were sweating at her words. Of course he didn't want that. Elise was his student, and so were the others. He didn't want any student to be harmed. However, if he didn't make a decision now that things had come to this, once the credibility of the school's leaders was questioned, the school's reputation would be in crisis, and Tissote University would become the focus of public opinion. By then, the issue would snowball into something that couldn't be solved simply by expelling a student.

On the other hand, Sophie was still tirelessly trying to stir the relationship between Elise and Leon. Leon knew that he couldn't wait any longer.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then looked at Elise and asked solemnly, "Miss Sinclair, was it you who broke the boy's leg in the video?"

"It is," Elise admitted calmly.

The crowd burst into an uproar.

Seizing the chance, Martin urged, "Mr. Haas, Elise has admitted it. You can expel her from Tissote University now!"

With a sigh, Leon lowered his gaze and nodded in acquiescence.

As though he had won the lottery, Martin became energetic in an instant. He parted his lips, about to ask Elise to get out, but he came to a halt right before he spoke. Every time he tried to put Elise on the spot, Kenneth would definitely show up. Could he have heard the news in advance again this time? No, he had just reminded Sophie not to speak out, and after looking for Leon, he went straight to the classroom. It was impossible for Kenneth to know.

Still, Martin turned his head and glanced at the door of the classroom. Fortunately, the entrance was empty, and there was no trace of Kenneth, let alone Elise's husband. No one could defend her anymore!

Martin's heart was full of glee and he puffed out his chest, announcing loudly, "Miss Sinclair, in violation of the school rules, you are required to drop out of school. Please pack up now and leave the Elite Class!"

Elise raised an eyebrow impassively. "I only admitted that I hit that person. Did I say that I was leaving?"

"It's not up to you whether you leave or not!" Martin roared.

"Oh? It isn't up to me, but is it up to you, Mr. Kamp? I didn't know that Tissote University was now owned by foreign teachers." Elise had never wanted to start trouble with Martin and was just going to tolerate everything. However, since he found her presence so intolerable, she would make her stand.

"That's right, Mr. Kamp. You don't have to be so impatient. Miss Sinclair still has something to say, so why not let her finish?" Leon didn't really want to expel Elise after all. In any case, he was still the principal, and Martin couldn't just do whatever he wanted.

After a pause, he looked at Elise gently. "Miss Sinclair, just say whatever you have to say. You don't have to hold back!"

After thinking for a moment, Elise looked directly into Martin's eyes and said, "In the whole classroom, only Mr. Kamp and Sophie firmly believe that I broke the law and committed a crime. I have a question for you then: If we get to the bottom of this matter and it turns out that you've misunderstood me, can I ask you to leave this school as well?"

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 619-Sophie was the first to react. "What nonsense are you spouting off? Mr. Kamp and I are speaking up for what is right and to protect the reputation of the university. Can you say the same for yourself?!"

"I concur." Sheldon couldn't keep it in any longer as he stood up in anger. "How could Elise be used as a comparison for someone like Sophie?"

"Sheldon Keller, what are you trying to imply here?" Sophie turned her attention toward Sheldon. "No one would mistake you as a mute if you don't speak up!"

"I apologize but I'm not mute. I'm just an ordinary and mediocre student that is speaking up for what is right for the reputation of the school."

With a flippant attitude, Sheldon continued, "You said that Elise being involved in a school brawl will negatively impact our university's reputation. If she was not in the wrong, do you think that all speculation and slander on your part brings a positive impact to the school instead?!"

"There should be no need to see who is more noble here, for we are all students of the Elite Class. Since the principal had already agreed to your request, then Elise's condition should be met as well!"

"That's right! It must be fair and just!" Elliot stood up as a sign of support.

Though Mica was pondering for some time, she—with her face swollen red—still stood up with weak knees in the end, as she could no longer sit idle on the matter. "Prin… Principal, I think what Sheldon and Elliot said is correct. You should treat everyone equally."

Leon was always of the mind to support Elise, and so he waved his hand to appease the ones before him. "Please take a seat first."

With the principal's words, the ones who stood sat back down.

However, only Sophie refused to comply and continued to stand tall and haughtily, as though she was anticipating for Elise to make a fool out of herself.

"Miss Bowen, you've asked me to consider the interest of the students, yet now you're trying to become the exception to what you've just preached?" Leon reminded, as though he was taking a jab at her.

Sophie was about to argue with the principal, but stopped after noticing Martin signaling her to stay calm by shaking his head at her. It was only then that Sophie chose to take a seat.

Among those with good grades, it was inevitable there would be some who would be of an arrogant nature. The principal thought that Sophie was one who lacked empathy but did not think much about it.

Leon then turned his attention to Elise and said in a gentle voice, "Miss Elise, you do not have to worry. I have already discussed the matter with Mr. Kamp. Should the investigation reveal that you were innocent in this, Mr. Kamp will resign from his position as the Elite Class' homeroom teacher as his atonement to you. What do you think?"

Martin had a startled expression mixed with an expression that showed bitterness he was holding in.

Originally, this was an agreement made between Martin and the principal personally. Hence, even if Elise were proven innocent in the matter, there would still be room to argue for Martin to keep his place.

Yet the action of the principal revealing that agreement to the whole class was akin to forcing Martin to a corner with nowhere left to run. Should Elise be proven innocent in all this, then he would have no other option but to resign as agreed.

However, an agreement is just an agreement. Where else could Tissote University find someone as young and talented as me as a homeroom teacher? Even Mr. Haas would not go as far as to dismiss someone the university has paid a great sum to hire for a mere student's sake.

Martin felt relieved as he went through these thoughts.

After listening to the principal revealing the agreement made with Martin, Elise took a glance at Martin. To her, it was a good idea to push Martin out of his position as the homeroom teacher as there would be no one left to pick fault with her, and Sophie would lose one of her supporters.

"Alright. I hope both the principal and Mr. Kamp would honor what was agreed," Elise answered.

"Only if you can show proof," Martin retorted nonchalantly.

Elise only rolled her eyes at him as her response before turning to face the class. "Did anyone bring their computer here, and is willing to lend it to me?"

"Right now we're asking you to show your evidence. Why are you asking for a computer right now? Don't tell me you're just stalling for time since you don't want to leave?" Sophie questioned her.

"Your family lives by the sea, right? That explains why you're so salty right now." Sheldon was furious.

"You—! Hmph!" Though anger rose in her, Sophie managed to turn her cheek the other way.

"I have a computer with me." Stefan—one of the students who would be participating in the competition as well—spoke up and gave the computer to Elise. "It's not password protected and it's already connected to my phone's hotspot, so you'll be able to use the internet as well."

"Thank you." Elise recognized the student. He's one of the students who practiced with us earlier. What's his name again? I can't remember. Gotta ask Mica about it after class.

Elise went back to her seat and began using the computer after receiving it from Stefan.

In no time at all, the rapid sound of the keyboard tapping was comparable to that of a printer that was printing continuously without stopping as it gradually filled the classroom.

The female students had not understood the sights they were witnessing, while the male students—who witnessed how fast Elise was typing—widened their eyes in surprise. Silently, they left their seats and started inching over to Elise while whispering to one another.

"Is it even normal for someone's hand to have this kind of speed?"

"I don't think I can win even if we're just competing by pressing a single letter…"

"Not only does Elise know how to compose music and write lyrics, but she is also proficient in handling a computer to this extent? Dear God, just how many gifts have you bestowed on her?"

Martin spat out quietly. In his mind, this was all just a big flashy show—just one big bluff on Elise's part.

Amid Martin's reaction and the student's chatter, Elise kept her focus. After logging into the website she made, she then entered the location of the incident and obtained surveillance footage from the scene. Following that, she went ahead and connected the computer to the projector.

Two minutes later, the screen that was used to show the prior video lit up once again. The video—which amounted to about 5 minutes as compared to the prior short clip—was then played at two times the speed right in front of the crowd.

The footage clearly captured the group of people—who were kneeling on the ground in the previous video—surrounding Sheldon and Elliot as they forced the two into an entrance to a store. After knocking Elliot unconscious, the group proceeded to pin Sheldon down and started getting physical with him.

The group of them had tried to turn their violence on Elise when she arrived on the scene but were fortunately prevented by the appearance of the men dressed in suits. Eventually, they were all subdued by the latter.

With this video, it was all made very clear. Though Elise did not sustain any injuries, she was the same as Sheldon and Elliot; she was also a victim in that incident. The results of the incident were merely an act of self-defense on Elise's part.

Elliot was stunned after witnessing the video. He then tugged at the corner of Sheldon's coat. "Weren't you the one who chased them away?"

Sheldon shrugged. "Since the Boss wanted to keep a low profile, I had no other options but to comply."

"Damn you! Then why didn't you stop me from serving you?!"

"Wasn't that of your own free will? I certainly did not force you to say that you will even give me a baby."

"You—! Despicable!"

Elliot then went at him with his arms around the neck. Quietly, both of them started making a fuss.

The air in the classroom had gradually changed as well.

"I knew that our goddess was innocent! Just look! How could that beautiful face of hers possibly utter violence to be inflicted on another?"

"How dare they bully someone from our class? Who was that group of people? We should go and settle the score with them!"

"The other party seems to have some injuries to their leg, but Elliot sustained injuries to the head! Who will be responsible if he has some kind of head trauma in the future? Those people are just too ruthless!"

"Elise is so brave for saving the two of them alone!"

As Sophie continued listening to the praises for Elise, her mind started spiraling as she sat on pins and needles. Wha— What is the meaning of this? Weren't the surveillance footage deleted already? How did she manage to get a hold of it?!

Martin was speechless as he froze in shock over the video. How could this be? Elise was actually an innocent party? Impossible. Why would Sophie try to frame Elise?!

Though his mind was still in confusion over the truth of the matter, his pride—of always being composed and calm—forced him to show not a hint of panic in his expression.

Leon nodded in satisfaction before casting an approving glance at Elise. "Splendid, Miss Sinclair. You have not disappointed me!"

After a pause, he then turned his attention to Martin and posed his question casually, "Mr. Kamp, what do you think?"

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 620-What did he think?

This was definitely not what he expected at all.

Martin hung his head in shame and remained silent to the question posed to him.

"To be fair, not all blame lies with Mr. Kamp here." Elise suddenly spoke up in a carefree manner. "We were taught to pursue the truth of any matter as part of our country's compulsory education for 9 years. Since Mr. Kamp grew up abroad, it is normal for him to make careless mistakes every once in a while."

"It's good that you understand." Martin continued, "However, I am not ignorant of the things of this country. How did that saying go again? Ah yes, even angels make mistakes. What more so for when I am but a humble teacher? However, this is still no excuse for me to commit such a blunder."

Nevertheless, some of the students failed to suppress themselves and burst out in laughter.

Martin's pride was affected by their laughter as though they were making light of him. His expression turned cold as he scolded the ones laughing, "What are you all laughing at? Is such a serious matter amusing to you all?"

One of the male students couldn't watch this go on any longer. He sighed then muttered to the teacher, "Mr. Kamp, what Elise is saying is that you are but a fugitive that slipped through the net of the 9 years of compulsory education…"

The moment the student explained what Elise meant, Sheldon and Elliot stopped their tomfoolery and laughed much louder than any others before them.

Martin's pride took another hit, which led him to lash out at Elise. "Miss Sinclair, you must think you're so knowledgeable that you're nit-picking on my words to take a jab at me right now!"

"Ahem—" Leon faked his cough to interrupt Martin before reminding him in a whisper, "A teacher should behave like a teacher. Control that attitude of yours!"

"Mr. Haas, I didn't mean to lash out like that. It was all because of Elise; she thinks too highly of herself!" Martin continued to argue, "It's true that I have misunderstood her, but it does not excuse her from speaking out of turn and humiliating a teacher!"

"Mr. Kamp, it's best if you stop making a big deal out of everything. Is there any falsehood to what Elise had said? You have not attended 9 years of compulsory education before, have you?" Sheldon remarked, albeit in a slightly provocative tone. "Unless you are trying to say that Elise had fabricated the part where you grew up abroad?"

"That's impossible! I am a proud citizen of Mesdra!" Martin's arrogance rose sharply as he spoke those words.

However, this sentence had upset the entire class.

Was abandoning one's nationality such a thing to be proud of?

Martin was quick on the uptake that the air in the room was turning from bad to worse, and so tried to move on to another topic. "Forget it. I'm not going to be bothered by these small details. Since this was all just a big misunderstanding, then let us call it a day here. Mr. Haas, let me escort you back. I still need to report to you about the students' recent academic progress."

"Hold it," Elise called out to the teacher. "Mr. Kamp, I'm afraid you're forgetting something here."

"That's right! Don't think of running away now!" Sheldon gave Elliot a signal with his eyes. The two then blocked the two exits of the classroom, with one standing guard on each side.

"Sheldon! Elliot! Just what do you think you're doing?!" Martin was furious as he slammed his hands on the table before shouting in rage, "What you're doing now is an unlawful restriction of another's personal freedom! Elise did not break any laws, yet here you two are trying to do so?!"

"That is true. Sheldon, Elliot, what you did was slightly out of boundaries. Go back to your seats first," Leon said warmly.

Sheldon folded his arms in response. "We will take our seats, but I would like to remind Mr. Kamp to honor his word of resigning as the homeroom teacher. Otherwise, I will never attend another class from this school ever again!"

"Same here!" Elliot joined in.

Martin's expression turned grim as he gritted his teeth fiercely. If looks could kill, both Sheldon and Elliot would be dead by now.

After determining the option Leon chose, Martin had only one way out of this matter. "Miss Bowen, stand up right now!"

Sophie jolted as though she was struck by lightning. With a confused expression, she stood up.

With no words exchanged, Martin proceeded to reprimand the student. "Miss Bowen, I have always had high hopes for you. Why would you set up your classmate like this? You'd better tell the truth to everyone now. You brought the video to me so that I'll be the one pulling the trigger for you, is that right?!"

"I… I…" Sophie could not find the words to retort him, for she had not expected Martin to sell her out like this.

"The phone was yours, and the video was on your phone. Admit it! You still have a chance to atone for your mistakes. I should warn you that I have my ways of finding evidence of your foul play should you keep denying it, so you better think carefully on what your next answer is." Martin spoke in a manner that seemed to insinuate that it was not his fault on this matter.

It was clear to see what Martin was trying to suggest to Sophie: He would protect her as long as she took the blame for this.

However, it was at this moment that the sound of someone clapping resonated from the backdoor of the classroom.

It was a slow yet loud clap, the ones the audience would give when applauding a performance of a theater show.

Martin felt a chill run down his spine. With a sense of bad premonition, he turned his head to find Kenneth standing by the door. He's here!

He knitted his brows and kept blinking while telling himself that the sight before him was just a mere illusion.

Yet no matter how much he blinked, Kenneth stood still by the door with a mocking smile on his face.

Martin pinched himself in an attempt to avoid the reality he was facing. As he was hissing from the pain he felt from his own pinching, his mind came to a realization—Kenneth was not an illusion.

Kenneth Bailey—the nightmare of his teaching career—was someone he could never predict.

"Mr. Kamp really has a way with words. Just a few sentences are enough for him to convince a student to take the blame for him. To be able to misdirect others with just his words, Mr. Kamp truly is an excellent teacher, a fine example for teachers everywhere!" Kenneth continued to shower his "praise" on Martin.

Martin could barely hold his expression together now that his scheme was seen through. Nevertheless, the only option left for him was to double down on his claim. "I am merely stating my truth in this matter. The video given to me was from Miss Bowen. You can question her if you don't believe me."

Kenneth took a glance at Sophie, who was at the front of the classroom, then indifferently turned his attention back to Martin. "We shall leave the matter of who brought the video to you for another time. Since we are all educated people here, we should be settling everything by order. The first matter we should be settling is the accusation Mr. Kamp had made against Miss Sinclair. Regardless of the motives Mr. Kamp had for doing so, you should be holding up your end of the agreement, am I wrong?"

"That's right! We were so close to being led by the nose!" Sheldon was the first to get a hold of himself. He then continued in a loud voice, "The agreement before was that if Elise was found innocent in this matter, then Mr. Kamp should resign from his position as the homeroom teacher. You should stop complicating this matter with another!"

After making his statement heard, Sheldon turned his gaze to Kenneth.

Just who is this guy with such high rationality? Don't tell me it's another one of Boss' suitors?

Jamie, you failed to seize your chance whenever the opportune moment for the hero to save a damsel in distress presents itself. This is partly the reason why you still failed to capture Boss' heart…

Jamie—who was criticized out of left field—had a questioning look on his face.

"Mr. Haas, what are you waiting for?" Kenneth's tone was casual but carried an inexplicable solemnity to it.

"I…" Leon was slightly hesitant in giving the final verdict. Considering how prideful Martin was, he thought that Martin might not accept the demotion and would choose to quit his job in a fit of anger instead. Should that come to pass, Tissote University would lose another elite.

Truth be told, the faculty of the university gradually turned into a shell of its glory years as time went on, as every one of the better teachers was being poached left and right by the Polytechnic University. Right now, Tissote University was fine on the surface but was already facing immediate danger of being understaffed.

It was for the above reasons that Leon could not afford to underestimate the loss should his decision lead to Martin leaving the university in a fit of anger.

"I have heard rumors that Mr. Haas is someone who greatly cherishes the talented. I see that the rumors were true after all." Kenneth then cast his glance sideways deliberately and slowly to speak to the one behind him. "Johnny, how about you introduce yourself and your academic experiences to Mr. Haas here?"