Charlotte glanced over at Letty, and the reporters, who had just calmed down, immediately surged forward again. Microphones crowded in around her.

“Letty, you’re one of the favorites to win the championship this year. Did you really cheat to get the practical surgery question ahead of time? Did you practice beforehand?”

“As a member of The Cabinda Medical Branch and a master’s student at The Cabinda University, do you realize how serious the punishment for cheating in this competition could be?”

“And since you know Lydia, were you also involved when she hired someone to commit murder?”

Involved?

Letty barely had time to process the thought of punishment for cheating when the accusation of murder hit her like a punch to the gut. Her face went ghostly white.

“No! I don’t know anything about that!”

She snapped her head up, her voice shaky as she denied it. “I had no idea Lydia would hire someone to kill Charlotte!”

She was telling the truth. Lydia had simply told her to keep her head down and focus on the competition, promising to take care of the ‘problem’ that was Charlotte. She never explained how.

It wasn’t until Letty saw Charlotte’s injured right hand at the competition that it all clicked.

When Letty insisted she had nothing to do with it, Lydia, now in handcuffs, stared at her with furious, bloodshot eyes.

Letty had called her ‘mentor’ whenever she needed help. Now that things had gone wrong, she couldn’t distance herself fast enough.

What a fool I was to ever trust her, Lydia thought bitterly.

The interview with Letty wrapped up, and at this point, it was almost certain she had cheated. Whether she was involved in the attempted murder was up to the police to sort out.

“President Lloyd, how will you handle the cheating incident?”

The reporters shifted their attention to Lloyd. From the chaos at the start to the explosive news of plagiarism and attempted murder, Lloyd’s face had stayed dark and tense.

The International Medical Alliance had never faced a scandal like this. Cheating and a murder plot? If they didn’t act decisively, how could they ever earn back the world’s respect?

“According to our rules, Lydia is expelled and will never be allowed back. We’ll fully cooperate with the police investigation into the attempted murder.”

If Lydia was found guilty, she’d likely spend the rest of her life behind bars.

Lydia opened her mouth, wanting to protest, but nothing came out. The evidence was overwhelming. Arguing was pointless.

It was over for her. Completely over.

“As for Letty, her results from this

competition are nullified. The

vel

International Medical Alliance will formally request The Cabinda Medical Branch to revoke her. membership. She’s banned from all future medical competitions and conferences.”

Banned from conferences? That was basically a career death sentence.

Letty’s eyelashes trembled. She looked up, desperate to explain herself, but all she got in return was a storm of camera flashes.

“Letty, do you have any objections to your punishment?”

“As Cabinda University’s top medical student, how are you going to explain this when you go back?”

Letty stared into the blinding lights, her face drained of color. She couldn’t even imagine what her

teachers and classmates backet

at

school would think if they saw thiss She didn’t dare think about what was waiting for her when she returned.

While she stood there, frozen, two police officers stepped up behind her and spoke in a low, firm voice. “Letty you’re connected to the attempted murder case. Please come with us and assist with the investigation.”

Letty closed her eyes, feeling completely drained. With her head bowed, she walked

out slowly, every step heavy, the eyes of the world following her as she left.