"That’s not the question you should be asking," she replied. "You already know what kind of power I hold here."
Her gaze locked onto his.
"Second only to Ivy and her family... I’m the most powerful person in this base."
For a brief mont, silence hung heavy between them.
Then Ryan chuckled. A low, unsettling sound.
"Fine," he muttered, turning toward the exit. "If you don’t want the easy way... I’ll take the harder route."
Without another word, he walked out.
Martha’s eyes narrowed slightly as she watched him leave, but she didn’t follow. ’What is he planning...?’
She didn’t have to wait long to find out.
A sharp, tallic clanking sound echoed from outside. Again. And again. The noise was loud, jarring, impossible to ignore.
Martha stepped out of her office, her heels clicking softly against the floor.
Outside, she saw him... Ryan stood in the open area, repeatedly banging a tal utensil against a surface, the harsh ringing cutting through the air like an alarm.
People began to gather, drawn by the noise.
The murmurs started almost instantly.
"What’s going on?"
"Why is he shouting?"
Curiosity spread quickly.
In this new world, people had changed. With food secured and survival no longer a daily struggle, they had the luxury to care, to listen... even to gossip.
Ryan noticed the growing crowd and, almost instantly, his deanor shifted. His shoulders slumped slightly, his expression turning sorrowful.
"My niece..." he began, his voice trembling, "the one I supported during her hardest tis... now refuses to acknowledge ."
Martha’s eyes darkened. ’So this is your ga...’
Without hesitation, she stepped forward, cutting him off. "Supported ?" she repeated sharply. "What help did you ever give ?"
She turned to the crowd, her voice firm and clear. "Everything I have today... I earned myself."
The crowd looked between them, confusion evident on their faces.
Martha took a step forward, her expression hardening. "After my mother died, he cut off all contact with ," she said, her voice steady but heavy.
"When I begged for help with college fees... he wasn’t there."
A faint breeze passed through, carrying the tension with it.
"It was my college that gave a scholarship," she continued. "They supported when I had nothing."
She looked directly at the people around her. "So tell ... is it wrong of to refuse helping soone who now wants to give up my position... for his son?"
The crowd began to murmur, voices overlapping, uncertainty spreading like ripples.
Ryan, however, simply smirked faintly.
"That’s what you believes," he said calmly. "Or maybe... you knows the truth and are still just pretending."
Martha’s eyes widened slightly. ’What is he talking about...?’
Ryan turned toward the crowd again, his expression turning emotional, almost fragile. "The scholarship money she’s talking about..." he said slowly, "I was the one who arranged it."
A ripple of shock passed through the crowd.
"I donated to the college," he continued, his voice softening. "But I asked them not to reveal my na... because I didn’t want my wife to interfere."
He lowered his head slightly, his shoulders trembling as if holding back tears. "I just wanted to support her... quietly."
Martha froze. ’...What?’
Her thoughts spiraled. If that were true... Then why had he never checked on her?
Why had he never visited when she was sick? But... whenever she had been ill, dicine had always arrived. Quietly. Reliably.
And the college... they had done more than just provide scholarships. Trips. Extra funds. Support beyond what seed normal.
’...Was it really him?’
Doubt crept into her mind like a slow poison. Ryan, noticing her hesitation, prepared to press further...
But suddenly... "He’s lying!"
The voice rang out sharply, cutting through the murmurs. Everyone turned.
A path opened almost instinctively as people stepped aside.
Walking forward was Kael.
His expression was grim, his gaze unwavering.
He stopped in front of Ryan. "You’re lying," he said coldly. "You didn’t provide any scholarship money to Martha."
Martha’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Kael. ’He’s part of the university board... he would know...’
She turned to him imdiately. "Is it true?" she asked. "Did he not donate anything?"
Kael shook his head without hesitation.
Then he turned toward the crowd. "I’m one of the board mbers," he announced. "And I can confirm that all scholarship funds ca directly from the college. Not from him."
A wave of murmurs spread through the people once again.
Ryan frowned, his expression tightening for just a brief second before he regained composure.
"You can say whatever you want," he replied coolly. "After all... there’s no one from the college here to prove it."
Hearing Ryan’s words, the crowd imdiately broke into murmurs, their voices overlapping like restless waves.
"Maybe it’s true..."
"If there’s no one from the college here, how can we confirm it?"
"Yeah... it could go either way..."
The uncertainty spread quickly.
Martha felt her chest tighten slightly, a faint unease creeping in.
’...What if they believe him?’ Her fingers curled subtly at her sides as she scanned the faces around her, noticing doubt flickering in their eyes.
Then... Kael stepped forward.
He had been silent until now, his gaze shifting from Martha’s anxious expression to the restless crowd. Seeing that faint worry on her face made sothing inside him tighten.
He inhaled slowly, then spoke firmly, "I know the truth... because those paynts were made by ."
The mont those words left his mouth... Silence.
Complete silence. Every single person froze. Even Martha.
Her eyes widened as she turned toward him, disbelief flashing across her face. ’...What did he just say?’
Kael didn’t hesitate. Knowing there was no turning back now, he pulled out his phone. His fingers moved quickly as he opened multiple files and receipts.
One by one, he showed them. Transaction records. Transfer details.
Even scanned copies of requests, docunts written by Martha herself years ago.
There were also notes, small, almost insignificant lines where Kael had instructed the college to provide her with additional funds under the na of "vacation support."
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