CHAPTER 86: MIRANDA WHITMAN

The door closed with a soft click, leaving Miranda alone in her office.

She remained standing by her desk for a long moment, her professional smile fading as silence settled around her.

What she never told them was that she knew exactly what Pierce was planning... and she could already sense the danger in it.

She let out a long breath, murmuring to the empty room, "What a reckless game you’ve chosen to play, Gerald."

The words hung in the air, her exhale heavy with the weight of consequences she could hardly bring herself to imagine.

She moved to the window, watching Alex and Tisha cross the quad below.

There was something in the way they walked together... a natural rhythm, an easy comfort that spoke of genuine partnership.

She understood then that what bound them went well beyond the concern of a mentor for her student.

At first, she’d dismissed it as nothing more than her friend being overly protective of a student.

But watching them now... the way their steps fell into an easy rhythm, the quiet assurance that passed between them without words... it was undeniable.

This wasn’t just guidance anymore. It was trust and loyalty, something far more personal.

Miranda’s fingers traced the edge of her wedding ring, a habit she hadn’t broken despite everything.

She’d watched that same protective instinct in Gerald once, years ago when they were both young academics navigating their first university positions together.

’We used to walk like that.’

The memory surfaced unbidden... Gerald at thirty-five, passionate about educational reform, staying late to help struggling students.

He had even turned down lucrative administrative positions few times because he believed his place was in the classroom.

He’d been principled then, sometimes frustratingly so.

She remembered arguments about his refusal to play political games, his insistence that merit should matter more than connections.

"Idealistic fool," she whispered to the empty room, but there was no malice in it. Only the ache of mourning someone who was still alive.

When had it changed? She couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment Gerald Pierce had died and been replaced by this ambitious stranger wearing his face.

The first time she’d seen him bend the rules for a donor’s child, she’d convinced herself it was pragmatic. Universities needed funding, after all.

When he’d started taking meetings with Marcus Steele’s father, discussing "mutual interests," she’d told herself it was networking.

But this fixation on Alex Hale was different. Personal.

The Gerald she’d married would have been disgusted by the scheming, the manufactured accusations, the abuse of institutional power for petty vendettas.

Miranda pressed her palm against the cool glass, watching students move across the campus she’d once believed they were serving together.

The autumn light caught the gold of her ring, a circle that had once symbolized shared dreams and parallel ambitions.

Now it felt like a shackle to a ghost.

She’d built her career on principles Gerald had taught her... fairness, intellectual honesty, the belief that education could transform lives.

Ironic that she now found herself using those same principles against him, protecting students from the man who’d once inspired her to protect them.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Her secretary’s voice came through the intercom: "Dr. Whitman? The board members are assembling for the inquiry."

Miranda straightened, her professional mask sliding back into place. "I’ll be right there."

But she allowed herself one last look at her reflection in the window glass. Behind her composed exterior, something sharp and painful lived in her eyes.

The knowledge that some betrayals couldn’t be forgiven, even when they happened slowly enough that you didn’t notice until it was too late.

The woman who’d once believed in Gerald Pierce’s vision would ensure that Alex Hale received the fair hearing her husband was determined to deny him.

It was, perhaps, the last gift she could give to the memory of the man she’d married, even as she prepared to publicly humiliate the stranger he’d become.

***

President’s Office – One Hour Ago

Pierce’s office felt smaller with five students crowded inside, the afternoon light filtering through heavy curtains casting long shadows across the mahogany desk.

William sat gingerly in one of the leather chairs, his left arm secured in a professional sling, while Brad leaned against the wall, favoring his uninjured leg.

Both looked like they’d been through a medical textbook of trauma care.

William’s face was a carefully mapped landscape of healing bruises beneath sterile bandages, while Brad’s walking cast and rib wrapping spoke to the thoroughness of Marcus’s "preparation."

"You sure they can actually fix us?" William’s voice carried a tremor he couldn’t quite hide as he gestured weakly at his bandaged form.

"I mean, really fix us? Like... back to normal?"

Brad shifted uncomfortably, wincing as the movement pulled at his wrapped ribs.

"We look like we got hit by a truck, Marcus. My parents are asking questions I don’t know how to answer."

Their eyes met across the room, and for a moment, both young men looked exactly like what they were... college students in over their heads, caught between greed and genuine terror of what they’d gotten themselves into.

Marcus stood near the desk with casual authority, his perfectly styled hair and unmarked features a stark contrast to his injured accomplices.

"Relax," he said, his tone carrying the bored confidence of someone born to power.

"You think I’d ask you to go through all this without having a way to make it worth your while?"

He pulled out his phone, scrolling to what appeared to be a medical report.

"Regenerative treatment protocols. Military-grade healing accelerants. The kind of medicine that makes normal hospital care look like stone-age nonsense."

Tyler nodded from his position by the window. "The Steele family has access to resources most people can’t even imagine. You’ll be better than new by next week."

"And if you work for him wholeheartedly," Robert said, leaning in slightly, voice dropping,

"you’ll get access to... things most people don’t even know exist. Ways to boost your body, your mind... even your very DNA."

William’s eyes widened despite his pain. "You’re serious?"

"Dead serious," Marcus replied. "But first, we need to make sure Alex Hale learns his place. Today’s just the beginning."

Brad swallowed hard, the weight of his decision pressing down on him.

They’d chosen this path partly from fear... saying no to Marcus Steele wasn’t really an option when you were nobody... but also from the intoxicating promise of joining something bigger, more powerful than they’d ever imagined possible.

"Don’t worry," Marcus said, noting their expressions.

"After today, Alex will be expelled, and you’ll be on the winning side. Trust me, the medicine is real, and the benefits of serving the Steele family go far beyond just healing."

***

Author’s Note:

What do you guys think about Miranda? 🤔

Would you like to see an illustration of her? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!