They both pulled out their IDs as they walked toward the crowd.
"Don't worry, the law is with her in this. We just have to confirm a few things, and everyone's presence is required," one of them announced.
The two policemen standing at the back immediately recognized them and saluted. These weren't ordinary officers—these were among the highest-ranking in the country.
Just then, Sang Tae entered, his tall figure cutting through the crowd. Minjae smirked the moment she saw him—of course, he was the one who had called in the higher authorities. Sang Tae's eyes locked with hers. He knew if he hadn't intervened, Minjae would've handled everything in her own way—and her way wasn't always the way of justice. For a brief second, they read each other's thoughts. Minjae's smirk deepened, and Sang Tae answered with a small, knowing smile and a nod.
The atmosphere thickened as murmurs spread through the hall. Then, without a word, a chair was brought forward for Minjae. She sat with effortless grace, Mina standing behind her, resting her palm gently on Minjae's shoulder. The gesture surprised many—students and staff alike. The closeness between aunt and niece wasn't something they expected.
Olivia couldn't take her eyes off Minjae. There was something unnerving about her presence—intimidating, yet softened by her angelic beauty. It was a contradiction that unsettled everyone. She had only seen Minjae on the news, but in real life… she was something else. Ten times more striking, ten times more magnetic. Many students found themselves staring, not just because of her beauty, but because of her sheer confidence, her fiery aura. The media often painted Minjae as a villain, but standing here, some couldn't help admiring her. Even after tragedy had struck her family, she had never shown weakness to the world. She never cried in public, never faltered. She only grew sharper, stronger. And after her speech at the inaugural ceremony, people had begun to view her in a different light.
The staff member finally returned with the CCTV footage. Principal Hong, standing at the front, looked outwardly calm, but Minjae's sharp eyes caught every twitch of his nerves. She didn't miss the fear lingering in the bullies' faces either.
The flash drive was handed to the principal. He went straight to the laptop, inserted it, and played the recording from the day Mina knocked out Jaemin.
As the footage rolled, Minjae's brows drew together in a slow frown.
The video only showed Mina lashing out. Everything that had led up to that moment—the bullying, the taunting, the cruelty—was missing. Edited out cleanly. So clean, most people wouldn't even realize it had been cut.
Mina's eyes widened. She knew instantly this wasn't the full recording. Her chest tightened, her breathing quickened as she looked toward Minjae. But her aunt's face was unreadable. Mina tried to speak but no words came. Sunny, noticing her panic, smirked faintly.
"You see?" Mrs. Jane snapped, pointing at the screen. "Do you see now that this brat is the one at fault?"
"If the medics hadn't rushed in immediately, what do you think would've happened to my daughter?" she shouted furiously.
Minjae didn't answer right away. She simply stared at Mrs. Jane, her silence heavier than words. Then, almost lazily, she turned to glance over her shoulder.
"Mina," she called. "Is this true?"
Mina shook her head quickly. "No… it's not true. They cut out everything that happened before."
Minjae turned back to Mrs. Jane with a faint smile.
"Oh my. What should we do then?" Her voice was mocking, calm. "You heard her. And I believe her."
The parents erupted with scoffs and mutters of disbelief.
Principal Hong tried to speak. "Miss Minjae, this—"
But she ignored him and instead addressed the students. Her voice dropped to something almost gentle.
"Tell me, children… Most of you were witnesses that day. Is this video showing everything?"
Her eyes swept across the hall. Students fidgeted, glancing at one another. Many looked toward Jongin—the bully leader that had order Jaemin to obstruct Mina that day.
Jongin leaned casually against the wall, hands in his pockets, face calm. Too calm. The others were waiting for his lead, too afraid to speak against him.
Minjae noticed. Her eyes flicked down to his nametag.
"Yoo Jongin," she called, locking eyes with him.
"I believe video proof is better than eyewitnesses," he replied smoothly.
Minjae's lips curved. "Pardon me, kiddo, but I trust eyes more than recordings. The eyes don't lie you know." She said
Her gaze bore into him. He tried to hold her stare, but his pupils betrayed him, darting away for the briefest second. Minjae smirked.
"But not to worry. I'll take your advice then."
She lifted her hand, and one of her aides stepped forward, placing another flash drive in her palm. She held it up between two fingers.
"This one," she said, her voice calm but sharp, "contains the full recording. Every second of that day." Her eyes shifted to Principal Hong. "And perhaps a little more."
Before coming here, Minjae had already ordered Sam, a top technician from CHN's nanotech division, to retrieve the unedited footage. She had watched it herself in the backseat while Jung Shin drove her. Every cruel detail, every shove, every taunt. And it had left her disappointed… and furious.
---
By then, the sky outside had begun to darken. Parents and nannies crowded the gates, demanding entry, Including reporters.
"What's going on?" a mother asked anxiously.
"I heard Mrs. Choi is inside… interrogating the kids," one nanny whispered.
"What?!" The woman shoved forward angrily until she reached the front.
"Hey!" she snapped at the officers. "How dare you stop us? What is this nonsense I'm hearing? That our children are being interrogated? For what reason?"
"Ma'am, please calm down," one officer replied politely. "The children are safe."
But the woman glared as though he were the enemy. Around them, several wealthy men tried to restrain their wives, whispering warnings: This is Choi. Don't make a mistake.
Suddenly, a sleek red car rolled up to the front gates. The crowd shifted aside as it parked. A woman stepped out, draped in a striking red gown. Instantly, heads turned.
---
Back inside, silence had swallowed the hall. The full video had been shown—every hidden detail, every injustice Principal Hong had tried to bury. The room was heavy with shame, shock, and fear.
Mr. Hong stood at the front, head lowered, trapped.
"Mr. Hong," Minjae's voice sliced the air, cold and steady, "not only did you conceal the truth—which perhaps I could have overlooked—but it seems you were always conveniently present for the other children… except my niece. You watched, you allowed the bullying to go on. Yet the moment things turned against the bullies, you appeared to intervene. Once, twice… too many times to be a coincidence."
She crossed her long legs over each other
"Why is that, I wonder? Oh…" She tilted her head, her smirk returning. "Perhaps it's because she bears the name Lee, isn't it?"
Her voice sharpened.
"Hierarchy. Typical."
Slowly, she rose from her chair to her full height. Her presence towered, commanding silence. No one dared breathe too loud.