Chapter 426
Chapter 426:
Her husband was, after all, the head of a publicly listed company, and she’d seen things. She wasn’t one to fall for such petty tricks.
Tatiana grabbed the administrative director’s phone without so much as a glance in his direction.
After a brief look, her hand trembled, the phone slipping from her fingers and crashing onto the floor with a sharp “thud p>
“My phone!” The administrative director’s voice cracked as he stared at his brand-new device lying helplessly on the floor. He could almost feel his heart shattering along with it.
“How much is it?” Jonathan asked, his tone edged with urgency. Tatiana’s face had gone pale. She reached for Jonathan’s hand, gripping it tightly to steady herself.
Her knees felt weak as she inhaled deeply and managed to choke out, “Over fourteen million.” Jonathan’s brow knitted into a deep frown.
Fourteen million? For a sound system? The number felt surreal, almost absurd. Clearly, he still had much to learn about the world.
“You have a week to settle this,” the administrative director said, his voice cold and final. “If you can, you’re free to post bail and leave. If not p>
“We don’t have that kind of money!” Jonathan burst out, his voice tinged with desperation. “Even if I sold everything I own, it wouldn’t cover it!” He glanced at Tatiana and added bitterly, “If my daughter broke the sound system, then the fault is indeed hers. But doesn’t the school bear some responsibility too? Who puts something so valuable in front of students who can’t possibly understand its worth p>
The administrative director’s lips twitched, teetering between a smirk and outright laughter, though neither reflected humor. Instead, his gaze hardened. It was almost comical, the audacity of Jonathan to deflect blame so brazenly.
How could Kheley University stoop to admitting such unworthy candidates?
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If word got out, the institution would become the butt of every academic joke.
Sonya clung to Tatiana, her voice trembling with practiced vulnerability. “I had no idea the sound system was so expensive p>
The administrative director’s patience snapped, his voice cutting like a blade. “A valuable item like that should, of course, be handled with care. That’s why I had it moved backstage under supervision. But your daughter? She decided to take matters into her own hands and barged in where she had no business being, damaging it in the process p>
He fixed them both with a withering stare, his words growing colder. “She used delivering something to Yelena as a flimsy excuse to sneak in. Let’s be clear—she wasn’t invited backstage. From the start, her actions were reckless and self-serving. And now, instead of facing the consequences, she’s trying to shift the blame onto others. What’s worse, as her parents, you’re no better—failing to teach accountability and instead playing the same game of denial p>
Jonathan’s face burned with humiliation, the weight of the truth crushing any rebuttal he might have mustered.
If this had been a simple accident in the chaos of a crowd, perhaps some understanding could be extended. But this?
Sonya had gone backstage deliberately, uninvited, and broken something of immense value. There was no excuse—this mess was entirely her doing.
“Is that true?” Jonathan’s voice was low but trembled with barely restrained fury.
Sonya’s eyes flickered, her hesitation palpable. She opened her mouth, and then closed it again, her gaze darting away. “Dad p>
The words faltered, but Jonathan could already read the guilt etched across her face. He didn’t need a confession—her silence was admission enough.
A wave of despair crashed over him, heavy and suffocating. Reuniting with his biological daughter had been a dream, a hope for joy and fulfillment in the days that followed. Instead, it felt like he’d invited chaos and disappointment into his life.
“Dad, please!” Sonya’s voice broke, her hands clutching his sleeve in desperation. Tears rimmed her eyes as she looked up at him, pitiful and pleading. “You have to help me. The administrative director said if we pay, I’ll just get a demerit and still graduate. But if we don’t…” Her voice cracked. “I’ll never get my diploma p>