Vera Xavier smiled faintly. "For old times’ sake, considering how many times you used to call me ’sister,’ I’ll give you a friendly reminder. If you dare fake a heart attack, I’ll expose your act in a second and make your life a living hell. Go ahead and take that gamble if you’ve got the nerve."

After speaking, she walked straight into the exam hall. Cara Preston wrestled with the decision for a moment, her eyes welling with tears as she glanced at the ice-cold Nathaniel Nathan. When she saw he wouldn’t even spare her a look, she finally lost the courage to take the gamble. Biting her lip, she followed into the hall.

Zachary Preston had seen the entire exchange clearly. He sighed to himself. ’The Cara I used to know wasn’t like this. I can hardly recognize the person she’s become.’

’And Nathaniel Nathan’s attitude toward Vera Xavier is obvious,’ he thought. ’I need to find a chance to knock some sense into Cara. If she keeps acting this foolishly, I’m afraid there will be dire consequences.’ 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

After Vera Xavier and Cara Preston entered the exam hall, their seats turned out to be right next to each other. Vera’s seat was to Cara’s right, in the same row.

Just as the two of them were settling in, Elise Langdon walked in. Her seat, it turned out, was right in front of Vera’s.

The moment Elise Langdon came in, she and Cara Preston started exchanging winks and glances.

When Vera Xavier saw their expressions, her gaze deepened. ’These two are definitely up to something,’ she thought. ’They’re probably planning to cause more trouble during the exam today.’

She steeled herself. If they tried anything today, she would give them a lesson they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

A moment later, Shirley Forrest came in as well. As luck would have it, she was seated directly behind Cara Preston.

Soon, the bell rang, and the proctors—a man and a woman—walked in. Both wore stern expressions. The male proctor read the exam regulations aloud, stressing the consequences for cheating, while the female proctor broke the seal on the test booklets.

After the second bell, the two proctors began distributing the test booklets.

The first subject was Language Arts. Vera Xavier took her test booklet and glanced over it. The questions were even more difficult than the ones on the mock exams. The essay prompt was "Time," with no restrictions on the form.

Vera Xavier’s lips curved into a slight smile when she saw the prompt. ’An essay topic like this seems simple, but it’s not easy to write something that truly stands out. After all, countless texts have been written about time throughout history.’

She took out the Parker pen Nathaniel Nathan had given her and began to focus on the test.

Cara Preston shot her a sidelong glance, her eyes cold. She picked up a paper wad she had prepared beforehand and flicked it toward Vera’s desk.

Though Vera was focused on her exam, she had been watching Cara the whole time. The instant Cara made her move, Vera saw it. With a deft flick of her hand, she batted the paper wad away, sending it flying right onto Elise Langdon’s desk.

Before Elise Langdon could even react, Vera had already raised her hand. As a proctor looked her way, she said loudly, "Proctor, they’re cheating!"

Cara Preston: "..."

Elise Langdon: "..."

The turn of events was far beyond what either of them had expected. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go at all! Their plan had been for Cara to toss the paper wad to Vera, after which Elise would stand up and accuse Vera of cheating.

They never expected Vera to be so quick!

Cheating during an exam was a cardinal sin, especially since the proctor had just finished reading the disciplinary rules.

The male proctor immediately strode over, his face grim. "What’s going on here?"

Vera pointed calmly at Cara Preston. "I just saw this student," she said in a steady voice, "throw a paper wad to the student in front of me."

PS: I highly recommend my friend Luna Bright’s novel, "Reborn Spicy Wife: Young Master Sinclair, Please Show Some Restraint!" Synopsis: The reborn Anna Xavier has one firm goal: she must claim a fine catch like Felix Sinclair for herself. The book is ridiculously good!

Darlings, do you want to see some scum get stomped? Come on, cast your votes, flood the comments, and light up those five-star reviews! Shout it with me: Sweet romance to the end, and death to all scumbags!