The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1769

The atmosphere in Monway University's conference room seemed to have frozen for a moment.

The school administrators genuinely didn't want a suicide case in the university. Historically, such incidents were either covered up or, if exposed, handled in ways that ensured they wouldn't implicate internal programs like financial aid or sponsorships.

Essentially, regardless of what happened, the university's image remained intact. Thus, when faced with investigations, their usual approach was to focus on minimizing public scrutiny, not on uncovering the underlying truth.

But now, Wynter's sudden self-introduction shattered their complacency. Jarred, who had been leisurely sipping tea from his thermos, abruptly froze, his hand halting mid-air.

The room was filled with seasoned professors and senior administrators, none of whom had ever paid much attention to financial aid distribution.

As Wynter pointed out, these leaders—many of whom had never experienced economic hardship—couldn't grasp the significance of financial aid to those who truly needed it.

The phrase "detached from the struggles of the common people" might as well have been stamped across their foreheads.

This included Kaysen, who, despite coming from a reasonably well-off family, had leveraged his "high emotional intelligence" to secure financial aid.

Wynter's approach was blunt—if some people were too coddled, then it was time to cut off their lifeline.

The administrators' expressions visibly changed. Among them, Jarred looked the most unsettled, his complexion turning pale. Most of them thought that Eric was still the Chamber of Commerce's chairman, and they all turned to Jarred for answers.

Being closely connected to the Chamber of Commerce, Jarred was more informed than most. He'd heard rumors that Eric had encountered some legal troubles, resulting in his removal from office.

However, the news had just broken, and with the recent campus suicide, he hadn't had time to verify it. But he did know one thing for certain—anyone capable of removing Eric and claiming the chairman role for themselves was not to be trifled with.

His inquiries into the matter had revealed that the new president was none other than the young head of the Quinnell family from Kingbourne. Moreover, the prominent business leaders within the chamber were now addressing Wynter with the utmost respect, addressing her as Ms. Quinnell.

This was significant as the chamber wasn't just a collection of individual companies—it was a powerhouse representing resources spanning all of Colifernia and beyond, to the southern regions.

Jarred had been planning to wait until the investigation settled down before using his connections to arrange a meeting with her. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine she would appear before him today.

As he met Wynter's gaze, Jarred's face turned ashen. "This oversight is entirely our fault. We will conduct a thorough internal investigation into the financial aid recipients. Those who shouldn't have received it will…"

He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. It was clear he hadn't yet figured out how to proceed.

Wynter picked up where Jarred had left off. "The students in question will receive disciplinary action, a public naming at the school assembly, and a permanent mark on their records. Additionally, all financial aid they've taken must be reimbursed."

Her tone was calm, but the implications were severe. A public naming and a permanent record would haunt the students, not just during their time at university but throughout their future careers! People would know that they had taken scholarships that didn't belong to them!

Kaysen's fists clenched tightly. He was preparing for civil service exams, and a mark like this would ruin his chances.

He protested angrily, "Why should you be the one to decide the standards for our school's financial aid? Do you think you can push people around just because you're rich?"

Wynter cast a cold glance at him, her expression unwavering. Her voice was light, but her words carried a sharp edge. "I don't set the standards for financial aid. As I've said, those rules are already in place.

"What I do decide is where my money goes. I'm choosing not to fund you. Is that not allowed? Or are you trying to guilt-trip me into sponsoring your entitlement?"

"Ms. Quinnell, he's just a student. Please don't take it personally," Jarred interjected hastily while glaring at Kaysen.

But Kaysen's resentment only deepened. To him, Wynter was just another privileged elite using her wealth and power to bully him. Yet, he failed to see that he had been the real bully, exploiting resources that didn't belong to him.

The undeserved sense of superiority was practically spilling over, manifesting in his casual, self-righteous mention of "budget travel".

Yet, when confronted by those who held power over him—like the question of whether he could graduate smoothly—he was absolutely terrified.

Wynter had no patience for people like Kaysen, and she wasn't shy about flaunting her financial power.

Requests for financial aid were being scrutinized thoroughly now, and the academic advisors involved weren't spared, either. Those students and staff members who had previously relied on cunning and deceit to manipulate the system saw this investigation as a nightmare.

Jarred had no choice but to uncover everything if he wanted to protect himself.

Kaysen, humiliated beyond measure, now had to return the financial aid he had misused, which meant contacting his parents. He had no money left to pay it back—he'd spent it on a new pair of shoes. To him, it had seemed like a trivial amount. He never imagined it would spiral into this mess.

Judging by the comments on the university's forum, students had long been fed up.

Using financial aid for personal indulgence was a slap in the face to those who truly needed it. This included the students who could barely afford meals, scrimped on food to save money, and worked part-time jobs off-campus to make ends meet.

When the list of offenders was exposed, students from other universities were implicated, too. Adding fuel to the fire, Stacey, who had recently committed suicide at Monway University, was also found to have taken someone else's spot. The entire incident became the talk of the town.

Meanwhile, Kaysen's parents were rushing to the university, feeling as though their world was ending. The looks from his peers were unbearable, and Kaysen even posted online, claiming he was spiraling into depression.

Jarred, worried about another suicide tarnishing the university's reputation, was genuinely concerned about Kaysen's mental state. Wynter, however, was unfazed.

As she scrolled through the financial aid lists and application documents, an investigator hesitantly spoke up. "Shouldn't we consider the mental resilience of someone his age?"

Wynter looked up, her gaze sharp but calm. "Depression works wonders, doesn't it?"

The investigator had expected her to get angry, considering Kaysen was far from a moral paragon. But the fragile mental state of today's students was undeniable, and mishandling the situation could easily land the case on trending news.

To his surprise, Wynter's voice became soft. "That's true. We should absolutely consider mental resilience."

"Huh?" The investigator blinked, surprised that his suggestion was being taken seriously.

Wynter, however, was staring at a photo of Stacey, her expression thoughtful. "Understanding their mental resilience might help us figure out why the victim committed suicide. Chat logs alone won't tell us everything. We need to examine other clues.

"As for the rest of the names on the list? Let them 'spiral into depression.'"

In other words, there was no room for negotiation.

Kaysen, who had feigned "depression" many times before, was surprised that it wouldn't save him this time.

Wynter had uncovered something useful while reviewing the financial aid records—everyone seemed to have received their aid in different ways.

Stacey, however, didn't appear to be very proactive in applying for financial aid herself. It seemed like her parents had taken the lead in that matter.

From the posts on the forum, it was clear that Stacey wasn't much involved in either on-campus or off-campus activities. Previously, based on the description from a food stall owner, it was assumed that the man riding the motorcycle was Stacey's boyfriend. But now, Wynter had her doubts about that.

Stacey was far from perfect, but she wasn't evil, either—she didn't seem to have directly hurt anyone.

"So, we should be on the lookout—"

Before the investigator could finish, Wynter's gaze sharpened. "What was once a suicide will now only be a murder."

The investigator fell silent.

Wynter's fingers tapped the table lightly. "For a human sacrifice to occur, there needs to be greater resentment. That means the error made by the victim must turn into a bigger mistake that involves not only the victim's bitterness but the killer's hatred as well. Only then will the sacrifice be complete."

"You're right," Dalton said, his eyes soft yet intense as he watched her. "The next one deserves to die. The question is, will you save them?"

Wynter didn't answer his question. Perhaps, this was the real test of the Sacred Path. To save, or not to save.

…

No one in the dormitory at Monway University got along with Stacey. It wasn't that the others were deliberately excluding her—it was simply that they couldn't get along.

Stacey had a knack for making everyone else bear the consequences of her selfishness. They acknowledged her strengths in some areas, but they didn't want to be friends with someone like her.

Stacey wanted the entire dorm to cater to her, but that was impossible.

In the beginning, the others tried to make it work on the surface, but Stacey was too headstrong. To her, it seemed that everyone was only interested in money and didn't care about their dignity, which probably had something to do with how she was raised.

So, the others eventually started avoiding her. After all, getting on her bad side wasn't something they wanted, either.

Stacey was truly introverted, but she would gossip maliciously about others. The most outrageous thing she said was that Tracy was the kind of person who could be bought with money.

No one believed her as Stacey had spread plenty of rumors before. It was strange—an introvert gossiping about others wasn't exactly very introverted of them.

Tracy wasn't staying on campus today. Besides her, everyone else in the female dormitory wanted to go home, but that depended on whether they were locals.

As for Stacey's death, most of them just discussed it in private and didn't show much outward reaction—just like how they acted when Wynter met them. Most of them genuinely didn't understand why Stacey would commit suicide.

As Tracy walked home, she felt an inexplicable sense of unease. This was especially true after meeting Wynter.

Her steps subconsciously quickened, and she suddenly turned around but saw nothing.

The dim yellow light from the street lamps cast shadows on her face, highlighting her anxious expression. She felt as though there were eyes watching her from behind, as if an invisible shadow was following her.

This made her nervousness intensify, but each time she turned around, all she saw was an empty street and the occasional passing car.

She muttered, "Stacey, your death wasn't my fault. Don't come after the wrong person. You were just too nosy, and you filmed things you shouldn't have."

There was no bullying involved—just simple mutual dislike between the two.

However, Tracy had stolen Stacey's phone—a secret no one knew. She had already had it for seven days, and it should have had nothing to do with Stacey's death. But for some reason, Tracy couldn't shake the chill in her heart, perhaps because of the police questioning.

Now, she was trying to think of a way to naturally return Stacey's phone.