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"Oh, my," she whispers, looking at Charlie with wide eyes.
Charlie laughs quietly.
"You're going to make me hurt their feelings, Jennie baby," David growls. "Stop trying to get those boys in trouble and behave."
Finn covers his mouth to hide a smile.
"Jesus Christ," Jude says, tipping his head back against the wall and laughing.
"So it's not just Charlie, I see," I murmur.
David heaves a long-suffering sigh, rolling his eyes. "My wife taught her and her sisters everything she knows," he mutters. "And Charlie is an excellent student."
"Believe me, I've noticed."
David laughs loudly, clapping me on the back. And then he turns to his daughter. "So they're trying to kick you out of this place, huh?"
Tears spring to Charlie's eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispers, wringing her hands together. "I didn't mean to get in trouble. But Professor Rothman is horrible to her daughter, and she's sleeping with a student. I was only trying to help."
"You could have told us," Jennifer says, wrapping an arm around her daughter's waist.
"I thought I could fix it before you found out, and I didn't want to disappoint you." Charlie exhales a breath. "I've been causing trouble my whole life. I was afraid this was going to be the last straw. I was convinced you were going to wash your hands of me after this."
"Charlie," David says, an admonishment in his tone.
"It sounds stupid out loud," Charlie mutters.
"It doesn't sound stupid," Jennifer disagrees. "You've been worrying about this for a long time, haven't you?"
"We were easy to give up by one set of parents," Charlie whispers.
"My sweet, sweet girl. Your biological parents gave you and your sisters the biggest gift they could give you when they gave you up. After everything they put you girls through, you deserved stability and the chance at a normal life. They owed that to you girls. But the day you girls became ours, it became permanent. No matter how old you get or how much trouble you cause, or how many times you need help, you will always be our daughter. That will never change."
"You may be grown now, but you'll always be our little girl," David says. "And frankly, if this place is willing to keep a professor who sleeps with students and treats her own kid horribly, I'm not sure I want you anywhere near it."
"Excuse me?" a deep voice says from behind us, his tone full of offense.
We all turn at the same time to see an older man standing in the doorway, watching us from behind wire-rimmed glasses. I can tell by the cut of his suit that he's the man we came to see. His eyes land on Charlie, and his expression turns from offended to hunted
Oh, my little kitten has been giving the dean hell.
Why does that realization please me so much?
"Dean Bainbridge," she squeaks. "Um, I can explain."
"I certainly hope so," he says drily.
"Actually," David growls, stepping in front of her. "Perhaps you should be the one explaining why you have a professor still employed here when she's sleeping with a student."
"According to your daughter," Dean Bainbridge says, holding up a hand. "We don't fire employees without evidence simply because a student made a claim."
"There's plenty of evidence," Finn says, climbing to his feet.
Bainbridge glances over at him. "I'm sorry. Who are you?"
"Finn Taylor. I'm a private investigator."
"Hired by who?"
"Professor Rothman's daughter, Chloe," he says smoothly.
Bainbridge looks from him to Jude. "And who are you?"
Jude climbs slowly to his feet. He picks a piece of invisible lint from his jacket and then smooths it down, taking his sweet ass time. "Jude Despora," he finally growls. "I'm representing Ms. Marsh."
"Jude Despora?" Bainbridge repeats, losing a little color. "Representing Ms. Marsh?"
"That's correct. In her impending lawsuit against your university," he says coolly.
Jennifer sniffs loudly for emphasis.
"Now, wait just a minute," Bainbridge splutters. "What could she possibly sue us for? She was caught breaking into Professor Rothman's office."
"Actually, I have a sworn affidavit from Professor Rothman's daughter, stating that she sent her to Professor Rothman's office to retrieve some personal belongings for her," Jude says. "However, you refused to call Chloe to confirm this information and chose to expel Ms. Marsh based on the word of Professor Rothman, who had a personal vendetta against Ms. Marsh."
"What personal vendetta?" Bainbridge demands. "What is going on here?"
"I'm the one who told Chloe that her mom is sleeping with her ex-boyfriend," Charlie says. "Professor Rothman hates me for it. That's why she wants me expelled."
Bainbridge removes his glasses, seemingly flustered. "And you say you have evidence of this?"
Finn holds out the file folder in his hands. "I think you'll find the contents of Daniel Davidson's student email account relevant," he says. "I've taken the liberty of highlighting the particularly damning passages for you."
Bainbridge stares at the folder for a moment before snatching it out of Finn's hands. "Wait here," he says to the room at large before stomping toward his office. "I need to examine these."
