Chapter 5: The Ultimatum
The heavy oak door of the faculty lounge buckled slightly under Leo's weight before snapping open with a sharp click. Leo stumbled backward into the empty, darkened room, his crutches clattering loudly against the tiled floor as he fought to keep his balance. Marcus stood in the doorway, his chest heaving as he lunged forward to grab the fallen phone, but the fluorescent overhead lights suddenly flickered on with an aggressive hum.
Principal Miller stood framed in the inner office doorway, holding a thick stack of printed financial statements, his expression dark and thunderous.
"Step away from him, Marcus," Principal Miller commanded, his voice echoing authoritatively through the empty room.
Marcus froze, his hand hovering inches from the screen of Leo's phone where the incriminating video was still paused. The color drained completely from Marcus's face as he realized the trap had closed around him far quicker than he ever could have anticipated.
"Mr. Miller, I was just—we were just talking about the budget transfer—" Marcus stammered, his usual polished confidence evaporating into thin air.
"You were tampering with school property and assaulting a student who just legally secured a federally backed fellowship," Principal Miller interrupted, walking slowly toward the two boys with heavy, deliberate steps. He looked down at Leo, who was leaning against a mahogany conference table to steady himself, before turning his gaze back to Marcus. "Security footage from the AV booth already downloaded to my desktop twenty minutes ago. I saw the whole exchange, Marcus. You and Chad thought you could manipulate the entire district's funding streams."
Leo picked up his crutches, sliding his arms back into the foam grips with a sharp intake of breath. "It wasn't just about the fellowship, Mr. Miller. Look at the audit logs Marcus was carrying."
Marcus spun around, panic setting in as Principal Miller reached out and plucked the manila folder directly from Marcus's trembling fingers. The principal flipped open the cover, his eyes scanning the columns of numbers detailing diverted grant money earmarked for underprivileged student labs—money that had mysteriously vanished into a shell company controlled by Chad's father.
"This goes far beyond high school politics," Principal Miller said quietly, his jaw tightening as the full scope of the corruption became clear. "This is federal wire fraud."
Marcus backed away toward the exit, his eyes wide with absolute terror. "You can't prove I authorized those transfers! Chad's dad signed off on every single line item!"
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"And Chad's dad is currently sitting in a holding cell answering questions from the state comptroller's office," a calm, authoritative voice stated from the hallway.
A sharp-dressed woman in a dark charcoal suit stepped into the room, flashing an official federal investigator badge. She walked straight past Marcus, stopping only to look down at the recording still paused on Leo's phone before turning her attention squarely to the trembling student council treasurer.
