She Used Me for a Dare… Now I Own Her Mother

Miranda wasn't done. Not even close.

She stood in the center of the chamber like a like a wolf circling its cornered prey.

Her green eyes swept the room... faces stiff, some pale, others twisting with unease. Then her gaze found Marcus.

A grin tugged at her lips. Not the professional smile she'd worn earlier, but something sharper, meaner, promising the hunt was only warming up.

Marcus flinched under it. The swagger he'd been leaning on all day drained out of him like water from a cracked glass.

Beside him, Tyler and Robert shifted in their seats, suddenly aware they weren't safe on the sidelines anymore.

When Miranda's eyes cut to Pierce, his stomach twisted.

The medical evidence had already gutted his case, but that grin told him she had one last card, and it was going to hurt.

She let the silence stretch, almost cruelly, watching Marcus squirm and Pierce's fingers dig into the edge of his table.

Acquittal wasn't enough for her. She wanted the whole rotten conspiracy dragged out for everyone to see.

"However," she said finally, her voice slicing through the room, "there's still one matter left to settle."

Pierce leaned forward despite himself, dread curling up his spine. Please. No more.

"Panel members," Miranda said, never blinking at Marcus, "we've proven these young men innocent. What remains is the question of motive... or rather, the lack of one."

"Mr. Steele," she called out, her voice cutting through the heavy silence.

Marcus froze, as if Miranda's summons had turned his chair into a trap. Tyler and Robert exchanged quick, uneasy looks, the flush of victory they'd expected draining into silence.

The panel members leaned forward with renewed interest. Dr. Brennan adjusted his glasses, Dr. Carlisle straightened in her chair, and even Langford looked alert.

"Would you please step forward to address the panel?"

Marcus rose slowly, his jaw tight. The swagger that had carried him through the day was gone, replaced by the wariness of someone who sensed a trap but couldn't see its shape.

Pierce felt the walls press closer. Whatever Miranda was about to unleash, it would strip away the last defense... if any still remained.

And that grin of hers... it promised she was going to savor every second.

Miranda let the silence thicken before she spoke. "Mr. Steele," she said, gesturing toward Alex and his friends, "do you recognize these young men?"

Marcus's head turned slowly in their direction. His jaw worked, his throat bobbed once, and finally he forced the word out.

"Yes."

"Do you believe they attacked William and Brad?" Miranda asked, her tone professional but pointed.

Marcus hesitated, his eyes darting to Pierce, then to William and Brad, before returning to Miranda. "Initially... yes, I thought they might have. But after everything we've heard today..."

He swallowed hard. "No. I don't think Alex was involved."

"Why did you initially suspect them?" Miranda pressed. "What made you believe they were capable of such violence?"

Marcus shifted his weight, clearly uncomfortable. "It was because of what happened in the match."

"Ah yes, the match." Miranda's voice carried satisfaction, as if she'd been waiting for this moment.

"The panel and I would very much like to hear about that. Can you tell us exactly what happened?"

Marcus knew he was trapped now. There was no way out except to tell the truth. "I... I challenged Alex to a football match."

"You challenged him specifically?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Marcus's face reddened. "We don't have a good relationship. I wanted to..." He paused, struggling with the admission.

"Humiliate him?" Miranda supplied, her voice gentle but cutting.

Marcus didn't answer. His silence was louder than any confession. His shoulders slumped, and the panel didn't need words to understand.

"Tell us about this match, Marcus. Start from the beginning."

Marcus exhaled slowly, knowing there was no escape now. "The match... it went how you'd expect at first. We were winning, leading comfortably."

He paused, rubbing his temple. "But in the second half, they started getting the better of us. Alex... he was reading our plays somehow. They took the lead."

Miranda nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"In the final moments..." Marcus's voice dropped. "William and Brad, they were exhausted. Maybe they couldn't handle the pressure anymore. They missed some crucial saves, let in goals they should have stopped."

He glanced at William and Brad, who were staring at the floor.

"Alex's teammates were furious with them. Blamed them for costing the game. But..." Marcus swallowed hard. "Alex's team still won. 6-5."

The chamber was silent, absorbing the simple truth: Alex's team had won, fair and square.

Miranda turned to face the panel, her voice ringing with authority. "Panel members, you've heard it from Marcus himself. Alex's team won the match."

She addressed William and Brad directly. "Is everything Marcus told us accurate?"

Both nodded reluctantly, unable to meet anyone's eyes.

Alex spoke up from his table, his voice clear and steady. "That's exactly what happened."

Miranda turned to face the panel again, triumph clear in her voice. "Panel members, the motive question answers itself. If Alex's team had already won... if they had publicly demonstrated their superiority over Marcus's carefully constructed professional team... what possible motive would they have for seeking further revenge?"

She let the question hang in the air like a blade.

"Winners don't chase losers into dark parking lots to settle scores that have already been settled on the field. The victorious don't risk everything to attack those they've already defeated."

Dr. Brennan nodded slowly, understanding dawning in his eyes. "The complete absence of motive..."

"Exactly," Miranda confirmed. "Along with the ironclad medical alibis, the timeline impossibilities, and the pattern of contradictory testimony, we have a case that collapses under the weight of basic logic."

Marcus stood frozen, realizing he had just systematically destroyed any remaining foundation for the charges against Alex.

"Dr. Whitman," Pierce interrupted sharply, "people have different personalities. For some students, losing a game isn't a big deal. For others, it could be devastating enough to trigger violence."

His voice carried forced confidence as he gestured toward Marcus. "Just because Alex won doesn't eliminate motive... it could have intensified it."

The chamber fell silent, all eyes shifting between Pierce and Miranda.

Miranda turned toward him slowly, her predatory grin returning with renewed intensity. Her green eyes glittered with something dangerous.

"You're still pushing this narrative, Mr. Pierce?" she asked, her voice carrying an unmistakable threat. "Even after everything we've heard?"

Pierce straightened, trying to project institutional authority despite the sweat beading on his forehead. "I want the truth, Dr. Whitman. Just as much as you do."

Miranda's smile sharpened like a blade being honed. "The truth? Perfect." She paused, letting her words sink in. "Then let me cut through this smokescreen once and for all."

She turned to address the panel directly, her voice carrying absolute authority.

"Panel members, I'd like to call Dr. Tisha Wells to provide character testimony about the defendants."

Pierce's face went pale. He hadn't expected this move.

Miranda's eyes never left Pierce as she continued. "Since Mr. Pierce is so concerned about personalities and potential for violence, let's hear from someone who actually knows these young men."

The chamber buzzed with anticipation as Dr. Tisha rose from her seat in the gallery, her composed professional demeanor intact as she approached the witness area.

Pierce sank back into his chair, realizing his interjection had only given Miranda another opportunity to humiliate him.