Page 79 of Lords of the Campus

I jut my chin up. “We dig up everything we can on Madison and Cameron. Anything that shows their connection, any shady deals, any dirt we can find. We have to expose them for what they are.”

Zane’s eyes narrow as I continue. “We already know they're cousins, but we need more than that. We need something concrete, something that will make the committee take notice.”

I glance back toward the hearing room, where Lyric sits alone, waiting. “We don't have much time. We need to work together, pull every string and call in every favor. We can't let them do this to her.”

Levi places a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm. “We’re with you, Archer. We'll find something.”

Zane nods in agreement. “Yeah, we’re going to make sure they can't touch her.”

I feel a glimmer of hope rise up. “Good. Let's get to work. We need to save Lyric, no matter what it takes.”

With that, we break apart, determination etched on our faces. This isn't just about undoing the wrongs we've done. It'sabout protecting someone we care about. And we won’t stop until Lyric is safe.

We step back into the hearing room and the weight of the committee's stares presses down on us. Lyric looks up at us, reaching out to take my hand. I give her a small nod, trying to reassure her even as my mind races to figure out how to prove she's innocent.

As we sit there, the committee tells Lyric that they’re considering expulsion. Bainbridge stares her down as she speaks. “We need solid evidence that you are not responsible for the disruptions and issues on this campus.”

My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts. How can we prove that Madison and Cameron are behind all this? How can we expose their schemes in such a short amount of time?

I glance at Levi and Zane, their expressions mirroring my own anxiety. Despite the brave face I put on for Lyric, I'm terrified that we might not be able to fix this in time. The stakes are too high and the evidence against her is damning.

“Don't worry," I whisper to Lyric, leaning close to her. "We'll figure this out. We won't let them ruin your life.”

She nods, but her eyes are filled with doubt. I can't blame her. We've put her through hell and now it's up to us to save her from a mess we helped create.

I lean back in my chair, my mind a whirlwind. We need to act fast, but we need to be smart. Madison and Cameron think they've won, but they have no idea what's coming. We're going to expose them and we're going to prove Lyric's innocence.

Unfortunately, time is running out and every second that ticks by feels like a nail in the coffin. We can't afford to fail. Not now. Not when so much is at stake.

The committee decides to reconvene the next morning to hear any new evidence. They dismiss us and as soon as we're out of the building, I take Lyric's hand and guide her away fromthe campus. “Let's go get Eli," I suggest, trying to keep my tone light. “We should take him to the park. Maybe take our mind off things, okay? Levi and Zane are going to look into things for now.”

She nods, though her eyes are still clouded with worry. I squeeze her hand reassuringly, hoping to distract her from the looming threat of expulsion that’s hanging over our heads like a storm cloud.

“You two find evidence.” I turn to my brothers. “Anything you can. Go through every single social media post that any of the Sigma’s and Madison have ever made. See if we can find something that points to what they did. Dig up evidence.”

They nod, determination on their faces. “We'll find something,” Zane promises, hugging Lyric.

With that, we part ways. I focus on keeping Lyric distracted, taking her to pick up Eli from daycare. As we walk, I try to keep the conversation light, focusing instead on Eli’s latest daycare antics.

Once we pick him up, we spend the rest of the morning at the park, focusing on our son and keeping him entertained. I push the kiddo on the swings, making funny faces that coax giggles from him and gradually, I see Lyric's shoulders relax.

Back at the dorm, I tuck Eli into bed for his nap while Lyric showers. As I wait for her to come out, I can't help but worry about what Zane and Levi are finding. We need something solid, something that will clear Lyric's name.

That afternoon, Zane and Levi return. They spent hours scrolling through endless posts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, some saved Snapchat conversations and even sat through a few tiresome vlogs from Max in high school.

“We did,” Levi says, eyeing the sleeping form of Lyric. “She wore herself out from worrying, so I’ve been letting her rest.”

“I don’t know if it will help her case, but we found out something major.” Levi says.

“What is it?” I ask, my brow furrowing.

“One of Max’s buddies, one of the ones who confronted me, posted something a few years back that looked really fucking cryptic,” Levi explains. “Something about people getting what they deserve. I looked through the comments and I was able to piece together evidence that Max, Cameron, and their friends were the reason our prank went wrong at the pep rally.”

My eyes widen, and I almost jump out of my seat. “What the hell?” I ask, trying to keep my voice down.

“They found out we were pulling the prank and they hustled down to the auditorium before we came back. They switched out the drones we filled with confetti for ones filled with explosives.”

“That’s completely sick,” I say, frowning. “How could they put people in danger like that?”

---