<b>Chapter </b><b>271</b>


    Carina’s grip on the pen tightened suddenly, leaving a <b>deep </b>scratch on her exam paper. The entire exam hall turned to stare at her<b>, </b>their gazes like daggers piercing her back.


    Gritting her teeth, she stood up, straightened her back, and walked out.


    “Are you Carina?” a police officer asked, giving her a quick once–over.


    Carina nodded stiffly.


    “We need you toe with us. You’re a suspect in a premeditated murder case and need to assist with our investigation,” he said.


    The bright sun overhead did nothing to dispel the sudden chill that enveloped Carina. Her fingernails dug <i>into </i>her palms, but the pain barely registered.


    “Officer, I’m in the middle of my finals… Can this wait until after I’m done?” Carina’s voice was strained.


    “Sorry, but that’s not possible. You need toe with us now,” the officer replied, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.


    “Please, let me finish my exams first,” Carina begged, her teeth chattering and her body shaking. “You must understand how important these exams <b>are</b>…


    “Sorry, but we have orders to bring you in immediately,” he said, maintaining a professional, detached demeanor.


    It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help; he simply couldn’t defy the orders from above.


    The words “orders from above” sent chills down Carina’s spine. Her eyes, bloodshot and desperate, locked onto the officer. “It’s Flora, isn’t it? She’s behind this, isn’t she?”This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It had to be Flora. She had timed this perfectly, giving Carina hope only to plunge her into darkness.


    The officer didn’t respond to her usations and instead handcuffed her, leading her out. The suddenmotion had everyone in the exam hall craning their necks, assuming someone had been caught cheating.


    Even Flora, amidst her essay, nced out the window. Carina sensed it too and their eyes met. Flora saw the madness and hatred in Carina’s eyes and twirled her pen with a smile.


    The scene took her back to a past life. Back then, she was the one hysterical, and Carina had looked down on her before burning her alive.


    As Carina’s eyes widened in rage, Flora mouthed the words clearly, “I did it on purpose.”


    Carina’s screams pierced the air, catching the officers off guard as they struggled to restrain her. Worrying about disrupting the other students, the officers hurriedly led her away.


    Outside, the crowd was evenrger than on previous days, with journalists ready to capture the students‘ exit. But instead of students, they saw police officers escorting Carina out.


    Everyone stared in shock. Carina had been trending on social media just the day before, confidently dering her goal to attend the University of Maple Grove. Now, she was being taken away by the police?


    The journalists were quick to react<b>, </b>snapping pictures and recording videos of Carina.


    In the crowd, Raul and Henrik watched silently, saying nothing. Carina had brought this <b>upon </b>herself.


    The multitude of staring eyes felt like knives cutting into Carina as she trembled, covering her face with her hands as she got into the police car. Tears slipped through her fingers.