Chapter 114: The Dark Goddess’s Maternal Strategy and the Belated Love Conflict (2)

Chapter 114: The Dark Goddess's Maternal Strategy and the Belated Love Conflict (2)

In the Office

The elegant and dignified widow, Mrs. Ella, was flipping through a grimoire. This magical tome was the terminal linking all the Seven Shields Academy's intelligence data stations.

In her capacity as a mentor, she was helping Shia investigate scattered intelligence related to assassins. Assassins, as an undefined role, weren't yet a recognized profession, so finding relevant information was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

The largest database Rong had ever accessed was merely the academy's library, which contained only a tenth of the knowledge stored within Seven Shields Academy. But the grimoire in Ella's hands could, with sufficient permissions, access any data she wanted.

Ella was thoroughly engrossed in her search, but the information was sparse and difficult to locate, making it an arduous task.

Why was Ella so painstakingly assisting Shia?

Well, she had no choice—Shia had earnestly pleaded with her yesterday, leaving her with no room to refuse.

Ella's mind couldn't help but drift back to last night's scene. Unlike his usual impish demeanor, he had been so genuine, so passionate. The warm atmosphere between them carried a hint of tantalizing heat. His earnest appeal had been irresistible.

A blush crept onto Ella's delicate cheeks as her pinky finger curled slightly. Who could say no to such a fervent and sincere young man?

Ella, being ever so soft-hearted, had agreed the moment Shia asked her for help. Ahem, yes, purely because she was a kind and accommodating person.

Even now, her body felt languid and tender, her fingers unconsciously brushing against her neck. As her fingertips made contact, her skin seemed to recall the sensations of the previous evening. It was as if every bone in her body had been thoroughly massaged, leaving her in a state of utter relaxation.

Ella bit her lip gently. The slight pain jolted her out of her reverie, bringing her back to the present. Shaking her head, she pushed away the intrusive memories.

She had work to do. Daydreaming about such things was out of the question.

Regaining her composure, Ella resumed her search. But suddenly, all the text on the grimoire vanished. Stunned, she flipped through several pages, only to find nothing but blankness. Was the grimoire malfunctioning?

Impossible!

Though students had limited access, as an academy mentor, Ella had one of the highest levels of clearance, granting her access to nearly 80% of the data. Yet now, she couldn't retrieve anything.

Ella, unwilling to believe it, infused her magic into the grimoire.

[Access Denied!]

The bright red alert box left her stunned. Something was definitely wrong.

Upon further inspection, she discovered that her permissions had been revoked by none other than the headmaster herself.

But why?

Although the headmaster was her superior, she had never interfered in trivial matters like this before.

The headmistress's secretary, tasked with relaying Diana's orders, noticed Ella's bewildered look and hesitated before passing on the message. "The headmaster said that any information you want will be conveyed to those who need it. You don't need to trouble yourself with searching."

The secretary found the statement strange—it didn't seem as if the headmaster held a grudge against Ella. But why restrict her permissions?

Ella clenched her fists, her elegant body trembling slightly as a chill spread through her. Everything had been going smoothly until the headmaster, with a single move, disrupted her plans.

That goddess of a woman! How could she...

Thinking back to the headmaster's fondness for Shia, Ella's heart ached. She had hoped to use this opportunity to solidify Shia's respect for her. After all, her authority within the academy was far-reaching.

She had helped Shia find what he wanted. Surely, he'd hold her in high regard for that, right?

But now, that was no longer possible.

Ella wore a wistful expression, her disappointment evident as she walked away. It was rare for the little rascal to need her, to depend on her, and yet she couldn't follow through.

Why did the headmaster have to meddle?

That was the question lingering in the teaching director's mind, and Ella was equally perplexed. The mere thought of Diana's intervention filled her with unease. She had always harbored a deep apprehension toward the headmaster.

More importantly, Diana's authority far exceeded her own. A mentor's clearance was higher than a student's, but as the head of the Seven Shields Academy, Diana had absolute control. The 20% of information Ella couldn't access was exclusively under Diana's dominion. If the headmaster wanted to know something, she could find it effortlessly.

If Diana provided the assassin information to Shia directly, Ella's value would be entirely undermined. And if that happened, her efforts to uncover clues to resurrect her husband would be interrupted again.

The elegant widow stopped in her tracks. Her pearly teeth bit down on her crimson lips, her soft, captivating eyes gazing into the distance. On the surface, she appeared to be admiring the view, but in reality, her mind was racing.

She needed to find a way to regain control. She couldn't continue to be this passive. She had to seize the initiative.

---

Inside the Villa

After hanging up the phone, Diana was visibly delighted, her radiant joy written all over her face. Tossing her phone aside carelessly, the gorgeous and slightly smug beauty tilted her chin arrogantly.

"Well, what now? Looks like you can only come crawling to me!"

Like a mischievous child, her tone was filled with playful teasing, as if she were fishing for compliments.

Even though Shia had some inkling of Diana's capricious nature, he hadn't expected her to pull something like this. He was completely dumbfounded.

What else could he do now?

Shia sighed, helpless but willing to play along. Turning slightly, he leaned in, burying his face in something warm and soft.

"My dear, beloved, most amazing headmaster, won't y ou help me out?"

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