Ghost Exorciser: The Oust Fake Heiress Strikes-Chapter 235 - 435: Connections

"There are twenty-two people here. It’s impossible that not a single one of you has the connections to get everyone out safely and make sure Blake is no longer possessed."

Silence fell like a heavy curtain.

Lana’s eyes darkened.

"What’s really going on?"

Jimmy’s shoulders trembled. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard, and when she finally spoke, her voice cracked into a choked sob.

"Blake’s family... is being attacked by another political party."

The words landed like a stone dropped into still water.

"That party," Jimmy continued shakily, "made sure no one from this suburban villa could leave. If all of us die here, it’ll create another massive scandal for Blake’s family."

Her hands clenched into fists.

"Once that happens, Blake’s family will never be able to recover."

The truth finally surfaced.

"That’s why," Jimmy whispered, "we had no choice but to approach a neutral party."

Understanding dawned on Lana instantly.

’So that’s it,’ she thought. ’I’ve stepped into a political battlefield.’

As long as she made a move, ShadowRidge University would inevitably be dragged into this mess.

Without another word, Lana stood up and walked toward the door.

The sudden movement shocked everyone.

Jimmy panicked and rushed after her, grabbing at the air helplessly.

"Please, don’t leave! Please, we’re begging you!"

Lana stopped and turned back, her eyes icy.

"I understand that you want to survive," she said calmly.

"But that doesn’t give you the right to selfishly put countless other lives at risk."

Jimmy froze.

Shaking her head frantically, she blurted out,

"We thought that as long as ShadowRidge University helped us, everything would be swept under the rug! And Blake’s family would definitely repay the favor later!"

Lana let out a cold laugh.

"Do you even understand what you’ve done?"

Everyone stared at her blankly.

"As long as ShadowRidge University intervenes," Lana continued sharply, "it will be seen as siding with Blake’s family. That alone will trigger countless complications."

Her voice grew heavier with every word.

"ShadowRidge University survives by staying out of politics. As long as it remains neutral, political struggles won’t spill over to the students."

She took a step forward, pressure radiating from her presence.

"But the moment it takes a side, it offends another party. And when that happens, Shadow Ridge University students become targets."

Faces turned ashen.

"Graduates will lose opportunities. Job offers will disappear overnight," Lana said coldly. "Some might get fired on the spot. Others could be framed."

The room felt suffocating.

"And if that party wants to make an example," she added quietly, "they might even kill ShadowRidge University students as a warning."

Now, everyone truly understood.

They had hidden far too much. They had nearly ignited a massive conflict.

Lana looked at them with complicated eyes.

"I do pity you," she said honestly. "But my pity doesn’t mean I can represent an entire university."

She turned away. "I’m leaving. Cancel the mission."

As she walked out, someone shouted bitterly,

"You’re too heartless!"

Others remained silent.

Some agreed with her. Some didn’t.

Lana understood it clearly, it was fear speaking. Desperation at the edge of death made people cruel.

She didn’t look back.

Once outside, Lana immediately contacted Principal Troy and briefed him on everything.

On the other end, Troy fell silent for a long moment.

"...You thought this through very well," he finally said. "If not for you, Shadow Ridge University would’ve walked straight into a disaster."

After finishing the explanation, Lana spoke calmly.

"I contacted you because I don’t understand how a mission tied so deeply to political struggles wasn’t filtered out."

Troy’s tone sharpened instantly.

"There might be a mole inside the university."

He didn’t hesitate.

"Thank you. What do you suggest?"

"Cancel the mission," Lana replied evenly.

"And make sure I don’t receive any negative remarks."

Troy laughed softly. "That’s a given."

Then Lana added,

"I’ll take this mission as an individual, not as a representative of ShadowRidge University."

Troy was stunned.

"Do you understand what you’re saying?"

"Yes."

"You’re taking an enormous risk," he warned. "Even with yellow mystic energy, there’s no guarantee you’ll survive the assassination attempts."

Lana smiled faintly. "I’ll manage." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Troy was left speechless. He wanted to warn her more, but her resolve was unshakable.

What Lana didn’t tell him was this...

In her previous life, the Rivers family had indeed been dragged into ruin by this very scandal.

Everyone had called them heartless.

They were cursed for ignoring the lives of twenty-two people, condemned for going as far as sacrificing even their own children, all in the name of political warfare.

At that time, rage flooded the public like a tidal wave. Every accusation pointed toward the River family, and for a long period, they faced relentless backlash. Their name became synonymous with cruelty, ambition, and cold-blooded calculation.

For a while, it seemed as though they were being pushed to the brink.

Yet when the truth finally surfaced, everything turned upside down.

The Rivers family did not fall.

Instead, they rose.

They rose higher than anyone had expected.

It was eventually revealed that the River family had been planning a massive move all along, something far greater than what anyone could imagine.

That so-called minor scandal had merely delayed their plans, forcing them to stay dormant for a time.

But destiny had never wavered.

With or without that scandal, they were always meant to rise.

Lana knew this better than anyone.

’They were never truly defeated,’ she thought quietly. ’They were only waiting.’

In her previous life, she had watched everything unfold helplessly, standing too far away to make any meaningful change. But this time was different. This life was different.

This time, she wanted to help them.

She wanted to build this connection deliberately, carefully, so that when the moment came, she would finally be able to carry out what she had been planning all along.

Principal Troy let out a long sigh, heavy and tired.

"So this is what you’ve decided to do?"

"If Shadow Ridge University chooses to help too," she replied calmly, her lips curving into a faint smile, "then I won’t interfere. But for now, I want to handle this on my own."