I stared into his eyes. They once reflected my image. Now all I saw was disgust.

I let out a bitter laugh.

"Fabian, you started this."

"Unless you return my paper to me—"

"I will pursue this to the end and nail both of you thieves to the pillar of academic shame."

Fabian's expression didn't change. He watched me with calm detachment.

As if he was certain.

That I was all bark and no bite.

"Fabian, you've been a university professor for ten years. You should know better than anyone what happens to people who commit academic fraud."

"You wouldn't dare."

His face shifted slightly.

He gripped my wrist harder, speaking through clenched teeth.

"Go ahead and say whatever you want. I run the entire Research Center now. I'd like to see who would believe you."

"Whether they believe me isn't up to you."

I shook him off and pulled a stack of documents from the drawer, throwing them down in front of him.

"These are the experiment logs from last December to this March. Every daily entry has a timestamp. I also have email correspondence with the collaborating laboratory—every single data point matches up. Doris has only been in the group for two months. What does she have to compete with me?"

"This evidence is in black and white. Can you forge that for her too?"

Doris's face went white. She shook her head at Fabian, looking pitiful and helpless.

"Professor Morton, maybe we should just forget it?"

Tears spilled from her eyes. "I don't want this to blow up and affect my graduation."

Fabian patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"Even if something does happen, it's my responsibility. It has nothing to do with you."

He turned to me, impatience written all over his face.

"Sara, do you really have to take this so far?"

"I told you—one paper isn't a big deal for you."

"Why are you so determined to make an issue of this?"

I laughed coldly.

"You think this is just about a paper?"

"Fabian, have you ever respected me?"

"Today you're letting your student walk all over me for a paper. What outrageous thing will you do for her tomorrow?"

"I can ignore the rumors swirling around about you."

"But don't treat me like a fool."

Doris's eyes were red from crying. She tugged timidly at Fabian's sleeve.

"Professor Morton, please don't fight with your wife because of me. I don't need this paper anymore..."

"This is all my fault."

Fabian rubbed his brow in frustration. "Doris, go home for now."