Chapter 409: Maya Torres Had Never Met Elias Mercer

Maya Torres had never met Elias Mercer, nor did she know about his connection to Clara Whitmore. But that didn't stop her from wanting to vent.

After lunch, the three returned to the lab.

Maya planted her hands on her hips with a sigh. "The space is nice, but cleaning it is a nightmare..."

Before she could finish, a voice called from the doorway. "Excuse me, is this C116?"

Two cleaning ladies stood at the entrance, holding mops and rags.

"Huh? Yes..." Maya blinked in confusion. "You are...?"

"Perfect!" The women immediately got to work without another word.

Maya's eyes widened. "Wait, are you sure you have the right place?"

"Absolutely. The administration office sent us to clean C116."

The administration office?

Maya and Clara both turned to Noah Kessler.

Noah shook his head.

Since when did he have that kind of pull?

"Whatever, free cleaning service!" Maya plopped down and ripped open a bag of chips. "Come on, dig in."

Clara accepted a chip but seemed distracted.

She had a guess about who might have arranged this.

It really wasn't necessary...

"Hey, not hungry?" Maya nudged Noah.

He declined. "Too many calories."

"..." Maya rolled her eyes.

Meanwhile, in the Life Sciences office...

Dean Archer wiped sweat from his brow, forcing a stiff smile. "Mr. Hayes, what brings you here today?"

Connor Hayes's expression remained icy. "You know exactly why I'm here."

"Has all the equipment donated by Solstice Technologies gone to waste?"

Dean paled. "I don't understand what you mean."

As the associate dean in charge of fundraising, Dean prided himself on being diplomatic. But Connor's tone sent chills down his spine.

"Our department has always upheld fairness—"

"Fairness?" Connor's laugh was sharp. "Is it fair when someone monopolizes lab equipment and blocks others from using it?"

"What was promised when we donated the CPRT analyzers? Equal access for all students."

"Instead, they've become tools for power plays."

Connor narrowed his eyes. "This directly impacts Solaris's future donation plans."

Dean's back prickled with cold sweat. "Mr. Hayes, I'll investigate this immediately!"

His mind raced.

The issue had to be with those two CPRT analyzers...

"Your insight is invaluable. We'll address any academic misconduct with the utmost seriousness."

Connor's expression softened slightly. "I've always trusted your judgment, Dean Archer."