Chapter 514

Chapter 514:

“What happened to him?” Madisyn asked the group of students.

The students shook their heads, trembling like leaves. One spoke up, “We don’t know what happened. When we woke up this morning, his door was wide open. We went inside and found him lying on the bed, covered in blood.”

Madisyn had braced herself for some conflicts over the funding, but she never expected things to spiral so dramatically. Halting the financial support had proven to be the right call; these students were nothing short of cold-blooded monsters!

“Stay put right here. The police will be here to investigate this!”

The police arrived promptly, ushering the students away to the station, with Madisyn tagging along. They remained oblivious to the flashing lights flickering at the entrance of the police station.

Jada quickly caught wind of the incident.

“Madisyn took the students to the police station. Humph, is she really thinking of accusing them of something?” Jada sneered. “How ridiculous. They’re just students—naive and innocent. There’s no way the netizens will side with her!”

Feel inspired by gⱯlnσν𝒆𝓁s․𝓬𝓸𝗺

Betsey inquired, “Miss Riggs, what’s our next move?” Jada commanded, “Send those articles to every major media outlet!”

Before long, a tempest of controversy brewed online. In the police station, the officers had questioned the students but unearthed no valuable leads.

“We searched the hotel for clues, but unfortunately, we came up empty-handed,” the police officer said, his brow furrowing deeply. The perpetrator was not only cunning but also remarkably composed. Yet, the oldest among the students was Emani, merely 13 years old.

If Emani had been responsible, she would be nothing short of terrifying.

Madisyn understood all too well that not just Emani, but every child in there was equally unsettling. They had grown accustomed to relying on the funds she had provided, lifting a finger, and when the funding stopped, they resorted to extortion. There wasn’t a single kind person among them.

“Thank you for your diligence in the investigation. I’ll reach out if I have any leads,” Madisyn said as she bid farewell to the police officers.

As she made her way back to the office, the online news caught her attention. “Madisyn Sent Children She Had Supported to the Police Station.” “Is Madisyn Unfit to Be a Charity Angel?”

Snapshots of Madisyn and the students stepping into the police station were circulating online, but the media, blissfully ignorant of the real story, jumped to conclusions. They painted Madisyn as a heartless benefactor who couldn’t bear the students’ pleas for support and had turned them into the authorities. The online chatter erupted into a frenzy, with users lambasting her for her apparent coldness.

“Madisyn earned the title of Charity Angel, and now she’s treating these students like this?”

“What a heartless person Madisyn is! The Johns Group rakes in billions every year, and she can’t part with a little for charity?”

The torrent of abusive comments surged.

However, whispers of charity scams also began to circulate swiftly. There were countless tales of fraudulent acts within the country’s charity sector, now interspersed with news criticizing Madisyn. Suddenly, people online found themselves uncertain of what to believe.

“Honestly, I’m starting to think those students might not be as innocent as they seem. Remember that girl from that rural village who pulled one over on charity? Her family wasn’t struggling at all—they were living better than most!”

“Madisyn’s doing charity, but she doesn’t owe them a thing. It’s outrageous for them to come demanding!”

“Let’s just wait and see—we don’t really know if the students did something wrong, which could be why Madisyn pulled the funding. Sometimes students aren’t as innocent as they appear.”

Public opinion began to split down the middle, with one half criticizing Madisyn while the other took a more neutral stance.

Madisyn glanced at the news and immediately sensed someone had her back. It didn’t take long to connect the dots—it had to be Elaine. Her mother was simply the best.

Madisyn’s lips curled into a warm smile as Andrew’s name lit up her phone’s screen. “Are you okay?” His voice was laced with genuine concern.

“I’m fine. Why so worried?”

“Those students aren’t kind. I’m genuinely worried they might try to hurt you.” Andrew sighed in relief. “Don’t worry. No matter how clever they think they are, they’re still just a bunch of kids!”

Madisyn’s thoughts drifted to Hamlin. Before today, she had been blissfully unaware of who ran the YM Club, but now that she knew, she realized she couldn’t simply turn a blind eye to the club’s crisis.

Clearing her throat, Madisyn inquired, “Are you familiar with Rosemarie?”

Andrew replied in a calm tone, “She’s the top female racer in the world of racing. Why do you ask?”

“Actually, I’m pretty good at racing too—almost as good as her…” Before Madisyn could finish her thought, a palpable chill radiated from Andrew’s end of the line, silencing her.

Andrew’s voice took on an icy edge, more serious than she had ever heard. “You want to race?”

“I don’t,” Madisyn stammered, instinctively backpedaling.

“I’m truly terrified of losing you. Racing is incredibly dangerous.” Andrew’s deep, gravelly voice was laced with palpable concern.

Madisyn understood that the death of his close friend had undoubtedly cast a long, dark shadow over him. “I get it. You don’t need to worry; I won’t do anything that reckless!” Madisyn reassured him gently.

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