"Enough!" Ratan said sternly, standing up abruptly and slamming his palms firmly onto the polished wood of his desk. "Quiet. All of you."
The room plunged into an immediate, suffocating silence. He leveled his sharp, furious gaze at Shweta first.
"Listen to me, girl. I have been running this institution since long before you even learned how to speak. Do not dare lecture me on how to manage my own campus."
Shweta's jaw tightened, and she tried to press on. "But sir, the evidence—"
"I said quiet," the principal cut her off, his voice dropping into a harsh register that left absolutely no room for negotiation. "If you think I am in the wrong, then don't stop at the Education Bureau. Go file a complaint with the Prime Minister for all I care. But as long as you are under this roof, this school will run exactly the way I decide. Understood?"
Shweta let out a sharp huff, visibly frustrated as she snapped her head sideways to avoid his glare.
