Chosen By My Mate's Father-in-law
Chapter 25: The Setup Begins

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: The Setup Begins

Clarissa stormed across campus, her heels hitting the pavement like gunshots. Her long red hair bounced behind her in sharp waves, and her jaw was clenched tight. Usually, she soaked in the stares she got—guys turning their heads, girls whispering. But today? She didn’t care.

She was too angry.

All because of Jasmine.

That annoying, pathetic girl had embarrassed her again, in front of everyone.

Clarissa’s friends trailed after her like nervous little shadows. None of them dared to speak—until one tried.

“Clarissa, maybe we should—”

“Leave me alone,” she snapped, eyes still straight ahead. Her voice was sharp and cold.

The girls backed off immediately. They knew better.

Clarissa took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from exploding. She hated feeling small, and she especially hated that it was Jasmine who inflicted this feeling on her. Jasmine was always supposed to be weaker, stupider, than her.

She turned off the main walkway and cut across the grass toward the parking lot. Her heels sank into the ground a little, but she didn’t care. She needed to vent. She needed to get revenge on Jasmine for her little stunt earlier.

Then she saw her.

Jasmine was standing calmly near the gate by the roadside, as though she was waiting for someone. Clarissa narrowed her eyes and hid behind a nearby pillar. What could a loser like Jasmine be waiting for?

To her surprise, a sleek black Rolls-Royce rolled up in front of Jasmine. The sunlight bounced off its shiny surface and the windows were tinted.

“What the hell?” Clarissa muttered in shock.

The driver stepped out and opened the door for Jasmine like she was some kind of princess. And Jasmine climbed in expertly, not even sparing a glance at anyone around her.

Clarissa stood there, mouth slightly open.

That kind of car? That kind of treatment?

It didn’t make sense.

Everyone knew Jasmine’s family didn’t have money. Her dad was in jail. Her mom worked random jobs to get by. Jasmine wasn’t supposed to be riding around in luxury.

So what the hell was going on?

Clarissa stared as the car pulled away and vanished down the street. Then she turned on her heel, walking quickly back across campus, her thoughts spinning.

Whatever secret Jasmine was hiding, Clarissa was going to find it.

She couldn’t stop hearing Jasmine’s voice in her head—“Even with my father in prison, I’m still doing better than you.” Clarissa’s hands curled into fists. Her nails dug into her palms.

She was still fuming when she spotted someone leaning against a tree nearby, hoodie pulled up, phone in hand.

Nathan.

A slow smile tugged at Clarissa’s lips. Perfect.

She marched straight over. “You won’t believe what that girl just did.”

Nathan looked up from under his hoodie. “Let me guess—Jasmine?”

“Obviously Jasmine!” Clarissa snapped. “She embarrassed me. Again. Right in front of everyone.”

Nathan slid his phone into his pocket, crossing his arms. “Not surprised. She’s been acting cocky ever since those grades came out. Didn’t she beat you in two classes last semester?”

Clarissa’s jaw tightened. “She’s a nobody. I don’t care what her grades say.”

“She’s not a nobody if she’s beating you,” Nathan said. “Something’s not right. No way she’s pulling off those results on her own.”

Clarissa glanced at him. “You think she’s cheating?”

“I think she’s screwing someone for it,” he muttered. “Girls like her play innocent and helpless. Professors eat that up.”

Clarissa folded her arms, thinking. “She acts all sweet, like butter wouldn’t melt. And now that Elliot dumped her for Isabella, she’s probably crawling after the next rich guy.”

Nathan raised an eyebrow. “You said she got in some luxury car?”

Clarissa nodded. “A Rolls-Royce. I saw it myself.”

“Her family’s broke, right? Her dad’s still in jail?”

“Yeah. No government help either. Everyone already pities her. That’s why it’s hard to dig up anything—because they all think she’s already hit bottom.”

Nathan leaned in. “Then we find something new. Something she doesn’t want anyone to know. If we catch her cheating or messing around with a professor, she’s done.”

Clarissa narrowed her eyes. “You’re serious?”

Nathan smirked. “Completely. You want her out, don’t you?”

Clarissa tapped her nails against her arm, staring past Nathan, thinking hard.

“Fine,” she said finally. “Let’s find out who owns that Rolls-Royce.”

“There’s no way a girl like her suddenly has it all,” Nathan muttered, hands stuffed in his hoodie pocket. “Dad in jail, no money, no connections—yet she walks around like she runs the place.”

Clarissa smirked. “So you’ve noticed too?”

He snorted. “She beat me on that last midterm. Not just barely—by a lot. This is the same girl who used to cry during mock exams.”

Clarissa folded her arms and glanced toward the crowded walkway. “She’s probably messing around with someone again. Maybe the guy who picked her up today.”

Nathan raised a brow. “You sure?”

“No,” she admitted, “but it would explain a lot.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “We just need something. Proof she’s not clean. Even a rumor would shake things up.”

Clarissa let out a slow breath. “People think I’m just jealous, but I’m not. She walks around like she’s better than everyone. I’m tired of it.”

“Then help me,” Nathan said. “Watch her. See who she’s meeting, and where she goes. If she’s hiding anything, we’ll find it.”

Clarissa’s eyes gleamed. “Deal. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Nathan nodded and walked off without another word.

Elliot’s POV

Elliot leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against the mahogany desk as Nathan stood in front of him, arms crossed and smug.

“She got into a Rolls-Royce right outside the uni gates,” Nathan said. “Didn’t even try to be discreet.”

Elliot’s eyes narrowed. “You’re sure?”

Nathan nodded. “Clarissa saw it with her own eyes. Same model Gareth Laken uses.”

“Of course,” he muttered under his breath, pacing across the polished tiles of his office. “Of course, she’d weasel her way into something again. Damn her!”

A muscle in Elliot’s jaw ticked. He knew Jasmine had somehow managed to get that job despite everything. He’d been counting on the butler’s complaint to ruin it, but Gareth hadn’t taken the bait. Worse, Gareth had cut the butler’s pay and told him to keep his mouth shut, so Elliot had to play the remorseful, repentant fool and give some of his money to the butler to keep his reputation intact. Now that Michelle, that damn brat, was on Jasmine’s side, there would be no changing Gareth’s mind.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already got one of her professors in my pocket. He owes me a favor. I told him to keep an eye on her assignments. If anything’s off, he’ll file a report. Maybe even fail her.” Nathan said casually.

Elliot raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly will he pin on her?”

“Plagiarism. Cheating. Anything that sticks.”

Elliot leaned back again, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

“And Clarissa?”

Nathan chuckled. “Digging through Jasmine’s social accounts, digging through old photos. You know how petty she can be. She wants blood after what happened at lunch.”

Elliot finally smiled. A slow, cold, satisfied smile.

“That’s more like it.”

He walked over to the window. The late afternoon sun cast a warm glow across the room, but his mood was anything but sunny.

“It won’t be long,” he said quietly. “When she loses everything—her classes, her job, her reputation—she’ll come crawling back.”

Nathan gave a low whistle. “You’re cold, man.”

“Keep the pressure on. I want her grades to drop. I want rumors to spread. I want her to feel like the world’s against her,” Elliot ordered.

Nathan nodded. “Got it.”

“And if Clarissa finds anything useful... send it straight to me.”

“Understood.”