Richard looked up, his interest piqued. "Harvey? Sure. Why?"
"There's this scholarship student at school," Veronica explained, choosing her words carefully. "Something seems off about her family. I'm concerned about safety issues."
Her father studied her face. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the incident I heard about? Some kind of fight behind the gym?"
Veronica feigned surprise. "You heard about that?"
"I'm on the Board of Trustees, Veronica. Not much happens at Wellington that I don't hear about eventually." He set down his phone. "Is this girl causing you trouble?"
"It's not that," Veronica lied smoothly. "I'm worried about the school. What if her family has a criminal background? Shouldn't someone look into that?"
Richard considered this, then nodded. "I'll give Harvey a call. What's the girl's name?"
"Amira Johnson. She lives with her grandfather, William Johnson."
By that afternoon, Harvey Blackwood had been hired to investigate Amira's family history. Veronica felt a surge of vindication as she headed to school. Let Amira play her mind games; soon Veronica would have ammunition that no amount of fighting skill could defend against.
At Wellington, the atmosphere had shifted noticeably. Students moved differently in the hallways, their attention constantly drawn to two focal points: Veronica, whose power was visibly waning, and Amira, whose quiet presence now commanded a fearful respect.
Veronica spent her morning classes crafting the perfect rumor—something believable enough to spread quickly, but damaging enough to isolate Amira completely. By lunch, she had begun whispering to carefully selected students.
"Did you know Amira's family has a criminal record?" she murmured to Ashley, a notorious gossip. "My dad's on the board, and they're doing a background check because of safety concerns."
"What kind of criminal record?" Ashley asked, eyes wide.
Veronica leaned closer. "I shouldn't say too much, but think violent crimes. Like, really violent. There's a reason she knows how to fight like that."
By sixth period, variations of the rumor had circulated throughout Wellington's student body. Some versions claimed Amira's grandfather had been in prison; others suggested her parents had died during some kind of criminal activity. The common thread in every version was the implication that Amira herself might be dangerous—not just capable of defending herself, but potentially violent without provocation.