Sophia stared at the screen, unable to speak.
Beside me, Professor Warren finally leaned back and let out a long breath.
I turned to Sophia. "Would you care to explain how my watermarked research files ended up in your hands and were submitted under your name?"
Sophia shook her head wildly, then darted a glance at David.
"It was you! You and David conspired to frame me!"
She appealed to the panel. "This isn't the research I completed. David switched the files. They did this to ruin me! I only just realized that the submitted files aren't the ones I created!"
The excuse was so desperate that I almost laughed.
"Then where is your research?"
I tilted my head. "Don't tell me you can't produce it."
"Of course I can't," Sophia snapped. "You made David delete my files!"
"Really? Then wh
