(Avery)
When I got home from school, the house felt too quiet for a second. The driver had left, and I stepped inside with my bag slung over my shoulder. I wasn’t even two steps into the foyer when Mom's voice carried across the space.
"Avery. Good, you’re here." She was standing near the bottom of the stairs, her posture perfect, hands folded like she had been waiting.
I let out a small sigh. "Yes, Mom?"
She studied me for a moment before speaking. "We need to start preparing for the First Gala. It is tonight. It’s for the children at the orphanage, and it will be your first official appearance as a Blake. We have no time to waste."
My stomach dropped. "Tonight?" I hadn’t expected anything so soon. School had already drained me, and now this?
"Yes," she said firmly. Then she clapped
