The mandatory all-school assembly was called with barely twelve hours' notice, summoning every student, faculty member, and available parent to the academy's grand auditorium. After my complete exposure to international media and the ongoing dormitory siege, another public gathering felt ominous rather than routine.
I sat with Alexander in the student section, both of us maintaining careful composure while aware that every eye in the auditorium was on us. My pharmaceutical billions were now documented fact, my relationship with Alexander was public knowledge, and our resistance to family authority had become the subject of international coverage.
"This feels like a setup," I whispered to Alexander.
"It definitely is. The question is what kind of setup and who's orchestrating it."
Headm
