Founder’s Day at Ashwick Academy was supposed to be a celebration of academic excellence and institutional tradition—not the setting for public accusations of attempted murder. The assembly hall was packed with students, faculty, parents, and distinguished alumni, all dressed in their finest formal wear for the academy’s most prestigious annual event.
I sat in the third row, wearing a navy dress that Roni had insisted would photograph well if any media managed to infiltrate the ceremony. Around me, conversations buzzed with excitement about award presentations, scholarship announcements, and the traditional founder’s address that would close the ceremony.
Headmaster Sterling stood at the podium, delivering remarks about Ashwick’s commitment to excellence and the distinguished achievement
