a's

n, I spent the entire afte

maker," instead highlighting the projects, a

y application through the public portal on Aether

a backdoor. I would get

w I had applied and, to be clear, that I had lef

upported my decision and said he looke

eel a sense of hope, an unk

ce identified herself as Ms. Albri

h condescension, "Nate was in a fight with anoth

ve you have the wrong number. I a

. "But... but you've always handled his scho

nger affiliated with the Mccormick family. Nate's mother is Harriet

efore she c

tunned by the dial tone. She hadn't

he steeled herself and

, she immediately cooed that she was in the middle of afternoon tea with an import

er option but to dial t

mers

ional video conference, discussing

e, her expression apologetic. "Alpha, there's an urgent

g through me. Something this trivial-Anika

meeting and t

hone, then added, "We contacted Ms. Velazquez, but she

She'd not only rejected me-she w

got into this fight because the other boy s

sank. I'd promised Harriet I wo

and said into the p

the video call that the meeting was p

e, my face dark enough to drip. Anika Velazquez,