The heavy, soundproofed doors of the Dean's office clicked shut behind Jaden and his father, leaving a vacuum of silence in the hallway that felt more suffocating than the crowd's whispers.
April was leaning against the cold stone wall of the corridor, her hands trembling so violently she had to shove them into her pockets. She had seen Arthur Sterling's face as he walked out it wasn't the face of a disappointed parent; it was the face of a man who crushed things that didn't fit his silhouette.
Ten minutes later, Jaden emerged.
He didn't look like the King. He looked like he was walking to his own execution. His eyes scanned the hallway and locked onto April. Without a word, he grabbed her wrist not with his usual arrogance, but with a desperate, grounding grip and led her toward the service staircase that led to the rooftop.
