The Spider's Web and the Kill-Switch
The morning sun at St. Jude's Academy felt unusually cold. As April walked through the corridors, the whispers followed her like a physical weight. The news of the Sterling patriarch's visit had spread like wildfire, and the students were watching her as if she were a condemned prisoner waiting for the executioner's axe.
She hadn't seen Jaden since the rooftop. His seat in Advanced Calculus was empty, a sight that made her heart hammer against her ribs. Was he being held captive? Was he being forced to retract his "failure"?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the Dean's assistant, a woman who looked at April with a mixture of pity and disdain. "Miss Mendoza. You are requested in the Emerald Lounge. Immediately."
