2026-01-28 03:26:56“Lomb has been my friend for years,” his father replied, confused. “What are you talking about? We just lost contact for a while. You would’ve seen us at dinners together. Vacations. Everything.”
“Dad, please tell me this is a joke. Stop it. He doesn’t know anything about Ivy League schools. I swear he doesn’t.” A pause. “Finn, can you call me back later?” his father said distractedly. “Something needs my attention right now.” The call ended. Finn stared at his phone. His chest tightened. Tonight was already spiraling out of control. Goodbye to the University of Pennsylvania. Maybe goodbye to every school he’d ever planned on impressing. He might have to start looking elsewhere. He glanced toward the sitting room. Lombard was still there. And somehow, that made Finn feel like crying. Forty minutes later, they arrived at the venue. Finn had already given strict instructions to the driver: park at the back. Far from the main entrance. No one was supposed to see Lombard before they made their way to their seats. He had even gone so far as to announce—loudly, embarrassingly—to the entire high school: “Guess who’s coming with me? The breath and life of Ivy league!!” “Just pass this place,” Finn whispered to Lombard, nodding toward a side entrance. “It’s like a secret route. Don’t worry. We’ll catch up with the others and still sit in the space allocated for us.” So far, the plan was foolproof. Until it wasn’t. “Hey, Finn!” Finn froze. The voice was painfully familiar. “Is that the man who’s got connections in the Ivy League?” A girl came running toward them, eyes wide with excitement. “Were you trying to hide him from us? Don’t bother—my parents can’t wait to meet him. They’re at the front of the hall right now.” Finn’s stomach dropped. Lombard had no idea why Finn was acting so… odd. He didn’t bother to ask. For real, he had planned to make the night enjoyable. But the moment he realized the boy was just… one of those high school kids—obsessed with Ivy League dreams and thinking they knew better than everyone else—Lombard lost interest immediately. “Please, Finn,” the girl who had run up to them said brightly. “Lead the way,” Lombard said. He had no intention of standing here all night, and he couldn’t understand the shock on Finn’s face anyway. “Please… can we talk?” Finn asked quickly, trying to pull Lombard aside. Lombard raised a brow. “Please, can we just not pass the front door?” Finn begged. “Why?” Lombard asked sharply. “Because… I have a phobia. And it… it’s worse,” Finn stammered. Lombard could tell he was lying. Of course he could. But he didn’t care enough to extract the truth. If Finn wanted to lie, that was on him. “You know what? I’m not a fan of back doors,” Lombard said, shrugging. Then he turned and walked toward the girl without waiting for another word from Finn. Finn ran a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath, “Fuck you, Dad.” Too focused on the fear that Lombard might embarrass him, Finn didn’t notice the conversation happening right in front of him. The conversation between Lombard and the girl.
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Chapter 14
Back in the car taking them home, Finn was buzzing. He couldn’t stop talking about how easy everything had gone and kept asking Lombard how he knew that move would work. Lombard, as usual, said nothing, letting Finn run his mouth.Abigail grew more and more amused as the minutes passed. Who was this guy? He acted like he didn’t care about Finn earlier, but clearly… he did. A lot.“My car is around here,” she finally said. “I was wondering… can you stay home alone, Finn?” This was her next step to get to know Lombard better.“Oh, yeah. I’m not a kid. But I thought you were going to spend the night at my place,” Finn replied.“I’m sorry, dear. I have an early day tomorrow, plus a lot to finish before the night ends,” Abigail explained.“Alright, I’ll stay with Lombard,” Finn said eagerly.“I have to go with my wife,” Lombard cut in, sharper than necessary.Abigail knew it wasn’t the right moment to react—but still, her face warmed at the way he said it.“Um…” she tried to make it less a
Chapter 13
Everywhere was quieter than it had any right to be. The Belmonts were known for not saying things they didn’t mean. It was as if some invisible gravitational force guided their words. Five years ago, they had predicted that a building would collapse—a massive supermarket at the time. Architects inspected it, found nothing wrong. But on the exact date and hour the Belmonts had warned, it had crumbled. No lives were lost, thanks to their warning. A mysterious, eerie accuracy that made people uneasy.So now, as Cassian ranted about some impending “divine accident,” everyone around felt that same unsettling chill.The principal of Finn’s school had been summoned. He hurried over, torn between excitement for his student and dread for the man Cassian had threatened.The door to the important man's car finally opened. He stepped out.“Do we have a problem, young man? Even if you begged my daughter on your knees, you wouldn’t touch the heel of her shoe,” the man said, irritation sharp in his
Chapter 12
Applause erupted across the hall—especially from Finn’s school. It was the longest comment the man had given to anyone from their side all day.Cassian shrugged. Normal. Totally normal. Okay…he's still got this. If Finn could make the man react like that, then his friend’s kid would completely wipe the floor with him.The boy finally walked onto the stage. His tie was stained with sauce from the meal earlier. That alone should’ve disqualified him—but Cassian didn’t even register it. By the time the kid opened his mouth, the judge wouldn’t care.“Actually,” the boy began, locking eyes with the man, “I’ve been watching you closely. I already know you’ll find me worthy of Yale. After all—fools speak the most. What I have to say is reserved for your ears alone.”A chill swept through the hall.People laughed at first. Nervous laughter. Surely he was joking.Then Cassian started clapping.Every head turned.His knees buckled slightly, but this was not the time to retreat.“Go, boy!” Cassi
Chapter 11
Lombard slid back into his seat like nothing happened. Earlier, he’d excused himself to “use the restroom.” No conversation needed with Finn—everything he wanted to say was already typed out and handed over.Honestly, he didn’t suddenly care about high school kids. This was just… convenience.Finn read through the message slowly. Then frowned. He looked up at Lombard, confused.“No one would go this far,” he said. “All I have to do is explain my ideas. He’ll pass me based on merit.”Abigail took the phone from him and skimmed through the text. Her brows knit together. She looked at Lombard again.Wait—what? Did he actually expect Finn to know this? Even she wouldn’t have considered something this detailed.“It’s already too late anyway,” Finn added, handing the phone back.Lombard didn’t react. Like he hadn’t heard a word.Abigail sighed softly. “Just go on and read it, dear,” she said gently. “Try as much as you can.”Finn reluctantly reread the message for the rest of the time he ha
Chapter 10
Every step faltered the moment Cassian stepped forward. The escorts slowed. Then stopped. The man stopped too. He wore a faint, polite smile—the kind reserved for faces you might recognize but can’t quite place. He waited, curious enough… but not impressed. “Hello,” Cassian said smoothly. “I’m Cassian. I understand you have something important to attend to in a few minutes. A lot of kids’ lives are about to be shaped forever by your decision tonight.” He smiled, generous, measured. “That’s why I won’t insist on the coffee I suggested earlier.” “Oh,” the man nodded. Coffee? He had no recollection of that. “I came with a friend’s kid,” Cassian continued, stepping slightly closer. “To show support. He has the most intelligent idea in this room. Truly brilliant. Not choosing him would be a waste of your time—and frankly, a discouragement to his very real dream of studying at Yale.” The man regarded him for a brief second. “I shall see,” he said calmly—and resumed walking. Cassi
Chapter 9
Now, Cassian walked out of the hall, straight toward the car waiting outside.He spotted the man’s PA and lifted a hand casually. “Longest time, man.”They hugged like old friends.“It’s been crazy,” the PA said. “But I’m surviving. You? And Mireya—man, I wish I could see her again. I still can’t thank her enough. My father would’ve been dead ten years ago if she hadn’t noticed he was sick and forced him to get checked. Even now, he still says he doesn't know what made her know he was sick. He was perfectly fine.”Cassian smiled faintly. “My kid sister’s always been good at what she does.”But the smile froze halfway. He saw Lombard walking toward the same car.Cassian’s eyes narrowed. “That man,” he asked quietly, “does your boss know him?”The PA followed his gaze, then waved it off easily. “Nah. Don’t worry about it. Probably someone from the team I sent to get him water. He wants to be alone before the next round.”Cassian scoffed.Oh, Lombard.The biggest disgrace a man could ev
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