NOAH
Keith followed just behind me as I headed toward the private room on the second floor, where William had organized a high school reunion for another class.
The moment I stepped into the room, I drew attention. Conversations paused for a split second before resuming, louder than before, and several people immediately turned to greet me.
Though we were from the same grade level, I had no clear memory of any of them. We had been in different classes back then, and our paths rarely crossed. I responded to their greetings with brief nods—polite, but distant.
I wasn’t surprised they recognized me even if I didn’t recognize them. I had been the top student—not only in my class, but across the entire year. My family background was no secret either. Back then, many people tried t
