~Valeria~
“You need a break from that shithole they call an academy,” Landon said the moment I answered the FaceTime call. His face filled my screen, seeming more upset over the stories he had heard of my suffering.
I sighed, shifting against my pillows. “Unless you have a magic wand to make everyone shut up, I don’t see how that’s possible.”
Landon leaned back against what looked like an expensive leather chair. “Actually,” he drawled, “I’ve got something even better.”
I raised a brow. “And that is?”
“There’s a gala this weekend—high-end, exclusive, the kind of event that could actually do you some good.”
I hesitated. The idea of walking into a room full of powerful strangers, pretending I belonged, made my stomach twist.
“I don’t know, Lan…”
He tilted his head. “Come on, Val. Th
