My heart hammered against my ribs, but I forced myself to hold the dean's gaze.
I wouldn't look away. I wouldn't let him see how frightened I was.
"Thank you," I replied calmly. "It already feels like home."
His smile tightened slightly, as though he knew I was hiding something. Then he turned and walked away.
Even after he disappeared around the corner, I could still feel the weight of his attention.
Clara released a shaky breath beside me.
"He's been here for twenty years," she whispered. "Longer than most deans stay in office. Nobody questions him because nobody looks closely enough. Until now."
I slipped my hand into my pocket and touched the photograph she had given me.
If the dean was the person behind the Bennett Foundation, then I needed more than an old picture to expose h
