General POV
The ballroom on the third floor of the East Wing didn’t look like it belonged to a university. It glowed like a carnival was going on in it. Blaring colorful lights cascaded from a silver ball overhead, catching on every shimmer of silk and polished shoe. A deep red carpet stretched across the floor like a trail to the outside where celebrities would arrive and get captured by paparazzi, and the sound of soft instrumentals played low beneath the cacophony of voices and laughter.
It was the school’s tradition. An informal induction of the new CRI members to the academic elite. A meet-and-mingle event masked as a celebration. The Dean would be present to welcome the members as well as the school board of directors.
Meredith stood by the refreshment table, fingers curled around
