I narrowed my eyes, my pride flaring at the direct challenge. "The model is standard textbook logic, Miles. It’s the exact formula the department has taught for three semesters. It accounts for general market stability."
"Then the textbook is oversimplifying the data," Lyra countered, her gray eyes lifting to meet mine, entirely fearless. "Your formula fails to account for the shifting income brackets between the upper ridge districts and the lower valley communities. You are calculating spending growth as if everyone has the same allowance, Jakes. If luxury taxes rise by even 2%, your entire projection glitches into a negative yield. It’s inaccurate."
"It's a theoretical class project, Miles, not a real-world liquidation," I growled, my voice dropping into a dark, low register that made
