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“What?”
“Well, funny thing about the store. I found these really plump, nice figs, and I asked one of the store clerks if I could try one. He told me he didn’t care if I lit it on fire and burned the store down with him inside. Seems to be a sign of the times.”
On any other day, this would have made me laugh.
Today, I just had too much on my mind.
“What’s going on, Rors?”Elijah sighed.
“My students were talking about the graffiti in class.”
I raised my downcast eyes and met the gray storm in his.
“I feel so fucking angry,” I whispered. “It’s not like I’m scared of the extent he’s willing to go to get what he wants. It’s that he’d hurt you guys in the process.”
“Someone tell me before I implode,” Chelsea nudged my shoulder impatiently.
It was already all over Facebook. I opened my newsfeed and passed my phone to her. She took one look at the message and made a disgusted snort.
“Don’t you see what this is, Rors?”
“I really don’t.”
“That fucker is afraid. You think he’d go to these lengths if you were easy? Nah, he’d just play his usual game and expect you to fall for it. But this? He’s upping the ante, trying to get you backed into a corner.”
Noah chimed in. “I think she's right. And Rory, I don’t want you to worry about our jobs. I know my saying this won’t matter and that you’re going to worry anyway, but we're playing for bigger stakes right now.”
Slowly, I nodded. “Yeah. I know. It just feels like such a setback to have to deal with this so close to D-day, y’know?”
There were a few murmurs of acknowledgement at that.
“I do have one solution.”
I met Chelsea’s gaze. “Fire away.”
“When you come up to the podium and present—you know what you’re presenting—the professors need to be there. I’m talking about a full-blown showdown. Like, just have at it. Whatever you’ve kept buried up until now, let it out.”
The men exchanged glances.
“Not a bad idea,” Elijah inclined his head. “I mean, by that time, we’ll hopefully have what we need to on screen. I just don’t know if it’s going to be enough.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. So long as I can get the evidence, nothing will keep him from going down.”
Elijah frowned. “Rory, how are you so sure?”
I shrugged. “I just have a hunch.”
The truth was that last night, I’d received a message from my darling daddy.
This is the last favor I do for you.
After it is done, I trust you will leave me and my family alone. I apologize for not being the father you wanted.
If you secure the footage, I can promise you that he will face charges.
He is very powerful. He may not do too much time. But his career will be over, and I would suggest you take that victory. You will be saving many young students.
You remind me of Helena, Aurora. She was a feisty woman too. When she was her best self, she could make a whole room fall in love with her.
