Chapter 280
Heat crawls up my neck as I realize what’s happening. Someone deliberately planted these papers to undermine “my event. And it’s working.
“Ezra,” Arthur barks, whirling to face his Beta. “Check the security footage. Find out who put these here.”
Ezra nods and hurries away, already pulling out his phone to contact the security team.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper to Arthur, watching as more papers scatter across the lawn. “This is exactly what you warned me about.”
Arthur’s jaw clenches. “This isn’t your fault. This is a deliberate attack, and a dangerous one at that. Publishing Miles’s full name and school… it’s a security risk, not just a personal attack”
Η
He’s right. We’ve been careful to keep Miles out of the public eye as much as possible, both for his privacy and his safety. Now his name and school are literally blowing in the wind for anyone to see.
t
Ezra returns in just a few minutes with a grim expression. We caught it on camera. A man in a hoodle dumped the papers into the box about thirty minutes ago, then left immediately. We couldn’t see his face clearly, but he was average height, average build.”
“Generic as possible,” Arthur mutters. “Get in touch with the Humanitarian Society. I want to speak with Marjorie Falks directly. This kind of stunt is beyond unacceptable.”
“Yes, sir,” Ezra says before hurrying away
“Maybe we should reconsider Miles” school,” I say quietly. “If it’s causing this much of an issue-”
“Absolutely not,” Arthur interrupts firmly. “We shouldn’t have to explain or justify our choices for our son. And we certainly shouldn’t let bullies dictate those choices”
I nod, knowing he’s right. The problem isn’t really that Miles attends Wellington–it’s that Wellington offers opportunities that public school children can only dream of The real issue is the inequality itself.
I should view this as a sign that I need to keep working hard on my initiative. I’ll have to plan another fundraiser soon–one that’s three times as big as this one. Something that will not only prove that I’m serious, but also that will actually make a big difference for arts programs across the board.
By the time we finish cleaning up and collecting all the scattered papers, the sun is setting, Arthur is still furious. Ezra confirms that he’s set up a meeting with the Humanitarian Society for tomorrow morning.
“Don’t go too hard on them,” I warn Arthur. “If we react too negatively, it might just make us look worse.” Arthur merely growls in response.
Just as we’re about to leave, I spot a familiar figure across the way–Veronica, apparently just leaving as well. She must have stuck around for the whole event after all.
Without thinking, I jog across the grass toward her. She turns at the sound of my approach, her perfect eyebrows rising in surprise.
“Iris! What a wonderful event. The children seemed to have so much fun.”
“Thanks,” I say, but I’m not here for pleasantries. I need answers. “Veronica, did you tell anyone about Miles attending Wellington?”
Her eyes widen with what looks like genuine shock. “Of course not. Why would I do that?”
Chapter 280
+25 BONUS
“I’m not saying you did it maliciously,” I clarify quickly. “But maybe you mentioned it to someone who then passed it on?”
“Veronica shakes her head emphatically. “Absolutely not. I would never discuss a child’s private information with
anyone.” She touches my arm gently. “Why? What happened? Is everything alright?”
I hesitate, then reply vaguely, “Someone found out and used it to try to discredit the fundraiser. Called me a hypocrite.”
“Oh, that’s awful,” Veronica gasps, her hand flying to her chest. “People can be so cruel. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Her concern seems genuine, which only makes me feel worse for suspecting her. Maybe I am letting my insecurities cloud my judgment again.
“No, it’s fine,” I sigh. “We’re handling it. Sorry to accuse you. I just wanted to know for certain.”
“Don’t be silly,” she says with a warm smile. “I understand your concern. But I promise, your confidence is safe with me.”
I nod, forcing a tight smile in return. “Thank you. And… Thank you for coming today.”
Veronica’s lips curve. “I am sorry about the incident with that game, by the way. I guess one of us will have to stop wearing that perfume in the future.
e one to
I open my mouth to respond, but feel myself at a slight loss for words. Is she implying that I should be the stop wearing the scent I’ve had for a year because of the incident? But… No, I tell myself quickly. I’m being paranoid Again
Finally, I manage a smile as we part ways. I watch her go, mentally chiding myself for the way I view her. She’s not Selina. Not anything like Selina, actually
Right?
Chapter 281
Chapter 281
