Chapter 16
Six.
That number became the only thing I could think about.
Six students possibly given fake mental-health records.
Six families who might have been told their children were unstable.
Six lives altered because powerful adults needed credibility destroyed.
Investigators moved quickly.
The rehabilitation center denied knowingly participating.
A former administrator had approved admissions through a third-party referral service.
That service traced back to Pacific Academic Solutions.
Richard’s shell company.
Everything circled the same network.
By evening, federal agents had identified four of the six students.
All alive.
All traumatized.
Two had been placed in treatment facilities against their parents’ wishes after Westbridge counselors reported dangerous behavior.
One family had spent nearly $200,000 fighting to clear their daughter’s record.
The fourth student was Jasmine Lee.
The debater from Dalton’s list.
I called Elena.
“Did you know Jasmine?”
“A little.”
“Did she have mental health problems?”
Elena paused.
“Everyone has problems.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No. She was stressed, but she wasn’t dangerous.”
“Westbridge reported her as suicidal.”
“What?”
My stomach tightened.
“Her parents were told she needed emergency hospitalization.”
Elena became furious.
“She gave a speech at school a week before she disappeared from debate.”
“What speech?”
“About donor influence.”
Of course.
Every targeted student had threatened someone’s child, money, or reputation.
I felt like I was learning the rules of a hidden kingdom.
Merit was tolerated until it challenged inheritance.
Dad found me in the kitchen staring at untouched dinner.
“Eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You said that at breakfast.”
“I ate toast.”
“You insulted toast by nibbling its corner.”
I glared at him.
He pushed a plate toward me.
“Three bites.”
“I’m seventeen.”
“Then four.”
I took a bite just to stop him.
He sat across from me.
“Jasmine’s parents agreed to speak with investigators.”
“Good.”
“They also agreed to let you call her tomorrow.”
I looked up.
“Me?”
“She asked.”
“Why does everyone ask for me?”
Dad smiled faintly.
“Because you’re not a detective.”
“That seems like a disadvantage.”
“Sometimes it means people believe you’ll listen instead of build a case.”
I thought about that.
“Will you listen too?”
“Yes.”
“Without interrupting?”
He looked offended.
“I can do that.”
“You interrupt executives every seven seconds.”
“Executives charge me for meetings.”
I almost smiled.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Dad frowned.
I answered cautiously.
“Hello?”
A girl’s voice.
“Avery?”
“Yes.”
“This is Chloe.”
I went still.
Dad stood.
“Where are you?”
She started crying immediately.
“I don’t know.”
I looked at Dad.
He motioned for Daniel.
“You’re with your father?”
“Yes.”
“Are you safe?”
“I don’t know.”
That answer scared me.
“Can he hear you?”
“No.”
“Where are you calling from?”
“A hotel phone.”
“What country?”
“Mexico.”
Dad whispered, “Ask for hotel name.”
Chloe gave it.
Daniel began contacting authorities.
“Why are you calling me?”
“Madison’s message got through.”
“What message?”
“She told me Maya was alive.”
I looked at Dad.
“When did you last speak to Madison?”
“Yesterday.”
Before the warehouse.
Chloe sobbed.
“My dad says everyone is lying.”
“What does he say happened?”
“He says Richard kidnapped Maya and blamed him.”
“Do you believe that?”
“I don’t know!”
Her voice cracked.
I remembered how confident she had been in the cafeteria.
Now she sounded twelve.
“Did your dad make you leave?”
Silence.
“Chloe.”
“Yes.”
My anger sharpened.
“Did you want to go?”
“No.”
Dad closed his eyes.
This changed things.
“He said we were taking a trip.”
“Then?”
“When we landed, he took my phone.”
“Are you locked in?”
“No.”
“Can you leave?”
“I don’t have my passport.”
Daniel mouthed instructions.
I repeated them.
“Stay where other people can see you. Go to the front desk. Tell them you are a minor and your passport has been taken.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know.”
“What if he finds me?”
“Authorities are being contacted.”
She began crying harder.
“Avery.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry.”
I froze.
“For what?”
“All of it.”
The cafeteria flashed through my mind.
Her laughter.
Her phone.
Her lie.
“Now?”
“I know that sounds awful.”
“It does.”
“I was jealous.”
I stared at the wall.
“Of me?”
“Before I knew who you were.”
“That makes no sense.”
“You didn’t care.”
“About what?”
“What people thought.”
I almost laughed.
“I cared while noodles were running down my face.”
“No. I mean before.”
She sniffed.
“You wore the same shoes. You ate alone. Madison made jokes and you looked bored.”
“I was pretending.”
“Still.”
Her voice became smaller.
“I spent my whole life terrified Madison would stop liking me.”
That surprised me.
“Why?”
“Because my dad told me the Blakes were important.”
I looked at Dad.
“He told me friendships were investments.”
I felt sad for her despite myself.
“That isn’t friendship.”
“I know that now.”
A door opened on Chloe’s end.
She gasped.
“What?”
I asked.
“My dad.”
The line went silent.
Then Victor Lane’s voice.
“Who are you talking to?”
Chloe didn’t answer.
“Give me the phone.”
“No.”
A struggle.
I shouted, “Chloe!”
Victor’s voice came closer.
“Is that Avery Harrison?”
Dad grabbed the phone.
“Victor.”
Silence.
Then Victor laughed.
“Ethan.”
Dad’s expression became terrifying.
“You have taken a minor across an international border and withheld her passport.”
“My daughter is with her father.”
“Not for long.”
Victor’s voice sharpened.
“You should be more concerned about your own daughter.”
My skin went cold.
Dad looked at Daniel.
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s advice.”
“No. Say what you mean.”
Victor laughed again.
“You always were dramatic when family was involved.”
Dad’s face went pale.
Something about that sentence hit him differently.
“What does that mean?”
“You still don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“Why Richard chose Avery for the test.”
Dad stared at me.
Victor continued.
“It wasn’t my idea.”
“Whose?”
Silence.
Then he said, “Ask Claire.”
Dad slowly turned toward his sister, who had just entered the kitchen.
Claire froze.
Victor laughed.
“Looks like she’s there.”
My heartbeat thundered.
“What is he talking about?” I asked.
Claire said nothing.
Dad’s voice dropped.
“Claire.”
Her eyes filled with fear.
Victor whispered through the phone.
“Tell him who gave us Avery’s school plan.”
The room went silent.
Dad stared at his sister.
“No.”
Claire whispered, “Ethan.”
“You knew she was enrolling under Cole?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell Richard?”
Claire began crying.
“I told someone.”
My stomach dropped.
“Who?”
She looked at me.
May you like
And for the first time since this began, I saw guilt in the face of someone I loved.
“Avery, I thought I was protecting you.”
