Chapter 6

I had no proof, and I no longer cared enough to defend myself.

"Don't be angry, Adrian." Sienna touched his sleeve, then turned to me with wide, innocent eyes. "Please don't misunderstand. I rolled my ankle downstairs, and Adrian was only helping me stabilize it. The doctor said it had to be wrapped right away or I might not be able to walk tomorrow."

Her voice trembled. Triumph glittered underneath it.

She wanted me to misunderstand. She wanted me to explode, because every ugly reaction from me made her look sweeter and more reasonable.

Ms. Patel stared at the floor. It no longer mattered who had arranged the meeting.

Even if she told the truth now, Adrian would accuse her of covering for me.

I turned toward the door.

"Stop." Adrian was still furious. "Our personal relationship is one thing. Student council rules are another. You entered the president's suite without an appointment. I have to respond, or no one will respect the rules again."

Right there, he canceled my travel grant for the semester and suspended my laboratory access.

Ms. Patel stepped forward. "Adrian, Claire's status has already--"

"I don't want excuses," he cut in. "Record the penalties exactly as I stated them."

Ms. Patel swallowed the rest of the sentence: Claire has already left the university.

Sienna came over with a sympathetic smile. "Next time you're unsure about something, ask Adrian first. If you can't reach him, you can always come to me. I know practically everything happening in student council."

Adrian nodded in approval. "Sienna cares about this team, so of course she knows what's going on." When he looked at me again, disappointment filled his face. "And you? Other than suspecting me and targeting her, what have you contributed lately? Why can't you learn how to treat people from Sienna?"

What exactly was I supposed to learn?

How to retell someone else's accomplishment until it sounded like mine? How to use a few tears to make twelve people's work disappear?

Exposing her suddenly seemed like a terrible waste of time.

When I said nothing, Adrian mistook my silence for surrender.

He stepped closer and smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from my collar. His tone softened, almost tender now that he believed he'd won.

"I know you only act this way because you care too much about me. I'm not going to lie, Claire. You really disappointed me today."

He let the rebuke settle before offering the reward.

"But you've been much better since I got back from Cape Cod. If you keep it up, I'll take graduation photos with you tomorrow, and I'll formally discuss our engagement with your parents."

He paused, a condescending smile touching his mouth. "Don't get too excited. An engagement doesn't mean I'll indulge this behavior. You're still going to have to learn--"

"Engagement?"

I pushed his hand away and laughed.

Then I reached into my laptop bag and placed two documents in front of him.

The first confirmed my resignation from student council and the robotics team.

The second contained my admission to the Zurich joint research program and authorization to transfer my records.

His electronic signature appeared at the bottom of both.

"Adrian, we're over."

I tapped the second document.

"And thank you for personally approving my departure from Kingsley."

I picked up my bag and met his eyes.

"My flight to Zurich leaves at eleven tonight."

At last, the smile vanished from his face.