Chapter 1

Just as I pulled the zipper closed on my suitcase, the lock clicked behind me.

Raymond Kane and Madelyn Wright burst through the door, carrying snorkel masks and a bulging bag filled with colorful inflatable floats.

Madelyn spotted the winter coat draped across the couch and stopped short, then doubled over laughing.

"Raymond, pay up," she said between giggles, pointing at my suitcase. "I told you she'd be pissed, but I didn't think she'd actually pack all her winter stuff just to prove a point."

Raymond leaned against the wall, shook his head, and sent her the money with a rueful smile. "Alright, you win."

He pocketed his phone and came closer, reaching out to ruffle my hair. "Grace, I already bought you a new ticket. We took the joke too far this time, okay? Don't be mad anymore. Come on, take all those heavy clothes out. You won't need them in Palmaris."

I stepped aside, avoiding his hand.

His arm hung awkwardly in midair, and a frown crossed his face. "Are you really going to be this dramatic about it?"

I zipped my suitcase shut and pulled up the handle. "I'm not going to Palmaris anymore. Have fun."

Madelyn's smile slipped, but she quickly recovered and came over, reaching for my arm. "Come on. We already got you a new ticket. If you're uncomfortable sitting by yourself, I'll ask Raymond to switch with you. I'll sit right behind you instead. Is that okay?"

I glanced down at her hand. "Don't touch me."

Madelyn froze, and Raymond's expression darkened.

"Grace Winsor, are you really throwing a tantrum over a refunded ticket?" he snapped.

I looked him straight in the eye. "You canceled my ticket, turned my travel plans into a bet, and now you're saying I'm the one making this a big deal?"

Raymond clicked his tongue, struggling to keep his irritation in check. "Didn't we already fix the problem? I bought you a new ticket last night. It's not like I actually left you behind."

Madelyn quickly adopted a wounded expression. "Exactly. We weren't actually going to ditch you. We were just playing around. You never used to be this sensitive."

She paused, as if struck by a sudden thought, and her eyes lit up. "Oh! I almost forgot. I have good news. I was going to tell you during the trip to make you feel better."

I felt a knot form in my stomach.

Madelyn took out her phone, pulled up a screenshot, and held it in front of me.

"Remember that final submission for the Mirage Awards? I submitted it for you two days ago. You've been up every night working on it and I felt so bad for you, so I just went ahead and did it for you."

I squeezed the suitcase handle so tightly my knuckles turned white.

"You accessed my submission files?"

"Don't be so dramatic." Madelyn frowned, clearly put off by my reaction. "I even added a little surprise for you. In the corner of your favorite illustration, I put a tiny watermark of a frog rolling its eyes. It's cute."

She winked at Raymond.

"We even placed a bet on whether you'd spot it. The plan was to keep it a secret until after you won, then spring it on you for the ultimate reveal."

A sharp buzz filled my head.

The Mirage Awards had zero tolerance for any extra marks on submissions, let alone something like that watermark.

I had poured half a month of sleepless nights into that portfolio, and it was the only piece my academy had in the finals.