CHAPTER 76: The Choice

Jace’s POV

The event ended before I even realised it had properly begun. One second, I was dodging cameras and handshakes; the next, the hall was quietening into soft music and glasses clinking. From across the room, I caught the look on my father’s face. He looked pleased, though I couldn’t tell if it was because I’d shown up on time for once (thanks to Scott’s relentless nagging) or because that reporter clip had gone viral, sparking a flood of comments online. The glory I thought I’d lost seemed to be crawling back, not that it made me feel any lighter.

Scott sat beside me, glued to his tablet as usual, tapping away at emails I didn’t care about. His fingers moved fast, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose.

“Can you put that thing down for a second and focus on the music?” I asked, letting the low hum of violins fill the space between us. “You’re really missing out.”

“Hold on… almost done. One email,” he muttered.

I rolled my eyes, leaned over, and yanked the tablet out