“And you want the press there? Cameras rolling?”

“The more, the better.”

I slid the envelope into my tote and looked him dead in the eye with a smile that didn’t reach mine. “Done. I’ll give you exactly the show you deserve, Thomas.”

Chapter 5 — The White Coat

The night before graduation, the auditorium was dark and empty, the air thick with floor wax and anticipation.

I stood in the AV booth at the back with Mark, a junior technician I’d tutored in organic chemistry.

“You’re sure about this, Emily?” he asked, his hands hovering over the board. “This is… intense.”