#Chapter 100: Public Choice

Amelia The envelope was thicker than usual. It sat on the edge of the desk like it was daring me to open it, its crisp weight making the rest of the correspondence look flimsy by comparison. Emma had set it down with a frown, her eyes lingering on the network’s seal before walking out of the room in silence, her mouth pressed in a tight line like she already knew what it said. Inside, the letter was formal and brief. An invitation to appear for a nationally televised interview. The anchor’s name was underlined twice. A woman known for sharp questions and sharper instincts. The kind who didn’t just want answers, she wanted blood. It wasn’t just news coverage,it was a performance, one I would be center stage for. “I don’t like it,” Nathan said immediately after I read it aloud. He stood by the window, arms crossed, pacing slowly. “They want to humiliate you. Turn you into a spectacle. She’s not going to ask questions, she’s going to bait you.” One of the elders, Alric, narrowed h