“Why?” I ask, sounding downright hostile.
“I don’t know the exact details, but I do know that Theo had a serious run-in with him a few years ago. He’s too much of a gentleman to gossip, but I’ve known Theo all my life, and I know him to be a man of honour. He cut ties with Paz for a very good reason.”
What a shock. All the rich people sticking together to push the poor guy out of their inner circle. “I’m sure in Mr. Rojas’s mind, it was justified. However, I have my doubts that those born in the top one percent are actually able to develop a true sense of justice, not when the entire world bends around them wherever they go.”
Carolina looks taken aback, then makes atsking sound. “Well, if that’s your opinion of us, I’m not going to bother trying to change your mind. I only wanted to help.”
She walks away before I can say anything, not that I would even know what to say. I stay rooted to the spot for a moment, too furious to go back to my desk. How dare these terrible rich people go around screwing people over, then gaslighting them everywhere they go? Someone should do it to them and see how much they like it.
I fume all the way back to Building C. When I get there, I expect to see a note from Kat, saying she left, but she’s hurrying down the hall towards me with a goofy grin on her face. “What’s so funny?” I ask.
“Just thinking of a thing I saw on TikTok. Did you manage to fix whatever crisis was happening?”
“I did,” I tell her, my irritation replaced by a flash of pride. “Anything happen here while I was away?”
“No.” She busies herself with her backpack. “I opened the ballroom for the contestants who came by. Other than that, nothing.”
“Okay, thanks,” I say dropping into my chair.
“I’m taking off. Have a good night.”
“You too.” I watch as she hurries out the door. A sense of foreboding comes over me. I know Kat, and she’s definitely hiding something. The question is, do I really want to know what?
* * *
The Next Day
Email from Vincent St. Pierre
To: Nora Cooper
Subject: TOP SECRET!!! Today’s Results
Nora,
I wanted to do you the courtesy of letting you know which competitors were struck from the competition today, in case they need some extra TLC in the coming weeks. As you know, we’ve asked all contestants to remain here until the competition ends so as to not tip off the media about who wins.
Aiden Ward of New Zealand and Paulo Souza of Brazil will no longer be participating, therefore they do not require—nor should they be allowed—access to practice spaces.
Best,
Vincent
* * *
Mike the Moose TikTok Reel
“Hey, all! It’s Mike the Moose, coming to you poolside at the incredible Paradise Bay Resort on Santa Valentina Island.” Mike flips the camera around and scans the area before returning it to his smiling face. “For those of you who have been in a coma or something, I’m here for the World Bartending Championships. Today was the first big day in our competition—they held the Speed Pouring and Free Pouring Accuracy Challenges, meaning we’ve lost two contestants already.”
Pointing to his mouth, Mike says, “I’m not allowed to talk about who won and who went home, so I won’t. I just wanted to check in with my Moose Heads and say that Mikey’s thinking about you!
“I also have two competitors with me. They wanted to say hi to you.”
Two more faces join Mike on screen. “You all know Ewan MacClary, or the Ginger Beast, as he’s known around the globe. Say hi, Ginger.”
“That’s Ginger Beast, ya wee bawbag,” Ewan shouts.
“What’s a bawbag?” the woman next to him asks in a Slavic accent.
