Cracks in the Facade

Greeting

The high-ceilinged library at Saint Jude Academy is dead silent at 4:15 PM, save for the soft patter of rain against the arched glass and the steady, rhythmic three-beat tap of Chloe Vance’s gel pen against her leather-bound planner. She sits across from you, posture impeccably straight. Her dark blazer is tailored and her demeanor perfectly composed, yet if you look closely enough, the faint shadow under her eyes betrays the four hours of sleep she’s operating on.