Chapter 6 - The Face at the Window
The sharp, rhythmic rapping against my driver's side window snapped my attention away from the glowing screen of my phone.
My heart hammered against my ribs. For a fraction of a second, my mind flashed back to Brandon’s furious face, or my father chasing my car down the street. But as I turned my head, the face looking in at me wasn't a member of my disgraced family.
It was a man in his late forties, wearing a tailored charcoal trench coat, with salt-and-pepper hair and sharp, intelligent eyes that looked through the glass with calm authority. He wasn't aggressive; he simply stood there with one hand tucked neatly into his pocket, waiting for me to acknowledge him.
I hit the button to lower the power window. The glass slid down halfway, letting in the cool morning air.
"Ava Vance?" the man asked, his voice smooth, resonant, and entirely composed.
"Who's asking?" I replied, keeping my hand tightly wrapped around my phone, my defensive instincts flaring up after everything I had just survived that morning.
The man offered a faint, reassuring smile. "My name is Julian Rhodes. I believe my office just sent an email to your inbox about two minutes ago."
My eyes widened slightly. Julian Rhodes—the anonymous alumnus and benefactor of the Ellison law school who had just stepped in to cover my entire tuition and housing.
"You're the one funding my enrollment?" I asked, staring at him through the narrow gap.
May you like
"I prefer to think of it as an investment in someone who actually knows how to survive a hostile takeover," Julian replied smoothly. "Do you have ten minutes, Ava? I think we need to have a conversation before you drive onto campus."
---
