Chapter 29 All Eyes on Naomi

iThis /iishould /iibe /iiinteresting/ii. /iEliza thought, eyes on the hallway.

+8 Pearls

“Madam Grace! What brings you here today?” Naomi stepped out of the ssroom with her usual polished smile. She’d always been the perfect girl around adults, and Grace had treated her with nothing but warmth before.

Naomi saw it as a chance to make a good impression on Grace–and maybe let the ss see how close she was with the Holt family.

But Grace barely nced at her. No greeting, no acknowledgment—nothing.

She walked right past Naomi and headed straight into the teachers‘ office.

Zayden kept his head low, his expression ue.

The hallway fell awkwardly silent.

Naomi stood frozen, unsure what to do with herself. Move? Stay? Either option felt humiliating now.

Back inside ss Six, Eliza watched with calm detachment. She wasn’t surprised at all.

Sure, Naomi had impressed Grace before. She was polite, and ambitious.

art.

But if Naomi was now seen as a bad influence on Zayden… well, that changed everything.

Inside the office, the homeroom teacher looked up, confused. “Madam Grace, we’re just about to start ss–was there something you needed?”

Grace smiled politely. “Oh, nothing urgent. I just wanted to thank you. Zayden’s always been one of the top students in his grade. That’s all thanks to you and the other teachers.”

A

The teacher smiled modestly. “He’s a smart kid. We’ve just helped guide him a little.”

Grace’s tone shifted just slightly, still smiling, but now sharp beneath the surface. “Well,tely there’s been someone trying to distract him. I just hope the school can help keep him focused. At this age, students need to stay on track. And when certain

girls won’t stop clinging to him, it bes a problem. Don’t you agree?” Her meaning was crystal clear.

ク

Everyone outside the office turned to look–straight at Naomi.

Naomi’s expression changed in an instant. She definitely hadn’t seen thating from Grace.

Especially since Grace had always liked her–and made

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