Jadie waited for a moment before she spotted Zach emerging from the study. Swiftly, she moved toward him. "Zach, what's wrong? You look upset. Did he... give you a hard time?"

Zach, with a blazer draped over his arm, was visibly troubled. But upon catching sight of her, his expression softened slightly. "It's nothing. Let's head back."

Seated in the car, Zach's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he replayed the conversation from the study, his gaze sharp and determined.

"This is an invit