Page 159 of Wicked Brutal

don’t silence young scientists

Ally: you’re encouraging him

obviously

Three dots appear.

Ally: traitor

Ally: anything yet?

That one wipes the smile off my face. I look at the papers covering Arthur’s table.

we’re going through it now

Ally: okay. tell me when you know something?

always

I put my phone facedown. Arthur waits until I look up. “I spent the afternoon looking into Sainte-Catherine.”

“You could’ve called me.” Delilah says it while scrolling through something on her phone.

Arthur looks down the table. “Why would I have called you?”

“Because I could’ve saved you two hours.”

Danny turns toward his sister. “Oh, Jesus.”

Louise hides a smile behind her coffee. Arthur, apparently deciding to indulge her, folds his hands.

“All right. Tell me about Sainte-Catherine.”

Delilah sets down her phone. “It’s a boarding school.”

“We’ve established that.”

“A very expensive boarding school.”

“Also established.”

“In Switzerland.”

Danny groans. “Del.”

“I’m building atmosphere.”

“Build faster.”

She gives him the finger without even looking at him. “It’s legit. Excellent academics. Gorgeous campus. Very old money. Very international. Diplomats’ daughters, celebrities’ daughters, billionaires’ daughters, royalty-adjacent daughters who are technically just rich but really enjoy pretending otherwise.”

Theodore nods slowly. “I know the school.”

Delilah points at him. “See? Theodore gets it.”

Becca looks at her father. “You’ve been there?”

“No. I’ve known people whose daughters attended.”