“Suspended for a week? Jesus, Anatoli, what on earth did you do!?”

“It’s complicated, Ma,” I sigh as I grab a seltzer from the fridge. “You want one?”

She sighs and shakes her head. “Complicated? Honey, we can’t have you acting out at Royal Elite . You know how precarious your situation there is.”

Thankfully, when Mrs. Ervin called Mom to let her know about my suspension, she left out the details of my argument with Olivia. If there’s anything Royal Elite hates more than a low-class guy like me, it’s a scandal. And they’re doing their best to keep this one quiet.

“Now, if you agree to never speak...