Chapter 3

That evening, everyone showed up right on time at the private party room we'd reserved at the hotel for our party.

The spacious room was filled with classmates, all gathered together, clinking glasses, catching up, and laughing over drinks.

With the SAT finally behind us, the weight of all that exam stress had lifted. Everyone was in high spirits, completely relaxed and enjoying themselves.

I found a quiet corner and settled in, scrolling through the artificial intelligence industry reports I'd downloaded on my phone.

This was the hottest trend out there, my ticket to the top, the chance to level…