He let that hang—long enough for the crowd to feel the weight of it.
"A new group emerged. A group that challenged the social hierarchy we've all accepted as gospel. A group that made the old guard very, very nervous."
Paige and Brielle were suddenly very interested in the floor.
"See, here's how it works at Ashford Elite. Everyone knows the pecking order. At the top, you've got Marcus's Angels—the fan club, the devoted followers, the girls who'd do anything for their prince."
The screen showed a quick cut of Marcus's fans in the crowd—signs, jerseys, the whole devoted-follower aesthetic, some of them already crying pre-emptively.
"And who leads Marcus's Angels? Who runs the biggest, most influential group in the Academy?"
He gestured toward the cheerleader section—slow, mocking.
"The same girls who lead the cheerleading squad. Funny how that works, right? Brielle and Paige Heavenchild. Shocking. Who could have predicted."
