The door to the principal's office closed behind them with a soft click, but the weight of that envelope felt like it followed them all the way down the hall.
Students kept staring. Whispering. Pretending to tie shoes just so they could watch Team Seven pass like they were some strange parade.
By the time they made it out to the back courtyard again, Maliya felt like her brain was buzzing. Her chest felt tight, her palms cold, and her heartbeat too loud.
"Okay," Leo said, pacing once before stopping. "We have to think."
"Think about what?" Khadija snapped softly. "We have a— a government-restricted envelope. My heart is still in the principal's office."
"We're not opening it there," Matteo said plainly.
Everyone turned toward him.
He looked calm, but his jaw was clenched, and his eyes were sharp the way they got when he was focusing too hard.
Maliya noticed it immediately.
Matteo only did that when he was worried.
Or when he felt responsible for something.
Maliya rubbed her arms. "Okay then… where? We can't open it in class."
"Dorm," Matteo said. "Tonight. After lights-out."
Leo nodded instantly. "Yeah. Makes sense."
But Amir didn't say anything. He was staring at the ground, like he was trying to force the world to make sense.
Khadija shifted her books. "So… what exactly do we think is inside? Instructions? A warning? An invitation?"
"Before that," Leo said, turning back to them, "can we talk about something that's been bothering me since yesterday?"
"What?" Maliya asked.
He pointed between them. "Why do we keep calling him the president?"
Khadija blinked. "Because that's what he introduced himself as?"
"No," Maliya said slowly, feeling something click inside her. "The way he acted… the way his security moved… the way he appeared suddenly in the auditorium…"
She shook her head. "That wasn't a president of a country."
"Exactly!" Leo snapped his fingers. "That's what I've been trying to say."
There was a small silence.
Then Khadija pushed her scarf back slightly. "Hold on… what was his name again?"
Matteo didn't speak, but she noticed the way he straightened, like he already knew he remembered it better than the rest.
"Khadija," Maliya said quietly, "I… honestly didn't catch it. Yesterday happened too fast."
Amir finally lifted his head. "I think he said— um…"
He frowned. "Julian… something."
"Julian?" Leo repeated, scrunching his face. "That sounds right. But Julian what?"
Matteo exhaled, frustrated. "Do any of you remember the last name?"
Khadija blinked. "No."
Amir opened his hands helplessly.
Maliya shook her head.
Leo groaned. "Great. We got visited by some mysterious powerful man, and we don't remember his last name."
"Wait," Matteo said suddenly. "There was a badge on the security guy's uniform. I saw it when he walked past."
Maliya stared at him. "What did it say?"
"It had a symbol," Matteo said carefully, trying to replay it in his mind. "Like… a silver circle. And inside it, a wing. And under it… two letters."
Leo leaned forward. "What letters?"
"C.C."
Khadija narrowed her eyes. "C.C…? What company starts with that?"
Amir took out his phone. "Let's check. Maybe if we search his first name with those initials."
They all gathered around him as he typed:
"Julian C.C President New York"
For a moment, nothing.
Then the screen refreshed.
Maliya felt her stomach drop.
A single name appeared at the top in bold:
Julian Cordell — President & Founder of Cordell Corporation.
Khadija gasped softly.
Leo stepped back. "Wait, Cordell? As in Cordell Towers? Cordell Pharmaceuticals? Cordell Global Bank?"
Amir scrolled. "Cordell Corporation has branches in thirty-eight countries… and is worth over 900 billion dollars…"
"That's richer than some governments," Khadija whispered.
Matteo stared at the screen. He didn't say anything, but Maliya saw the way his shoulders tightened.
It wasn't fear exactly.
It was something heavier.
Maliya felt her throat close a little. "Why… why would someone like him come to a high school?"
Khadija shook her head slowly. "This doesn't make sense."
Leo laughed nervously. "Does anything about this week make sense?"
Amir looked at all of them. "Guys… he didn't come because of the fair."
Everyone turned to him.
He swallowed. "He came because of us."
A cold silence hung in the air.
No wind. No birds. No distant chatter.
Just the six of them, standing in the courtyard, realizing their lives were no longer normal.
Maliya felt a shiver run down her arms. Not fear. Not excitement.
Something in the middle.
Something dangerous.
"So…" Khadija whispered. "Tonight?"
Matteo nodded once. "Tonight. We open the envelope."
Maliya exhaled shakily.
Whatever was inside…
whatever Julian Cordell wanted from them…
Tonight, they would finally know.
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