Page 116 of Devious Knight

Trembling legs take me to him, and I sit, folding my hands in my lap.

He gives me a slow smile that looks forced and fake. “It’s been a while, Isabelle Kolyav. Last time I saw you, you were fifteen. And you were working at the gallery for the holidays.”

“Yes. That was a long time ago.”

“Just over three years now.” He nods with reflection. “I was sad I never got to say goodbye to you.”

“I remember my last day was really busy because of the sales.”

“Indeed. There was a lot going on that day.” Something in his tone as he says those last words along with the way he’s looking at me grips my insides.

I’m already paranoid, so I can’t wholly trust my instincts, but I feel more than ever that he suspects I had something to do with the hacking.

“Anyway, I suppose I always feel some sort of duty toward your mother when I see you.”

The mention of my mother makes my heart shy away with grief, and my thoughts slips momentarily. “That’s nice of you.”

“She was good to me. I met her here at Raventhorn, and it was a privilege to work with her for so many years.”

Bastard. Curse him to hell. I wish he wouldn’t talk about my mother.

“You seem to have followed in her footsteps, I hear,” he adds.

“I hope to.”

“Well, it looks like you’re on the right track. I have looked over your project proposal, and I’m very impressed. I can see why Christian Degas selected you.”

Okay, this is going well so far. “Thank you.”

“I’ve gone ahead and approved it, so you need to start working on it as soon as possible.”

“I plan to work on it today.”

“Good. Now, there are some other matters we need to discuss in relation to the final interview for the application and your probation.”

Damn, I relaxed too soon. “Of course.”

“I understand that everything is in hand with regard to your punishment, so following Aleksander’s guidance, I have excluded the incident from my review.” His gaze hardens, and he looks uneasy, probably because he didn’t want to exclude it. I have my reservations about Aleksander, but today, I’m grateful to him.

Dad said he spoke to him. Perhaps this is one time he listened.

“I appreciate that.”

“At the same time, as the incident is the reason for your probation, I do need to consider it when we come to the end of the time.”

“I understand.”

“With regards to your endorsement for Cambridge, I’d need to see a lot more from you before we get to that stage.”

Oh no. This was the part I feared. The part he has control over. “What more do you need to see from me? I thought I just needed to redo my sculpture.”

“No.” He shakes his head and gives me a thin, grim smile. “Not if you want to pass the interview or receive a reference from me. At the moment, I personally don’t believe you’re suited for a scholarship program of this level. So, unlike Chancellor Potalov, I’d like to carry out my own assessment.”

My hopes deflate quicker than a balloon losing air, and my skin buzzes like I’ve been stung by a thousand bees. “What would that involve?”

He sets his shoulders back and lifts his chin. “First of all, I need to assess your academic progress throughout the college year, so we won’t be doing the final interview until the last week of the summer semester. Before that, I’d like to see a portfolio from you of original work. Chancellor Potalov considered the work you’ve done since you started here as your portfolio. I will not do that.”

“Why is that?” I try my best to keep the irritation out of my voice, but it peeks through.

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