Chapter 27 "The Golden Cage"

• POV: Ben Archer
• The gold-plated trophy for "Texas State Champion - Academic Decathlon" sat on Ben's desk like an accusation, catching the morning sunlight streaming through his bedroom window in the Archer family mansion. Eighteen years old and he'd already accumulated more awards than most wolves twice his age, but every shiny piece of metal felt hollow when he knew the truth about how he'd "earned" them.
• Ben stared at his reflection in the trophy's surface—familiar brown eyes that had learned to hide disappointment behind easy charm, messy hair that took more effort to achieve than anyone suspected, the kind of smile that made adults trust him even when he was lying through his teeth about his achievements.