The whole table went quiet and stared at Lincy.
"Wait, Lincy… are you seriously saying you can't cover a few tens of thousands?"
"I saw online that your dad's company handles Grantion–dollar projects. Didn't you donate a building to the academy? This dinner should be nothing to you."
The pressure in the room shifted. I could almost smell it anxiety, curiosity, greed.
"Who said I can't afford it?" Lincy cut in quickly, lifting her chin. "I'm just worried there'll be too much wine. No one will finish it."
Her voice was steady, but her fingers tightened around her glass.
One of the boys laughed. "Don't worry about that. The guys in our class can drink. Let's start with one bottle of red per person!"
A few girls clapped excitedly.
Lincy froze for a split second.
That was the moment she realized she had trapped herself.
