Ariana's eyes went wide as the maid's words sank in like a cold blade.
"What?" she whispered, her voice almost lost in the quiet of the empty corridor.
"Yes," Ghislaine repeated, with a calm finality that made Ariana's stomach churn.
"The student... Noah Ashbourne... he was expelled."
She gave a slight, formal bow, her posture perfect and controlled, then turned on her heel and walked down the hallway, the gentle swish of her long maroon dress echoing against the walls.
Ariana slumped back against the wall, her legs buckling as the shock overtook her.
She slid down until she was sitting, knees bent, her skirt pooling around her legs in a mess.
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt a strange numbness creeping over her.
Had she heard Ghislaine correctly?
Expelled? Noah, expelled?
No—no, it had to be a mistake, or maybe he was moved, reassigned to a different dormitory.
It couldn't be true.
