Bloodlines and Black Cards

Summary

At the annual Crestmont University Philanthropy Gala, moments before I was set to present the million-dollar endowment check, a photo from my private Instagram feed was beamed onto the four-story auditorium screen.

"Look at this shameless cougar!" Brooke Davies's voice echoed through the three-thousand-seat hall, vibrating with theatrical outrage. "She spends her weekends parked by the south gates in a luxury Porsche, keeping our top research prodigy on a leash!"

Murmurs rippled through the rows of faculty and donors like a sudden downdraft.