Stephen stood motionless, brows tightly furrowed, feeling the weight of the oppressive pressure before him.
He couldn't wrap his head around it.
Was Gayle really about to burn all bridges with Lioncrest Academy… for Alan?
Was it worth it?
From both a rational and emotional standpoint, sacrificing an entire academy for a single student was the worst decision a headmaster could make.
Gayle shouldn't be that kind of man—he never had been.
But what Stephen didn't realize… was that Gayle saw further and clearer than anyone.
True, Alan was a newcomer to Sirius Academy—he had no background, no connections, and no deep-rooted ties to the academy.
But Gayle sensed something rare and irreplaceable in him.
A magnetic pull. A force of cohesion.
Because of Alan, Francis and Fort chose to stay.
Even Blanche, Gayle's own granddaughter, followed the same path.
Alan's presence had sparked something in people who had long given up on dreams.
He gave them hope.
