Bala and I held eyes for exactly one second. Long enough to confirm that he had seen me and I had seen him and we were both going to pretend, for now, that this was ordinary.
Then he moved toward the administrative block with the unhurried authority of a man who had never needed to rush anywhere because everywhere waited for him.
"Has he come to visit Mable?" Isabelle asked, falling into step beside me as we descended the stairs, with the tone of someone who expected me to have information I didn't have.
"I don't know," I said honestly.
[LEWD LEVELING SYSTEM]
[CGI presence confirmed. Time at Central is limited.]
[Use every available opportunity.]
I know, I told it. I'm working on it.
"Anna told me you were always asking about me," Isabelle said.
I processed that. Annabelle had told her sister I'd been asking about her. Which meant Annabelle had been laying groundwork.
