She smiled, started the engine, and whispered to the empty parking lot:

Jake swallowed. Nodded. He grabbed his backpack and walked out without another word.

Marta’s blood turned to ice water. She kept her face perfectly still. “A link for what, Jake?”

He turned the phone around. On the screen was a paused video. The thumbnail was her—Ellie Nova—dressed in a green blazer that looked exactly like the one Marta wore on parent-teacher conference nights. The video title read: “La Maestra te dará una lección que nunca olvidarás.” (The teacher will give you a lesson you will never forget.)

“Bienvenidos a la clase. The exam is going to be very… hands-on this semester.”