TWENTY EIGHT

NORA

I could feel the nerves bubbling up inside me as my mother stared at Jordan, her face unreadable.

I held my breath, waiting for her to make a decision. Then, to my surprise, she nodded her head in approval. I exhaled in relief, and Jordan’s face lit up with a smile.

I took his hand and walked us together towards the next corner, where we turned right and headed for the front door. As we walked, I felt a sense of anticipation. Whereas, a big part of me was at least relieved Mom doesn’t seem to recognize him.

My heart sank as Jordan showed me the front page of the school newspaper, with a photo of me next to the headline, "The Secret Daughter of the Prime Minister."

I couldn't believe it. My whole life had just been exposed to the entire school, and there was nothing I could do to change it.

I felt like my privacy had been violated, and I didn't know how to handle the situation. I just stood there, frozen, as Jordan stared at me, waiting for my reaction.

“I should have stayed