CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY SIX – VAGUE THREATS

"Ms. D?" Tyler's voice broke into her reverie. "You okay?" She managed a smile. "I'm fine, Tyler. Just... processing." He nodded, understanding in his eyes. "Yeah, it's a lot. But hey, we did it. We saved the art." "We did," she agreed. And looking at the earnest faces of Tyler, Lily, and Ox—these students who had risked so much to uncover the truth—she felt a surge of pride. "You all did amazing work. But let's agree on one thing." "What's that?" "Next time there's a mystery to solve on campus, maybe we just stick to painting?" Their laughter, tinged with exhaustion and relief, echoed through the basement. And as they made their way back up to the world above, leaving the secret room and its contents to the care of the authorities, Jasmine knew that while this particular drama had reached its final act, the story of Eastside Art College—and her place in it—was far from over. The morning after the discovery of Montgomery's secret cache, Jasmine arrived at her studio to find an e