Page 43 of Ruthless Prince

“Really?” My eyes went wide. I couldn’t believe Dad knew about this all along. I’d never suspected a thing. “Is hehere?”

“No. He’s in another pledge’s interview room. We like to keep family members separate in instances like this. Some people feel awkward answering personal questions around their relatives.” The man paused to arrange some papers in front of him. “Anyway, I’ll need to ask those baseline questionsnow.”

“Okay.Sure.”

“What day is it today? The full date, if you knowit.”

I nervously licked my lips. “It’s Friday, and it’s the 5thof September 2018. Or maybe it’s the6th?”

“The 5this correct. What is your name and date ofbirth?”

“Willow Evelyn Rhoades. October 20th,1997.”

“Do you have any siblings? If so, what are their names andages?”

“I have a brother. Jared. He’s nine. Ten at the end of theyear.”

“What is your father’s name, occupation, andbackground?”

“Stephen James Rhoades. He runs several old family businesses, and he also serves as an advisor in the current presidential administration. His background is… um…” I hesitated. “What exactly does that mean in this context?Ethnicity?”

“It refers to socialclass.”

“Oh. Upper class, I suppose. Is that what youmean?”

“Yes. What is your mother’s name, occupation, andbackground?”

“Quinn Louise Rhoades. Her maiden name was Pope. She’s the current president of the United States. Her family background is lower middleclass.”

I saw the man nod and scribble something down on a notepad. “Thank you, Willow. This all looks fine so far. We can begin theinterview.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s start with the basics. What do youdo?”

“I’m a student at Georgetown. I’m studying international relations and political science, and I’m hoping to go to law schoolafterwards.”

“What do you think of your grades? Good? Bad?Average?”

I shuffled my feet on the pebbled floor and looked down. “They’re not the best, if that’s what you’re asking, but I think I do quitewell.”

“We’ve seen your transcripts. You’re right, your grades aren’t the absolute best, but they’re in the top twenty percent. That’s nothing to be ashamedof.”

“I just meant… the people you usually pick…” I trailed off midsentence and smothered a yawn. It was getting harder to voice my thoughts in a coherentway.

“Your background and family connections make you a prime pick, Willow. Don’t worry about that. Let’scontinue.”

After that came a seemingly never-ending stream of questions about my life. They wanted to know every little detail down to the most mundane things, like my favorite color, season, and food. Congressional confirmation hearings probably asked fewer questions of theirsubjects.

I wasn’t wearing a watch, but it felt like I’d been in this room for around forty-five minutes so far, and with every passing second, I felt increasingly odd. Like some sort of zombie. It was almost impossible to think straight, and I could barely concentrate on anything aside from the flickering candles at my feet and the waves of tiredness threatening to overwhelmme.

“Next question. This is an important one. Why did youaccept?”

I yawned again and rubbed my bleary eyes. “Accept?”

“Tonight’s pledge. Why did you sayyes?”

I shook my head, as if that would clear the haze from my brain. “Um… this will probably sound kind of weird,” I saidslowly.