Blackwood Mansion - 9:45 PM
Emily had just stepped out of the shower when her phone rang. The new secure phone that only a handful of people had the number to.
She checked the screen. Unknown number, but with Cloud City's area code.
"Hello?" Emily answered cautiously, wrapping her bathrobe tighter.
"Miss Smith? Emily Smith?" A distinguished male voice, formal and pleased.
"Yes, this is she."
"Wonderful! This is Dean Marcus Chen from Cloud City University. I apologize for calling so late in the evening."
"Dean Chen, hello. It's fine. How can I help you?"
"Actually, Miss Smith, I'm calling to personally congratulate you on your extraordinary victory at the National Physics Competition." The Dean's voice was warm with genuine pride. "When we learned one of our students had not only competed but won the entire competition and with a perfect score in the theoretical round, no less the entire faculty was absolutely thrilled."
