You asked for it, girl, she reminded herself harshly. This was all your idea, as that stupid brother of yours would be the first to point out. You demanded he enter, and you decided you were going to win. That’s why you’re here now.
But it was my duty, she countered herself. A deVrie must enter the Scavenger Hunt. Mom and Dad would have wanted it. If only things would work the way they’re supposed to.
But that was just the problem—nothing was working the way she had planned. It was as though the hand of Fate were pushing against her. One thing after another had gone wrong, leaving her insides wobbly. First that damned android had insulted her—not just privately, but in front of everyone in the galaxy who mattered—turning what should have been a triumph at the Hunt Ball into a devastating
