This year, four from our training grounds at the Primo Liceo had earned passage into Valenti territory. I was the only one who had done it by placing first in the city's Proving Grounds, the highest score across every district and every Family's jurisdiction. Not only my teacher, but every handler and instructor in the school had staked their reputations on my future.
I kept my voice level. Calm. The way Nonna had taught me to speak when the world was watching.
"I'm not going to Valenti territory. I've applied to La Rete. The National Syndicate's elite network. They've accepted me." I paused, letting the weight of it settle. "They've also promised to send their own medical personnel to care for my Nonna full-time. Private physicians. Round-the-clock protection."
My teacher's eyes widened. La Rete. The name alone carried a gravity that even the Valenti couldn't match. A shadow organization that operated above the Families, recruiting only the most exceptional minds in the country. No one applied to La Rete. La Rete chose you.