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Mr. Smith, whose real name is Christopher Smith, is the story’s enigmatic antagonist, manipulating events from behind the scenes. He serves as both a mentor and antagonist to Evie, ultimately becoming the greatest threat she must overcome. He mirrors many aspects of Evie herself—resourceful, adaptive, and willing to do whatever it takes to survive. However, where Evie maintains a sense of loyalty to a select few people, Mr. Smith is defined by his complete lack of allegiance. His ruthless pragmatism and disregard for loyalty are what ultimately push Evie to turn against him, as she realizes that his manipulation has left no room for trust or genuine connection.
Mr. Smith teaches Evie some of the most valuable lessons she uses to defeat him. Through his assignments and schemes, he demonstrates that leverage is everything—that the key to survival lies in having power over others. He repeatedly shows her that the obvious path is rarely the right one, and it is these very lessons that she uses to overthrow him. Mr. Smith’s modus operandi is to pit people against each other, creating environments where no one can trust anyone else, ensuring that betrayal becomes impossible because no meaningful alliances can form. This strategy works well for most of his operatives, but Evie learns to outmaneuver him by forming her own secret alliances with Devon and Amy, using trust as her weapon against him.
As Mr. Smith hides in plain sight under the guise of George, his true power lies not just in his anonymity but in his ability to manipulate those around him into believing they are expendable. He creates scenarios where people constantly second-guess each other, knowing that distrust keeps them from conspiring against him. It is only when Evie sees through this strategy and begins to build her own network that she can dismantle his control. Ironically, the skills Mr. Smith teaches Evie—how to gather leverage, recognize hidden paths, and stay several steps ahead—become the tools she uses to bring about his downfall.
