The academy rooftop had become their secret refuge, a place where the noise of the world fell away. Tonight, the city stretched beneath them like a sea of stars, the cool night breeze carrying the faint scent of jasmine from the courtyard below.
Sara leaned against the railing, her eyes distant. The confrontation with Grace still gnawed at her, leaving her heart bruised but unbroken.
Daniel approached quietly, slipping beside her. "You've been fighting storms again."
She let out a shaky laugh. "How do you always know?"
"Because I fight my own," he said softly.
Sara turned to him, surprised at the raw honesty in his voice. For once, the mask of composure was gone, replaced by something fragile, almost vulnerable.
"I overheard Grace," Sara confessed, her voice trembling. "She's planning to push me toward the Zhao heir. And my father… he just stood there, letting her decide my life."
Daniel's jaw tightened, but he kept his tone calm. "You're not alone in this. If she pushes you, I'll—" He stopped himself, looking away as though the words were too dangerous.
"You'll what?" Sara pressed, searching his face.
His eyes met hers, steady now. "I'll stand by you. No matter what games they play."
Her breath caught. She wanted to believe him, to let the comfort of his words sink into her weary bones. Yet the world they lived in was merciless. Could anyone truly defy it?
Before she could speak, the rooftop door creaked open. Lina stepped out, her arms crossed, a grin tugging at her lips. "Well, well. Am I interrupting a midnight drama or the beginning of a romance?"
Sara flushed scarlet. "Lina—"
"Relax," Lina teased, walking over. "I'm just glad someone's watching your back. You've been carrying too much alone." Her gaze softened as she looked at Daniel. "Don't make promises you can't keep. Sara's had enough of those."
Daniel inclined his head solemnly. "I intend to keep mine."
Something in his tone silenced Lina's playful edge. She nodded once, accepting the unspoken weight of his words.
Meanwhile, across the city, Emily sat in her lavish bedroom, her nails digging into her palm as she replayed the gala. Sara had stolen the spotlight — and worse, Daniel's attention.
Her phone buzzed. A message lit the screen.
Grace Li:It's time we discuss our mutual problem.
Emily's lips curved into a sharp smile. Finally, an ally.
She typed back quickly. When and where?
Grace Li:Tomorrow. Discretion is key.
Emily leaned back against her pillows, satisfaction coursing through her. Sara might have thought she'd gained strength, but soon she'd learn — enemies could strike hardest when they joined hands.
The next day, Sara sat in the library with Lina, trying to focus on homework. But her thoughts kept drifting to Daniel's promise, to the look in his eyes when he said he would stand by her.
For the first time in years, a fragile hope bloomed inside her.
But across town, in a quiet, candlelit tea room, Grace and Emily clinked porcelain cups, their smiles deceptively sweet.
"She thinks she's stronger now," Grace murmured, her eyes cold. "But strength can be broken."
Emily's smirk mirrored hers. "Then let's break her together."
Their laughter — soft, poisonous — drifted into the shadows.
And though Sara didn't know it yet, the war for her freedom had just begun.