The applause from Sara's speech still echoed in the academy halls the next day, but so did the whispers. Rumors never died easily — they only mutated.
Sara knew this, and though her heart still raced when she caught people staring, she held her head high. Yet she didn't realize that Grace had already shifted strategies.
If she couldn't break Sara directly, she would strike the people around her.
Grace sat in her private lounge, Emily by her side. A slim folder lay open on the glass table — photographs, transcripts, background checks.
"Her friends are her armor," Grace murmured, flipping through the pages. "But even armor has weak points."
Emily smirked. "Lina? Too fiery. Adrian? Too shameless. Daniel? Untouchable. Ryan and Leo? Both solid."
Her manicured nail tapped a page. Hannah's smiling face stared up from the photograph.
"But her?" Emily said. "She's soft. She doesn't belong in this world of power and wealth. One push and she'll fall apart."
Grace's lips curved. "Exactly."
That afternoon, Hannah stayed late in the library, preparing for an upcoming project. She was scribbling notes when a shadow fell over her desk.
"Mind if I sit?"
It was Emily, her smile sugar-sweet.
Hannah stiffened. "If you're here to cause trouble—"
"Trouble?" Emily laughed softly. "I just wanted to talk. About Sara."
Hannah's pencil hovered uncertainly.
Emily leaned closer, lowering her voice. "You think she sees you as her equal? Or just her charity project?"
Hannah blinked. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, come on," Emily sighed. "Sara's the heiress, the center of attention. You're… well, just Hannah. Don't you ever wonder why she keeps you around?"
Hannah's chest tightened. She tried to brush it off, but the words clung like thorns.
The following day, an anonymous post appeared on the student board.
"Every queen needs her maid. Isn't it obvious that Hannah's only there to flatter Sara?"
Attached were candid photos — Hannah carrying Sara's books, Hannah trailing behind her in the halls, Hannah sitting quietly while others spoke.
Laughter echoed across the campus. "Look, the loyal servant!" some students jeered as Hannah passed.
Sara immediately confronted the situation. She stormed into the quad, her voice sharp. "Who posted this garbage?!"
No one answered. Just smirks, whispers, and the glow of phones capturing her fury.
Hannah tugged at her sleeve. "Sara… please don't. It'll only make it worse."
Sara's chest heaved, but when she looked at Hannah's pale face, she swallowed her rage.
That night, Hannah locked herself in her dorm room. She scrolled through the cruel comments online, her hands trembling.
"Sara's shadow.""Without her, you'd be invisible.""You're nothing but a pity case."
The words blurred as tears filled her eyes.
Her phone buzzed — a message from Sara: "Don't listen to them. You're my strength. Always."
Hannah pressed the phone to her chest, but the poison of Emily's words still lingered. Was she really just a burden?
Meanwhile, Adrian paced the rooftop garden with Ryan, his usual joking demeanor absent.
"This is Grace's doing," Adrian muttered. "First Sara, now Hannah. She's targeting the heart of the group."
Ryan folded his arms. "Then we protect the heart."
"But how?" Adrian shot back. "We can't just punch rumors in the face."
From the shadows, Daniel stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "Then we change the narrative before it destroys Hannah."
The others turned toward him.
Daniel's eyes glittered with resolve. "If Grace wants to make her the weak link, we'll make her the strongest piece on the board."
The next morning, Sara entered the lecture hall to find Hannah already there. She was sitting stiffly, her notebook open, but her shoulders sagged under the weight of unseen chains.
Sara sat beside her, placing a gentle hand over hers. "Don't let them define you. You're more than their whispers."
Hannah forced a smile, but her eyes betrayed her doubt.
From the doorway, Grace watched, her lips curving into a satisfied smile. The cracks were forming. Soon, the group would fracture — and Sara would stand alone.
But she underestimated one thing: Sara's friends were not just her shield. They were her sword.