(Liana's POV)
The whispers hadn't stopped since the Talent Festival, but they'd shifted. Where once her name had been spat like venom, now it hummed through the halls like an anthem people couldn't stop repeating.
Liana Hart. The girl who beat Zayn Alderidge. The girl who painted fire into life.
She should have been proud. She was proud. But the weight of eyes on her was heavier than applause. Praise turned to envy too quickly at Regal Heights.
And Bianca… Bianca had noticed.
"Hold still," Bianca scolded lightly, tugging a stubborn strand of Liana's hair into a sleek braid as they sat together in her dorm. "You've been too sloppy lately. You're famous now, Li. People are watching."
Liana laughed weakly. "Famous? Hardly."
"Please," Bianca said, looping the braid with deft fingers. "Half the juniors want to be you, the seniors are jealous, and the Vipers can't stop circling. That's not fame? That's royalty."
There it was again....that word. Royalty. As if Regal Heights wasn't a school but a throne room, and every smile carried a crown.
Bianca tied the braid off with a ribbon. "Perfect." She leaned back, studying her like an artist inspecting her own work. "See? You belong here, Li. And don't let anyone make you think otherwise."
Her tone was warm, but her grip on Liana's shoulder lingered a second too long, almost possessive.
Liana forced a smile. "Thanks, B."
But her thoughts betrayed her. In the library yesterday, it hadn't been Bianca who stood between her and danger. It had been Rafe. Cold, unreadable Rafe, who carried shadows in his silence but had stepped in anyway.
She hadn't told Bianca. Couldn't. Something told her Bianca wouldn't take it well.
Later that day, Bianca walked with her across the courtyard, practically glued to her side. "I heard Rafe Sterling was near you yesterday," she said casually, as though commenting on the weather.
Liana's steps faltered. "What?"
Bianca's smile didn't waver. "Someone saw him sitting with you in the library. Just the two of you. You didn't tell me."
Heat rose in Liana's cheeks. "It wasn't.... It was nothing. He just sat down."
"Nothing?" Bianca's tone sharpened before softening again. "Li, the Vipers don't do nothing. Especially Rafe. He's colder than the rest. Dangerous."
Liana frowned. "Dangerous how?"
Bianca's lips parted as if to speak, then she hesitated. "Never mind. Just… don't let him fool you. You have me. You don't need them."
The words lodged in Liana's chest. You have me. They should've been comforting. But instead, they felt like chains.
That evening, Liana returned to the art studio to work on her next project. She found her supplies neatly stacked....untouched for once....and began sketching in the fading light. She lost herself in lines and shadows until her hand cramped.
When she finally packed up, she found Bianca waiting outside.
"You shouldn't be here alone," Bianca said, arms crossed.
Liana blinked. "How long have you been...."
"Long enough," Bianca interrupted. "You scare me sometimes, Li. You act like you don't need anyone. But you do."
Her voice cracked, just barely, before she caught herself. "I mean, what if something happened to you? What if someone hurt you? You think Rafe would save you again?"
Liana froze.
Again.
Bianca knew.
"B, how did you....."
Bianca smiled too quickly. "Word gets around." She looped her arm through Liana's. "But I'm here now. And I'll always be here. Remember that."
Her voice was sweet. Her grip was tight. Too tight.
That night, lying awake in her narrow bed, Liana turned Bianca's words over and over.
You don't need them. You have me.
Rafe would save you again?
She wanted to believe in Bianca's loyalty. She had been there from the start, the only one who spoke to her when the Vipers tore her down. The friend who defended her, cheered for her, lifted her up.
But something had shifted.
Bianca wasn't just protective. She was… territorial.She feels like Bianca is trying hard to prove her loyalty to her and that feels....wrong.
And for the first time, Liana wondered if the friend she trusted most was the one weaving the very threads pulling her deeper into Regal Heights' web.