POV: Mabelle
I'd seen Zion quiet. I'd seen him calm.
But I had never seen him dangerous—not like this.
And the terrifying part?
He made it look... beautiful.
The day after Kevin's public shaming, the air in Goldridge Academy was different. Thicker. Like the walls themselves were holding their breath. Everyone walked quieter. Talked softer. Eyes darted like they feared the next target could be them.
And in the middle of it all?
Zion.
Unbothered. Unshaken. Untouchable.
I watched him from across the quad, leaned back against the bleachers, hoodie sleeves pushed up just enough to reveal those cut forearms, his gaze hidden behind tinted glasses that probably cost more than most people's rent.
He laughed at something Mikey said. That crooked half-smile tugged at his lips again—God, that smirk. So calm. So composed.
You'd never guess he had just orchestrated Kevin's social death.
But I knew.
We all knew.
The rumor had spread fast: Zion had been Shadow all along. The anonymous number Kevin kept ranting to. The one who "understood" him. Who "advised" him. Who let him walk himself straight into hell.
I should've been horrified.
Instead, I was... impressed.
Smart didn't begin to describe Zion. This was chess—ten steps ahead, every piece in place, never blinking. He hadn't just seen Kevin coming. He built the path Kevin walked on, brick by brick.
And when Kevin reached the edge of the cliff, Zion didn't push.
He just watched.
With those cool eyes. That maddening silence.
I was glad he was on our side.
No—my side.
Because if Zion ever turned on me... no amount of pretty smiles or long conversations would save me. He wouldn't raise his voice. He wouldn't fight.
He'd just let me fall.
I felt it then. The electric hum of danger humming beneath that calm surface.
He wasn't just the smartest person in the room.
He was the most lethal.
Still, when he glanced my way and flashed that small, familiar smile—so casual, so gentle—I felt my chest flutter like it always did.
He was still Zion.
Still the boy who texted me memes at 2 a.m.
Still the one who paid attention to the things I never said aloud.
Maybe he was dangerous.
But maybe I liked my men dangerous.
And maybe, just maybe...
I was already too far gone to care.