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It was 7:00 PM on a Friday night, and the only light in Gabriella's lavish room came from the giant, crescent-shaped window that framed the dark sky. This wasn't just a bedroom; it was a fortress. Her grand, four-poster bed—massive and draped with shimmering, dark-purple silk—made her look tiny as she reclined, a queen searching for secrets on her phone. Her attire was pure comfort: an oversized, pale-grey hoodie and soft black leggings.
Suddenly, Gabriella shot upright. Her face, usually a mask of cool control, was momentarily bright with surprise.
"Hey! Hey, look! I got another new power stone for my story!" The voice was Dona's, sharp and excited, cutting through the silence.
Dona, an author-in-training, sat across the room, already dressed down in a T-shirt that read "I write my own rules." Gabriella managed a small, tired smile.
"How did you spy on your story this time?" Gabriella asked, dropping her phone.
Dona leaned forward, her voice dropping to an exaggerated whisper filled with writerly triumph. "Yes! I didn't know if it was gonna work, but thankfully, it did!"
"What plot?"
Dona's eyes twinkled with mischief. "I wrote a scene where the heroine is applying ointment on the hero's lip, and he suddenly kisses her. You know, like Jake kissed you."
Gabriella's cool facade shattered. Her eyes widened in genuine shock. "Wait! Are you out of your mind? How can you write my story?!"
Dona blinked slowly, a master of calm chaos. "Actually, I don't write your story. I only took some romantic moments from your life—they inspired me."
"No romantic moments," Gabriella grumbled, sinking back against the pillows. She sighed dramatically. "Why am I friends with an author? That's my fault."
Dona scooted closer, gently grasping Gabriella's hands. Her voice turned soft, her expression sincere—a rare look for the often-teasing writer. "Can't you see, Gabriella? You can't tell when someone truly loves you or not. Even I can see he loves you."
Gabriella flinched. "He is my enemy."
"You're right," Dona conceded instantly. "You're blocking your real feelings because he's your enemy. But Raina is your true enemy, not him. You already punished all the other Silverstorm members, and Han admitted his mistake." Dona paused, letting the weight of her next words settle. "I know you haven't punished Jake yet. But I'm telling you a truth I heard: Jake never bullied anyone. He was just with his friends."
Gabriella's exhaustion vanished, replaced by a surge of fury. "You're wrong. If someone is with the wrong people and lets them do wrong things, that makes him wrong too. Don't defend him!"
Dona held her gaze, her expression now straight and unyielding. "Okay. But you can understand by looking in Jake's eyes either He really loves you or not ." She paused one last time, making the final point a hammer blow.
"Eyes don't lie."
The words echoed in Gabriella's mind, loud and persistent, long after Dona had left. Eyes don't lie... Eyes don't lie...
The Rooftop Truth
The next day at Brighton Wisdom School—a sprawling campus of gothic brick and manicured hedges, the kind of place where old money sent their 'troubled' kids—Gabriella was walking through the central garden. She wore her signature look: a crisp white button-down shirt tucked into a high-waisted plaid skirt, projecting an image of untouchable perfection. Her backpack was slung casually over one shoulder.
Then, he appeared. Jake.
He strode purposefully across her path. He wore the standard school uniform blazer with an effortless defiance, his hair slightly rumpled as if he'd just run a race. He smirked, that familiar, infuriating half-smile, and started to walk past her, ignoring her completely.
"Why are you ignoring me?" Gabriella's voice was sharp, cutting through the morning calm.
Jake stopped and slowly walked backward. He stared deep into her eyes, his own a confusing mix of dark amusement and something she couldn't name. "Are you missing me that much?" he smirked again.
Gabriella blinked, trying to regain her composure. "No."
Jake placed a hand on her head, his smile genuine this time. He leaned closer, his whisper warm against her ear. "I can understand. You can't forget me. That's why you're missing me."
Gabriella instantly shoved his hand away, her voice icy. "You're the one chasing me madly even after you found out my identity." She gave him a slow, knowing wink. "I know you were the one who rescued me in the nightclub."
Jake's eyes turned suddenly dark. The amusement was gone. "I know you were faking that faint, too, right?"
Gabriella's heart lurched. She was genuinely shocked.
Jake's tone became teasing again. "You are something else. I can't even judge you." He stopped, his gaze holding hers captive, and said in a low, husky voice: "I'm seeing me in you."
Gabriella's confusion was visible.
Jake simply smirked, tossed a silver coin high into the air, and caught it with casual, confident grace. He turned and walked off, leaving Gabriella to watch his retreating figure.
She stood there, watching, until her eyes drifted up, scanning the tall school buildings. Then, she saw it—the rooftop. The realization hit her like a punch, and her eyes widened in alarm.
Up on the rooftop—a forbidden, windy sanctuary with a sweeping view of the campus—Ronnie and Lara were having a difficult moment. Lara, dressed in her crisp uniform, was fiddling with her phone, her face etched with annoyance.
"Ugh, low battery," she muttered as her screen went dark. "Can I borrow your phone for a moment? I have to call my mom."
Ronnie, tall and self-assured, handed over his phone. "I have to smoke. Going to the other side," he said, retreating.
Lara finished her quick call. But curiosity, and a whisper of insecurity, made her open his gallery. She smiled at the first few pictures—selfies of her and Ronnie, looking happy. She scrolled past dozens of their moments until... her fingers began to shiver. She saw it: selfies of Ronnie with other girls from Brighton Wisdom. Her smile dissolved into a look of betrayal and disbelief.
"Did you finish the call?" Ronnie's voice boomed.
Lara instantly snapped back to normal. She handed the phone back, her expression unreadable.
"Do you… date anyone other than me?" she asked, her voice quiet.
Ronnie turned, his face tightening. "Why are you suddenly asking me that?"
"I heard rumors from my classmates that you used to date a lot of girls."
Ronnie offered a quick, practiced smile. "They're just rumors."
Lara looked him straight in the eye. "I saw your ex-girlfriend—no, girlfriends' pictures in your phone."
Ronnie's smirk vanished. He was furious. "You don't believe me, so you checked my phone?"
"That's not important now," Lara countered, keeping her voice even. "Why are you hiding this from me?"
"Yes, I did," he admitted.
Lara took a deep, steadying breath. "Are you still," she paused, her voice shaking slightly, "dating anyone behind my back?"
"NOT!" Ronnie shouted.
A wave of relief washed over Lara, but she quickly covered it. Ronnie grabbed her hands, his eyes blazing with a deep, angry emotion. "I am a playboy. But when you entered my life, I didn't have any relationships other than you. It's only you."
Lara felt her resistance melt, but she stood firm. "I believe you," she said, her voice surprisingly cold.
Ronnie was utterly shocked. He hadn't expected that reaction.
"Then why do you still have those girls' photos?"
Ronnie quickly grabbed his phone and, right in front of her, deleted the photos. Lara watched, and something deep inside her—a sliver of hope—believed he was being genuine.
"Do you believe me now?" he asked, a hint of desperation in his tone.
Lara nodded, her face now serious and emotional, but controlled. "I don't want to talk about your past. It's already passed." She held his gaze, her eyes unwavering. "But, if you really love me, you won't leave me." She continued, her voice gaining strength, "I won't chase a lover if he doesn't love me back. I only love one who loves me back. The true love."
Ronnie was stunned. He was about to speak, when a voice, laced with panic, cut through the moment.
"Lara! What's going on here?"
Lara and Ronnie spun around. It was Gabriella, standing just inside the rooftop entrance. Her face was pale with panic, and she was breathing heavily as if she had run a marathon. She rushed toward Lara.
"Are you okay?" Gabriella demanded, then glared at Ronnie. "What is this jerk doing here?"
Ronnie smirked at Gabriella and started to walk away. "See you later, dear."
Lara grabbed Gabriella's hands. "What are you talking about, Gabby? He isn't a jerk. He is my boyfriend!"
Gabriella's face was cold. "The one who changes his girlfriend rapidly? What should I call him instead of jerk?"
"Stop it, Gabriella!" Lara screamed—the first time she had ever shouted at her best friend. She stared into Gabriella's eyes, hurt and anger warring in her own. "You don't know anything about him."
Gabriella smiled, a small, sad curve of her lips. "Me? No. You don't know anything about him."
"Then say!" Lara yelled, rolling her eyes in frustration. "You are still hiding!"
Gabriella swallowed hard, her eyes darting nervously. "I can't tell you. If I told you, you would get trou—"
"What?!" Lara grabbed her shoulders. "Tell me! What exactly happened to me?!"
Gabriella looked into her friend's desperate eyes, her lips pressed into a thin, fearful line. The words of the secret, the truth about Ronnie, were clawing at her throat, but the threat of something terrifying hung over her head, stopping her.
As Gabriella opened her mouth, the dark memory of her own revenge plot—and the powerful, hidden force she was now running from—slammed into her. She couldn't speak the truth about Ronnie without revealing the full, dangerous scope of her war against Silverstorm and the real, terrifying consequence looming over her. She knew the secret would save Lara, but it might destroy them both.
"If I tell you the truth, Lara," Gabriella whispered, her eyes wide with unadulterated fear, "you'll find out the person who hurt you… is closer than you think, and I won't be able to protect you from the rest of my enemies. It will be the end of everything."
She tightened her grip on Lara's hands, her gaze fixed on the unsuspecting girl. What would Gabriella risk: her best friend's safety, or her own life?
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