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The air backstage at Brighton Wisdom's Grand Auditorium was a chaotic symphony of nervous energy and cheap hairspray.
In the brightly lit dressing room, Gabriella stood, a vision of ethereal grace. She wore her dance costume: a flowing, pure white dress that seemed to capture and amplify the light. It was a stark contrast to her usual dark, reserved style, making her look like a vulnerable, yet fierce, angel—perfect for the performance, and perhaps, for the vengeance she craved.
Beside her, Dona was the definition of urban cool. Her outfit—a sleek black skirt, a vibrant blue aesthetic top, and a backward cap—screamed 'unbothered best friend and chief investigator.'
Dona was applying a final touch of glittery eyeshadow to Gabriella's cheekbone when her hand froze.
"Wait," Dona said, her voice dropping to a serious whisper.
Gabriella, her eyes locked on her own reflection, asked, "What?"
Dona turned a little, her brow furrowed. "I told you, right? My dad's friend, the cop. I asked him to dig a little deeper into Kevin's case."
Gabriella's bright, angelic look instantly shattered. Her eyes widened—a flash of pure, terrified anticipation. "What did he say?"
Dona spoke with a casualness that made the words cut deeper. "He said… it's officially logged as a suicide. Nothing else. He said… Kevin jumped from the school building. By himself."
Silence. Then, a sharp, shared intake of breath.
Dona's casual facade crumbled as the implication hit her too. Gabriella's perfectly made-up face drained of color.
"No way!" they gasped, together.
"But… the flash drive!" Dona insisted, hands flying up. "We saw the video! Raina was there, she was cutting his wrist over and over, like… like a total mad girl!"
Gabriella's reflection darkened. The purity of the white dress felt like a lie. Her eyes were now steel, cold and utterly focused. "The cops are hiding the truth about his case."
Dona nodded, her expression grim. "But why? Why lie about it? Why say he jumped, not that he… that he cut himself?"
"Raina's mother," Gabriella said, the name sounding like ice cracking. "She's a business magnate. Rich, powerful. I'm certain she manipulated the results to protect her daughter."
Gabriella stopped speaking. She turned away from Dona and stared into the mirror, not at herself, but through herself. The reflection was of a girl with a secret, a mission, and an unforgiving heart. The revenge had just become more urgent, more necessary.
The Last Row and the Serial Smile
In the last row of the Grand Auditorium, with only 15 minutes until the show, sat Raina.
She wore an expressionless coldness, her body language radiating aloof confidence. Her legs were crossed, her attention fixed on the empty stage.
When Ronnie slid into the seat next to her, he said, "Hi."
Raina didn't flinch. She just kept staring.
"Why are you here?" Ronnie pressed. "You're not usually this interested in watching her performance."
Raina finally turned, a slow, predatory movement. "No," she said. "Not just her performance. I'm here for the Thriller Series."
Ronnie's confusion was genuine. "What?" Then his eyes widened, realizing the sinister undertone. "Are you… planned anything?"
Raina smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile; it was a promise of pain. The deep red lipstick she wore caught the stage lights, shining like fresh blood.
"Wait a few more minutes," her voice was deep and chilling. "You'll see for yourself. And not just you, Ronnie. Everybody will."
Ronnie chuckled, forcing a lightness he didn't feel. "You're not going to kill her, are you? You sound like a serial killer."
Raina looked back at the stage, her voice dropping to a cold whisper. "Yes. I am."
Ronnie's heart hammered. He shook his head. "Don't kid, Raina. If you do something, you'll be in serious trouble."
Raina turned back, tapped his shoulder lightly, and stared him down. "You think I'll let her walk away after what she did to me?" She touched the bandage around her neck, a constant, angry reminder of their last confrontation.
"I would do it," Raina groaned, low and dark. "But… I won't. No one will doubt me. It's a perfect crime."
Ronnie was too shocked to reply. He stared blankly at the stage.
His phone buzzed. A call. He hesitated.
"Take it," Raina ordered, seeing the screen. "Or your girlfriend will worry."
Ronnie answered, his voice shaky. "H-hello? But… why? Mm… I'll tell you when I leave. Okay."
"What did she say?" Raina asked, looking bored, examining her sharp fingernails.
"She said… to come to the school entrance gate," Ronnie admitted.
"For what?"
"She didn't say. Just… meet her there."
Raina nodded. "Then go. But you have to watch her closely, every moment. If she gets her memory back, not only me, but you would get into trouble. Wherever she goes, you follow her."
Ronnie felt a cold dread but agreed. "Okay. I'm going."
The Highway Flashback
At the Brighton Wisdom Entrance Gate, Lara was waiting. She waved enthusiastically when she saw Ronnie.
"Why did you ask me to come here?" Ronnie asked, trying to sound casual. "Your bestie's performance is about to start."
"Yes," Lara smiled, a little too sweetly. "But I want to spend some time with you." She leaned in close, her eyes earnest, and whispered in his ear, "Alone."
Ronnie's eyes softened, a reddish tinge rising to his cheeks. He grabbed her hand. "Where?"
Lara pulled him with a burst of excited energy. "Come with me!"
They walked out the back entrance, past the quiet school yard, and reached the nearby highway. Ronnie's irritation mounted. He shoved her hand away.
"Where are we going? If you don't tell me, I'm not coming!"
Lara turned, her face suddenly serious. "We reached."
Ronnie looked around. "What? We're standing beside a highway! This is the place you wanted to come?"
"Yes," Lara said, her smile gone. "Do you remember this highway?" She pointed to a spot on the asphalt. "That's exactly where I was lying."
Ronnie stopped breathing. He was stunned.
Lara's voice was low. "My accident occurred right there."
Flashback. The screech of tires. He and Selina chasing Lara. The brutal impact. Lara's body flying. Ronnie's shock. End Flashback.
Lara tapped his shoulder. Ronnie's hand was trembling.
"Why are you nervous?" Lara asked, her voice filled with feigned care.
Ronnie's forehead was sweating. "No," he stammered. "I just… I want to forget that accident. When I saw that spot, the whole faded past came rushing back."
"What?" Lara pressed, her eyes intense. "What exactly happened then?"
Ronnie was about to speak, but he caught the suspicion in her eyes. He narrowed his own. "Are you doubting me? That I'm the one who caused your accident?"
Lara's expression quickly flipped back to normal. "No! I didn't."
Ronnie backed away. "You are! What did Gabriella tell you?"
"Nothing! She didn't!" Lara insisted, panicked.
"Fine," Ronnie said, his voice cold and hard. "We can end everything here. You can break up with me."
"What are you talking about?!" Lara was on the verge of tears.
Ronnie played his emotional card. "If you want, I'll give you everything I have."
Lara instantly rushed forward, tightly wrapping her arms around him. He was surprised, but his face remained cold.
"I won't do anything to hurt you or your feelings," she choked out.
Ronnie hugged her back, finally letting a tearful emotion creep into his voice. "I'm nervous because I remember the moment you got hit. I grabbed you in my arms and ran to the hospital. I felt like I lost everything in that moment."
Lara cried harder, tightening her hug. "I won't do that," she promised. They stood locked together, a picture of false comfort near the place where a tragedy had occurred.
The Falling Star
The Grand Auditorium was a dense, cheering ocean of students. Backstage, Dona gave Gabriella a final push.
"Best of luck, Gabby!"
Gabriella walked toward the stage. She paused. She felt something strange, a cold prickle on the back of her neck. But the music started, and she shook it off, walking toward her fate.
The curtains were about to lift.
In the front row, Jake wore blue jeans and a simple purple casual t-shirt. His bright golden hair shone under the house lights. He was exceptionally handsome, but his expression was one of bored reluctance.
His friend pulled him. "Hey, why are you hesitant? Come on!"
"I don't like dance. It's boring," Jake complained.
"No, it's entertaining! You just don't like to dance yourself, I think that's why you hate it! But at least you can watch."
Jake rolled his eyes but, without further argument, took an empty seat in the front row.
The curtains rose.
Jake saw Gabriella. In the white dress, her beauty was flawless. She looked like an angel. His eyes widened in disbelief. This bright, luminous girl was completely different from the cold, dark-dressed Gabriella he knew.
As Gabriella began her powerful, emotional dance, the audience erupted.
From the back row, a subtle smirk curved Raina's mouth. She whispered, low enough only for her own vengeful heart to hear: "Few more minutes only left."
On the stage, Gabriella was mesmerizing. The applause was deafening.
Suddenly, the large, ornate chandelier in the center of the stage began to shake. Its nuts had been carefully loosened. But the music was too loud, the crowd too focused. No one noticed.
From the back, Raina's eyes glowed with anticipation.
"Three… Two…" She paused, her smirk widening. "One."
With a sickening crunch, the massive chandelier in the center stage started to fall.
From the front row, Jake's eyes snapped wide. Beside the stage, Dona, Ajax, and the other coordinators froze in terror—too far, too late.
Gabriella was still dancing, lost in the music, directly below the point of impact.
In a single, impossible blink of an eye, Jake moved. Like a superhuman flash, he vaulted onto the stage. He sprinted toward Gabriella, grabbed her, and spun her violently out of the chandelier's path. He pulled her tightly into his arms.
The monstrous chandelier slammed onto the stage floor, a few steps from where they stood, shattering into a million sharp, metallic pieces.
Gabriella had squeezed her eyes shut, clinging to Jake in pure, visceral fear. She was safe, crushed against his chest.
In the back row, Raina stood up, her face a mask of bitter rage. She stamped her foot on the floor. She stared at the front stage, her whispered vengeance echoing in the sudden, shocked silence of the auditorium.
"No!" she groaned. "My own friend… protecting my enemy!"
On stage, Jake's voice was panicked, close to Gabriella's ear. "Are you okay? Are you okay?!"
Gabriella finally opened her eyes and saw his face—a handsome, blurred image of panic and care. She couldn't hear him over the ringing in her ears, but she nodded.
Then, she looked past him, at the broken wreckage. That chandelier was meant for her. The fear was a cold wave.
She turned her gaze toward the audience. And there, standing in the back row, was Raina.
Gabriella stared, the shock paralyzing her.
Raina simply smirked—a cruel, triumphant, utterly unrepentant expression.
Raina mouthed one final, chilling message to the girl she was hunting:
"Don't think that you can escape from me."
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