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🔪 ​Snow, Lies, and a Killer's Secret
​The air at Snowy Hill Area was a ruthless kiss of ice, sharp and unforgiving. Below, the valley lights of the winter retreat twinkled like scattered, cold diamonds. It was precisely 7:00 PM, and the night sky was a deep, inky canvas stretched over the world.
​Perched right on the edge of the hill, where the wind whispered secrets only the pines heard, stood two figures.
​Gabriella was a vision in her dark, form-fitting puffer coat and beanie—all black, like a promise of trouble. Her deep-set eyes, usually sparkling with life, were now flat and dangerously cold. She gazed at the other girl, who was dressed in an expensive, bright red coat that seemed too cheerful for the grim scene.
​"What if I said to the whole world that you are a murderer?" Gabriella's voice was a low, chilling melody, as smooth as glass and just as brittle.
​Raina flinched. The reaction was immediate, visceral. Her eyes, usually pools of arrogant confidence, widened in a silent, horrified wave. For the first time, the girl who always seemed untouchable, whose family name was synonymous with 'elite,' looked utterly terrified. Her hand, clutching the strap of her designer bag, started shaking uncontrollably.
​Gabriella felt a surge of triumph, but her expression didn't change. She pressed the advantage, her voice dropping to a seductive, damning whisper. "Even you had killed your lover."
​The last word was the trigger. Raina's eyes snapped red, the color of fury and desperate fear. With a strangled sound, she lunged, her manicured fingers pressing hard against Gabriella's throat.
​But Gabriella didn't panic. Instead, she offered a small, terrifying smile—the kind that promises hell is coming. With almost eerie effortlessness, she grabbed Raina's wrist and peeled her grip away from her neck. The ease of the move showed an unexpected, practiced strength.
​Raina stumbled back, panting, her face contorted in a mask of raging denial. "You can't do anything without evidence! No one believes you!"
​"You are right," Gabriella conceded, her smile hardening into a sheet of ice. "But I don't need the whole world. I only need one person." Her gaze was lethal. " your fiancé." she finished, her voice sinking into a husky, taunting challenge.
​"Gabriella!" Raina shrieked, the name ripped from her throat.
​"Don't mess with me again," Gabriella warned, adjusting her scarf, her task done. She turned and began to walk away, a dark silhouette disappearing into the snowy night.
​Behind her, Raina let out a sound that wasn't a word but a raw explosion of pain and hate. "AHA!" she screamed into the unforgiving darkness. The game was on.
The Truth's Echo
​Few minutes later...
​Inside the warm, rustic timber cabin that served as Elisabeth's room, a sharp knocking sound tore through the quiet. Elisabeth, dressed in silk pajamas and sitting at a vanity table cluttered with expensive cosmetics, hesitated. She approached the door and yanked it open.
​She couldn't believe who stood there. It was Jake.
​His face was a storm cloud. He was wearing a heavy fleece jacket, but the cold radiating off him had nothing to do with the outside air. "Is that you behind… today?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous. "The pine branch that fell, right? Answer me!"
​"I'm not," Elisabeth said, her voice surprisingly steady, a perfect imitation of cool innocence.
​He stalked past her and slammed his fist onto her polished dressing table. Perfume bottles rattled. "Don't lie! I know it's you. You already tried to hit Gabriella with your car once. This time, I won't leave you alone!"
​Elisabeth let out a small, chilling chuckle. "Oh, Jake. I'm not the only one who hates her. Don't forget, your friend Raina is her first enemy. Are you forgetting that? Just because she's your bestie?"
​Jake paused, confusion clouding the fury in his eyes. "She won't," he insisted, but the confidence was draining.
​Elisabeth chuckled again, a sound devoid of warmth. "Yes, I did. I was mad when you canceled our engagement, so I was about to hit Gabriella. But this time? I'm truly not the one."
​Jake looked from the shaken perfume bottles to her cold, unreadable eyes. His brow furrowed in deep, troubled confusion. He didn't know who to believe. With a frustrated roar, he stormed out, leaving the cabin door swinging in his wake. Gabriella's enemies were multiplying, and Jake was caught in the middle.
​An Unexpected Fire
​The Campfire Area was buzzing. A massive, crackling bonfire threw dancing shadows and welcome heat across the faces of the students.
​Gabriella arrived, pulled in by the light and the scent of woodsmoke. She found Han leaning against a log, his face friendly and open. Han, dressed in a cozy flannel shirt, extended a steaming mug.
​"Coffee?" he offered.
​"Thanks," she said, taking the warmth into her hands and giving him a genuine, small smile.
​"How is it?" he asked.
​"It's so good for this weather," she sighed contentedly.
​Then Han's expression shifted slightly, becoming serious. "Is anything going on between you and Jake?"
​Gabriella felt a sudden, sharp jolt. She hesitated for a moment too long. "Nothing," she lied easily, looking into the flames. "Why are you asking?"
​"No… I saw he's been so much closer with you these days," Han admitted, his eyes earnest. "Just checking."
​Gabriella merely nodded, the seed of doubt now planted. She stood up, needing to move. "Where are you going?" Han asked.
​"Just a walk."
​She wandered toward the periphery, where the light faded and the shadows deepened. As she walked, she spotted a scene partially obscured by a stand of thick, shadowy pines. A couple. They were kissing—intense, desperate, clearly trying to hide from the crowd.
​Gabriella instinctively glanced away, feeling like an intruder. But a flicker of recognition made her snap her head back.
​Familiar face.
​She felt a small shock. "Harry and Anitta are kissing…" she whispered, the names tasting like betrayal on her tongue. Harry is the boyfriend of Erica. "So… Harry is dating Anitta behind Erica's back…" She chuckled, a dry, cold sound.
​Revenge wasn't just about Raina; it was about power. She quickly took out her phone, switched to video mode, and recorded the damning proof. The camera focused on the intense kiss. She smiled knowingly, her hand already figuring out who the video would reach first.
​Satisfied, she turned and walked back to the campfire.
​Back at the campfire, students were now singing off-key and laughing, a picture of youthful freedom. Gabriella's eyes, however, locked onto Raina, who was sitting directly opposite her, a picture of false calm.
​Suddenly, Jake arrived and slid onto the log right beside Gabriella. His face was dull, the usual energetic light completely gone.
​"What happened?" Gabriella asked casually, though her heart was thrumming.
​"Nothing," he muttered, but his eyes were locked on Raina across the fire.
​Raina saw him staring and felt a prickle of alarm. Why is he looking at me like that? she wondered, panic rising beneath her composure. Selina, sitting next to her, offered her a packet of snacks, which Raina mechanically accepted.
​The campfire session ended. The professors, having checked on the students, had already left. The students began to wander back to their cabins.
​In the sudden noise, Erica's voice, loud and theatrical, cut through the crowd. "Someone is two-timing!"
​The remaining students froze, all heads turning to stare at Erica.
​"Yes," Erica continued, tossing her long hair. "She's good at seducing men! One is her elite boyfriend, but the other one… is…"
​Gabriella stopped walking. She turned around, her spine rigid. Erica's angry eyes locked onto Gabriella's.
​"She was hiding him…" Erica spat, her accusation now aimed directly at Gabriella.
​Raina and Selina were standing nearby. Elisabeth smiled coldly, watching the scene unfold, clearly enjoying the public spectacle.
​Gabriella had enough. Her face was hot, her hands clenched. She stormed near to Erica, ready to face the unfounded accusations. Erica stood her ground, staring defiantly.
​But before Gabriella could utter a word, a shadow moved past her.
​A hand swung.
​A sharp, shocking slap cracked across Erica's cheek.
​Erica gasped, staggering back in shock. Elisabeth's smile vanished, her eyes wide with disbelief. Raina was staring, cold and rigid. Selina let out a loud gasp. Everybody was stunned into silence.
​Gabriella herself had not expected this.
​"What are you doing?!" Erica shrieked, clutching her burning cheek.
​It was Jake. His eyes were alight with a terrifying, primal anger. He grabbed Erica's arm, his grip unforgiving.
​"She is my girlfriend," he declared, his voice shaking with fury. "Don't spread rumors about her."
​Erica shrank back, suddenly fearing the violence in his angry eyes.
​Gabriella stared at him. He called her his girlfriend. He had just slapped a girl for her. A wave of complicated emotion—shock, gratitude, and a sliver of terrifying confusion—washed over her.
​Then, Jake looked back at Gabriella, his eyes still burning, but a different kind of intensity in them now.
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To be Continued....
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