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The hallways of Brighton Wisdom School were usually filled with the scent of floor wax and expensive perfume, but today, a cold shadow fell over the entrance hall.
Raina stepped through the heavy glass doors. She had come straight from the prison gates. Her dress was shabby and wrinkled, a far cry from the designer labels she usually wore. Her hair was messy, and her eyes were sunken, making her look like a ghost haunted by her own past.
The Confrontation at the Hall
Selina and Han were standing near the lockers when they saw her. Selina's face lit up, and she rushed toward Raina with a worried smile. Han, however, stayed exactly where he was. His face was a mask of cold stone, devoid of any emotion.
"Where is she?" Raina asked, her voice rasping.
"Who?" Selina blinked, confused.
"Lara," Raina spat the name out like poison.
"I saw her on the second floor earlier..." Selina whispered, stepping back from the intensity in Raina's eyes.
Without a word of thanks, Raina stormed past them, her boots thudding against the stairs as she climbed toward the second floor.
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On the second floor, Gabriella was walking out of her classroom. She looked effortlessly chic in her pleated school skirt and a crisp white blouse, though her mind was miles away.
"How was the exam, Gabby?" a girl nearby asked.
"Not bad," Gabriella replied casually.
"Only two more exams until summer holidays!" another girl chimed in.
Gabriella started to smile, but it died instantly. She saw Raina's disheveled figure sprinting toward the stairs leading to the roof. Raina wasn't looking for a classroom; she was looking for blood. Gabriella's heart hammered against her ribs as she began to follow them.
Up on the rooftop, the wind was biting. Lara stood near the ledge, inhaling the fresh air and looking at the scenery, unaware of the storm behind her. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Before Lara could scream, Raina's fingers clamped tightly around her throat.
"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" Raina roared, her face twisted with fury. "It was your idea, wasn't it? You told Kevin to collect evidence against me!"
Lara's eyes widened, her face turning pale as she struggled to breathe.
"He couldn't think of that on his own!" Raina's voice broke, a single, bitter tear falling down her cheek. "Because of you, I lost my Kevin. Because of you, he's dead!"
"Stop it!" Gabriella screamed, rushing onto the roof. She threw herself at Raina, forcing her to release her grip on Lara's throat.
Lara slumped against the railing, gasping for air, her chest heaving.
"What are you doing?" Gabriella shouted at Raina. "Haven't you done enough? You killed Kevin!"
"I didn't!" Raina shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at Lara. "It's her fault! If she hadn't turned him against me, we would still be together! I would never have harmed him!"
Gabriella froze. She looked at Lara, who was staring at the floor, her eyes filled with a suffocating sense of guilt.
"Don't cover up your sins by blaming others, Raina," Gabriella said, her voice turning cold. "You aren't innocent."
Raina let out a chilling, hollow chuckle. "I know it was her... or maybe that snake Ajax. One of them destroyed my life. I won't leave you alone, Lara. Sleep with one eye open."
With a final, terrifying glare, Raina turned and walked off the roof.
Gabriella looked at Lara, who was still shaking. "Stay away from Raina," Gabriella warned. Lara didn't answer; she simply turned and walked away into the shadows of the school.
Suddenly, Gabriella's phone buzzed. It was Han.
"Where are you?" his voice was breathless and filled with raw concern. "Are you okay? I saw Raina enter the building..."
"Don't worry, Han," Gabriella whispered, trying to steady her breathing. "I'm alright."
But as she hung up, the sound of slow, rhythmic clapping echoed behind her. Raina had come back. She stood at the rooftop door, a smirk playing on her cracked lips.
"I forgot something," Raina said, her voice dropping to a terrifyingly low pitch. She stepped forward and shoved a thick, gold-embossed card into Gabriella's hand.
"An invitation. To my 'Welcome Home' party." Raina leaned in close, her breath cold against Gabriella's ear. "Don't think I forgot what you did to me, Gabriella. I won't ever forget. If you're brave enough... show up."
Raina smirked and disappeared down the stairs. Gabriella looked down at the invitation in her hand. The gold letters seemed to shimmer like a warning.
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The bass was thumping so hard it felt like a heartbeat against the ribs of the Neon Underground Club. The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and artificial smoke, lit by flashes of violet and electric blue.
Gabriella stepped into the party area, looking like a dream in a shimmering emerald silk dress that hugged her curves and flowed like water. She felt exposed, a lone target in the middle of a lion's den, until a warm hand suddenly slid into hers.
The Uninvited Guest
Gabriella gasped, spinning around. "Felix?"
He looked dangerously handsome in a dark, tailored blazer over a black turtleneck. He didn't let go of her hand. "Hold on," he murmured, his voice cutting through the loud music.
They reached the velvet rope at the entrance. Felix took the gold-embossed invitation from Gabriella's hand and flashed it at the security guard with a charming, effortless smile. They stepped inside together.
Gabriella smirked, leaning closer so he could hear her. "Raina didn't invite you, did she? Why are you really here?"
Felix's smirk matched hers, but his eyes were sharp. "A mission."
"What?" Gabriella narrowed her eyes, her heart skipping a beat.
"Don't be afraid," he said, leaning in. "She gave me one, but I lost it. I'm just here for the drinks." He lied so smoothly she almost believed him. He began walking deeper into the club, and Gabriella, feeling a strange sense of safety next to him, followed.
As they walked side by side, a young man leaning against the bar started staring at Gabriella. His gaze was intense and disrespectful, scanning her body in a way that made her skin crawl.
Felix noticed it instantly. His jaw tightened, and his playful energy vanished, replaced by a cold, protective fury. As they passed the guy, Felix subtly stuck out his foot.
THUD.
The man stumbled, nearly face-planting on the sticky floor. He spun around, his face twisted in outrage. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?"
Felix turned around with a calm, bored expression. Gabriella stopped, looking confused between the two of them.
"He's a client of mine," Felix lied to her, his voice perfectly steady. "I should say hello. Meet me at the lounge in a minute, okay?" He waved his hand dismissively.
"Are you sure?" Gabriella asked, glancing at the angry man.
Felix nodded, his eyes softening just for her. "Go on. I'll be right behind you."
As soon as Gabriella turned her back, Felix's face went stone-cold. He grabbed the man by the shoulder, his grip like iron, and steered him toward a less crowded, dimly lit corner near the emergency exit.
"Why are you holding a gun to my back?" the man whispered, his voice trembling as he felt the cold metal of a barrel pressing against his spine.
Felix spun him around in the shadows, swiftly tucking the weapon back into his own waistband after a quick, loud click—reloading it.
"Where exactly were you looking?" Felix asked, his voice a deep, vibrating warning.
"What? I didn't—"
Suddenly, Felix pressed the muzzle of the gun directly against the bridge of the man's nose, right between his eyes. The man froze, the color draining from his face.
"If you ever dare to look at a girl like that again," Felix hissed, his voice like a jagged blade, "you won't have eyes left to see with. Got it?"
"Yes... yes!" the man stammered, his knees shaking.
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To be Continued....
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