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The Storm Gathers
In the main engagement area, Han stood near the flower arrangements, his head still wrapped in white bandages from his stitches. He stared at the stage with pure hatred. He was Gabriella's cousin, and he couldn't stand seeing her with a snake like Jake.
"I don't like them together either," a voice hissed behind him. It was Elisabeth. "Let's ruin it."
Han turned, his jaw tightening. "I hate this. But if this is what she wants, I won't stop her happiness." He stepped closer to Elisabeth, his shadow towering over her. "If you do anything to ruin this night, I'll make you regret it."
Elisabeth watched him walk away, terrified for a second. "I can't understand that guy," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
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The Broken Ring
The Grand Ballroom was a sanctuary of shimmering gold and crystal, but the air was thick with the scent of lilies and impending war. Gabriella stood on the stage like a queen of ice, her champagne silk gown catching the light with every breath. Beside her, Jake looked every bit the golden heir in his white tuxedo, but the warmth between them was long gone.
The music swelled. Jake took the heavy diamond ring and slid it onto Gabriella's finger. Elisabeth, watching from the front row, gripped her clutch bag so hard her knuckles turned white, her face twisted in a silent scream of fury. Felix stood in the shadows of the off-stage area, a cunning, knowing smirk playing on his lips as he swirled a glass of dark wine.
Then, it was Gabriella's turn. She took the gold band, but as she reached for Jake's hand, she stopped.
The room fell into a deathly silence. Guests began to chatter in confused whispers.
"Why did you stop?" Jake whispered, his voice a husky, dangerous vibration. "What game are you playing, Gabriella?"
Gabriella leaned in, her voice low and sharp. "Something interesting."
Jake grabbed her hand, his grip tightening until it bruised. "Don't do anything reckless. I won't let you stop this engagement."
Gabriella shoved his hand away with a look of pure disgust. She reached back, and Fiona handed her a thick stack of legal documents.
The Grand Reveal
"Gabriella! What are you doing?" Robert roared, stepping toward the stage, his face turning a deep, angry red. His father—the family patriarch—banged his cane against the floor. "Explain this madness!"
Gabriella stepped to the edge of the stage, looking down at Robert. "I'm revealing your dirty deals in front of the world," she announced, her voice echoing through the speakers. "I don't want to marry Jake. I won't marry the son of a snake."
"I saved your father!" Robert hissed, his eyes deadly. "Do you forget who paid the bail?"
Gabriella didn't flinch....She smiled coldly.
Robert looked at his brother, his eyes narrowing. "Xander, go get the real documents. Now!"
But Xander didn't move. Gabriella smiled—a cold, beautiful sight—before her expression turned to stone. She threw the documents straight into Robert's face.
"You won't get a single share of Gabriella Enterprises, Robert," she hissed.
Robert chuckled, picking up a paper. "You signed the transfer, Gabriella. Your whole company is mine!" But as he read the lines, his face drained of color. His expression turned from triumph to total betrayal. "This... this is fake."
Robert lunged at Xander, grabbing his collar. "You betrayed your own brother?!"
Xander didn't blink. "You deserve it. You and Dad traded Fiona's happiness like a business deal years ago, trying to sell Gabriella's shares for a marriage I never wanted. I'm just correcting the mistake."
The Ballroom exploded into chaos. The Patriarch raised his stick at Gabriella. "You are mocking our family pride!"
"Pride?" Gabriella's Grandma stood up, her voice trembling with rage. "You lost your pride the moment you let greed lead your hearts."
Xander turned to Fiona, his eyes softening with years of hidden love. "I won't lose you again." He reached out his hand. "Fiona... would you marry me?"
Fiona melted, nodding with tears in her eyes. Frederick and Roselette smiled as Xander dragged his true bride toward the entrance, leaving the shattered family behind.
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Gabriella looked at Jake. Without a word, she ripped the engagement ring off and threw it at his feet.
Jake's face was a mask of cold, empty emotion. Below the stage, Felix smirked. "She's more interesting than I thought," he whispered to himself.
Gabriella began to walk out, her parents following close behind. But Robert wasn't finished. "Don't leave!" he shouted, his voice desperate. "This engagement will happen!"
He turned to Elisabeth's parents. "Are you willing to give your daughter to my son?"
Elisabeth's eyes lit up with a predatory joy. Her parents, sensing a chance to join the elite, nodded instantly. Robert grabbed Elisabeth's hand and pulled her onto the stage. "Jake, don't let this girl humiliate us. Show her who we are."
Jake looked at Gabriella's retreating back. His jaw tightened as he remembered the public shame she had just handed his father. He bent down, picked up the ring Gabriella had thrown, and slid it onto Elisabeth's finger.
The crowd erupted into forced applause. Elisabeth beamed, looking at Gabriella with a look of ultimate victory.
Gabriella stopped at the doors. She turned back and saw them—Jake and Elisabeth, standing where she had stood only moments ago.
Their eyes locked. Jake's gaze was like a frozen tundra—cold, hard, and unforgiving. Gabriella met it with equal ice, but as she turned to follow her father into the night, a single, hot tear escaped her eye. The revenge was complete, but the heart was hollow.
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The parking lot was a vast, cold expanse of asphalt and flickering streetlights. The distant echo of the engagement party's music felt like a ghost of the life Gabriella was leaving behind. She stood there, her champagne silk gown now looking like a tattered flag of a war she had barely won.
The Mask Falls
"Mom, Dad... go home," Gabriella said, her voice trembling despite her effort to stay firm. "I'll follow you later."
Frederick caught Dona's eye, giving her a silent plea to protect his daughter. Dona nodded firmly. "Don't worry, I've got her. You guys go." Roselette hesitated, her motherly instinct screaming that Gabriella's cold gaze was just a shield for a shattered heart, but she eventually turned away.
As Gabriella walked toward the shadows, a familiar figure stepped out. It was Han, his head still wrapped in that stark white bandage.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked softly. He didn't wait for an answer. He saw the shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes. "I know you, Gabriella. Stop acting. Cry if you want."
Gabriella broke. She collapsed into Han's arms, her silent sobs shaking her frame. Han held her tight, a pillar of strength in the dark. When she finally pulled away, she touched the bandage on his head. "What happened?"
"I just fell down," Han lied smoothly, flashing a quick smile to hide the pain. "I'm going now. Come back home fast, okay?"
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Champagne and Red Confessions
Once Han disappeared into the night, Gabriella turned to Dona. "I need a drink."
"Way ahead of you," Dona smirked, pulling a chilled bottle of champagne from the car.
They sat on the open edge of the car's luggage compartment, legs dangling, the cold night air biting at their skin. "To a new beginning," Dona said, raising her glass.
"Yes," Gabriella whispered, taking a long sip. Her cheeks were already flushing from the alcohol and the emotional exhaustion.
Dona's phone rang—a frantic, distorted call. "I can't hear you! Hold on," Dona muttered, stepping away toward the brighter lights of the hotel entrance. "I'm going to grab some water, Gabriella! Stay right here. Don't move!"
Gabriella nodded dizzily. Silence settled over the lot until she noticed a pair of polished black boots on the pavement in front of her. Her gaze traveled up, past a perfectly tailored suit, to the face of Felix.
"You..." she blinked, her cheeks turning a deep rose. "Why are you here? Always... following me."
He rolled his eye's. "You always ask this question ? I was at the engagement too," Felix said, his voice a calm, deep velvet. He stepped closer, his shadow falling over her. "Stop acting tough, Gabriella. You're bold on the outside, but inside... not."
Gabriella looked at him, her eyes raw with pain. "Yes. We're all like that. You don't know... but I'm finally done with Jake."
She stood up, her movement unsteady, and stepped into his personal space. The scent of his sandalwood cologne was intoxicating. She looked up at him with an intense, burning gaze.
"Is that offer still available?" she whispered, her breath hitching.
Felix narrowed his eyes, his body tensing. "What offer?"
"Can I be your girlfriend?" Gabriella breathed, her voice a desperate, beautiful secret.
Felix's gaze turned incredibly intense. He looked as if he were about to pull her into him, his silence echoing louder than any word.
"GABRIELLA!"
The moment shattered as Dona came sprinting back, her face ghostly white, her eyes wide with terror.
"Ajax... it's Ajax!" Dona screamed, her voice cracking. "We have to go to Brighton Wisdom right now! Something has happened to him!"
Gabriella's heart plummeted. The romantic tension vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp dread. Felix stood straight, his eyes darting toward the dark road leading to the school.
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The wind howled across the rooftop of Brighton Wisdom, carrying the scent of rain and old blood. Raina stood like a dark queen, her black silk trench coat whipping around her ankles like shadows.
"You came," a voice hissed.
Raina turned, a dangerous chuckle vibrating in her chest. It was Lara. "Do you think I'm trapped in your pathetic plan? No way. That's you, Lara." Raina bit her lip, her eyes flashing with a predatory light. "I've been waiting to find out who was behind Kevin... who made him go against me. So, it was you."
Lara didn't flinch. Her face was cold, her voice steady. "Yes, it was me."
A roar of fury escaped Raina's throat. she rushed forward, her hands locking around Lara's throat. She pinned her against the edge, her voice a deep, demonic growl. "So you acted like you had memory loss just to escape me? You coward!"
Lara struggled, her breath hitching, but her eyes remained defiant. She shoved Raina's hands back. "Who is afraid of you, Raina? Me? Never!"
Raina didn't fall. She just smirked, a look of pure vengeance on her face. "I thought it was Ajax behind this. My men wasted so much energy beating him for nothing."
Lara's face went pale. "What? What did you do to Ajax?!"
"Don't worry," Raina smiled, "he hasn't died... yet."
Lara's hand blurred as she pulled a hidden knife, striking toward Raina's heart. "You killed my Kevin first! Now my friend! I won't let you live, Raina!"
Raina stopped the blade with a sickeningly calm move. "Oh... not bad, Lara. Sharp aim. But you can't win." With a sudden twist, Raina snatched the knife away. Lara stood off-guard, trembling.
"So," Raina roared, her voice cracking with pain, "the letter was right! You had a crush on Kevin! You brainwashed him to collect evidence against me because you were jealous!"
Lara gasped, "No... stop it! I wasn't—"
Raina reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled paper. Lara's undelivered love letter to Kevin. "I got this from your bag. This is the proof! You turned my lover against me because you wanted him for yourself!"
"I didn't!" Lara cried, tears streaming down her face. "He wanted you to be better! He wanted you to stop the bullying, so he met me to find a way to save you!"
Raina's eyes turned a horrifying, bloody red. She dragged the knife across the skin of Lara's throat, leaving a stinging red trail. "You said go against me? My lover? You turned him into my enemy!"
Lara pressed her neck, gasping in agony. "You are a fool, Raina! He loved you! That's why he chose that hard path, to pull you out of the dark!"
"Whatever you say, it doesn't mean you're innocent!" Raina screamed.
"Yes, I loved him!" Lara shrieked back, her voice breaking. "But when I realized he only had eyes for you, I didn't disturb him! I only treated him as my friend!"
Raina turned away, walking to the very edge of the roof. The height was terrifying, the drop a black abyss. She turned back, her voice trembling, hot tears spilling onto her cheeks. "Whatever... because of you, he died, Lara. If you hadn't given him those ideas, we wouldn't have been separated. He wouldn't be dead!"
Lara felt a crushing weight of guilt. She was the one who encouraged the rebellion. She was the reason the boy she loved was in a grave.
"I won't... I won't leave you, Lara," Raina whispered, her eyes dark and full of horror.
Suddenly, Raina lunged. She pushed Lara off the building.
"LARA!"
The door to the terrace burst open. Ronnie stood there, his face a mask of absolute despair. He saw her falling. Lara looked at him one last time and smiled through the pain. In Ronnie's pocket, her secret note sat like a ticking bomb.
Behind him, panting and broken, stood the others. Ajax, covered in fight wounds and blood; Dona, shaking with fear; Felix, sweating and frantic; and Gabriella.
"LARA!" Gabriella roared, her voice a jagged sob that tore through the night. She reached the edge just in time to see her friend vanish into the darkness.
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To be Continued.....
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