RECKLESS LOVE ❤️🔥🩸
(when heart defy rules....)
By Authoress Blue Panda💙
⛔DO NOT🙅♂️ COPY 📌REPOST
CHAPTER 5&6
"You're letting him talk to you like that, Zee?" Ren growled, dark eyes locked on Alaric. "What happened to putting people in their place?"
Zelia waved him off.
"You're loud, Ren, but never useful."
Alaric turned to Ren. "And you are?"
Ren stepped forward, but Soren beat him to it.
"Her boyfriend," he said proudly, placing himself between Zelia and Alaric.
Alaric tilted his head.
"Then I suggest you start teaching her respect before life does."
Zelia stepped in, now inches from Slate.
"I don't need respect. I need obedience."
*BOOM.*
Door slammed open. *Zayn* entered late, lollipop in mouth, wearing his hoodie inside out. He paused, looked at the drama, and smiled.
"I see the Queen Bee's stinging again. And the new guy's not allergic."
The room laughed nervously.
Emily and *Faye* sat silently, conflicted. Despite being on bad terms with Zelia, they saw the danger building.
"Zelia," Faye said softly, "Don't push it."
Emily added, "Just sit. Please. This is too much."
Zelia turned toward them. Hurt flashed in her eyes—but it was gone in a blink.
"Two friends," she hissed, "and I still get stabbed in the back. Good job, traitors."
Alaric had enough.
"Miss Millions. Final warning."
But before she could reply, *Principal Hammond* stepped in, having heard the shouting.
Zelia immediately softened, switching her voice to an innocent tone.
"Principal! This man is humiliating me on his first day!"
Hammond looked at both of them, clearly annoyed.
"Mr. Slate, a word. Now."
As the two men walked out, Zelia turned and flashed a wicked grin at the room.
And just before taking her seat, she whispered to herself,
"This is going to be fun."
★★Principal Hammond's Office★★
The door clicked shut behind them. The hallway's chaotic murmurs faded as *Principal Hammond* rounded his desk like a man walking toward a battlefield.
*Alaric Slate* stood tall, arms folded, jaw set, not even the faintest hint of regret in his sharp, composed expression.
"Do you realize what you just did, Slate?"
Hammond snapped, slamming a file on the desk. "That girl isn't just a student—she's Zelia *Millions*. MILLIONS!"
Alaric didn't flinch. "And? She disrupted class, insulted me, and acted like she owned the school. I treated her like any student."
"You can't treat her like any student,"
Hammond hissed. "You don't get it. This entire college stands because her father lets it. The campus land? The buildings? The tech upgrades? All courtesy of Lucien Millions her grandfather"
He leaned closer, lowering his voice like a secret:
"If she so much as calls him crying tonight, you, me, and half the damn faculty are finished."
Alaric's eyes darkened.
"Then maybe the institution needs to question its morals. If power excuses entitlement, what exactly are we teaching?"
Hammond stared, caught off guard by the cold edge in Alaric's voice.
"You're new here, Slate," he said finally, "and maybe you don't understand the weight of that name, but let me be clear. Her father has shut down schools for less. One phone call—and you're gone."
Alaric stepped forward. "If he wants to fire me for doing my job, let him. But I won't bow to spoiled brats just because they're rich."
Hammond ran a hand over his face. "God help me…"
"I don't need divine intervention," Alaric said coolly. "I need a classroom where I can teach without licking someone's boots."
There was a long silence. Principal Hammond sat down slowly, rubbing his temple.
"You're going to get us killed," he muttered.
Alaric turned to leave, then paused at the door.
"I'm here to teach. Not to kneel."
And with that, he walked out, leaving behind a principal caught between politics… and the truth.
---
★★ Classroom — Afternoon★★
The classroom is unusually quiet.
All eyes shift to the door as Alaric Slate walks in, his long coat trailing slightly behind him, his steps calm but heavy. There's a subtle shift in the atmosphere — an unspoken curiosity mixed with the tension left behind from earlier.
He drops a leather-bound notebook on the desk with a controlled motion. Doesn't say a word.
Chairs creak softly as students sit straighter, alert. The previous laughter and chatter are gone.
He begins writing equations on the board, his handwriting sharp and methodical. But in his mind, he isn't thinking of numbers.
"Entitled. Arrogant. Spoiled down to her last breath. She thinks the world bends for her... maybe it does. But not in this room."
that's his inner thought
The door opens softly.
Zelia Millions enters. she walked out earlier after he left
A different kind of silence falls.
She's wearing confidence like perfume — her ponytail bouncing, her heels clicking with unnecessary flair. She doesn't look at anyone. She doesn't need to.
Alaric doesn't turn, but he feels her presence like a storm building behind him.
"He's still here? Tch. Like some brooding statue. He better not try me today. Ugh, who does he think he is, acting so… unaffected. Stupid stone-face."
she thought
She slides into her seat, slowly, deliberately.beside her friends they made up after they apologize and she did too
Eyes are on her. Eyes are on him.
He continues writing.
She taps her pen against her desk.
The air is thick with everything unspoken — tension, defiance, curiosity.
"You want a war, princess? Then don't blink."
Alaric smirked inwardly
"He thinks I'm scared? Please. Let's see how long he lasts."
Zelia murmur
Class continues. Silent, charged.
Two storms sitting under the same roof.
Alaric Slate's presence at the front of the class is like a wall of stone. Cold. Unreadable.
He scribbles notes across the board with swift precision. His voice, when he finally speaks, is calm and deep — a sharp contrast to the quiet anxiety that creeps into the room with every second that passes.
Zelia sits near the back, legs crossed, face unreadable.
Emily, seated beside her, whispers without turning her head, "You're actually behaving for once."
Faye smirks, "Should we be worried?"
Zelia doesn't respond. Her eyes are fixed on Alaric. Not in admiration. Not even in interest. Just sharp curiosity — the kind that draws blood.
"Why does he look so composed? Like he doesn't even see me. Like I'm invisible. He's bluffing. No one ignores me.".
she scoffed lowly
She drums her manicured nails lightly on the desk, a subconscious habit when she's bothered. Emily gently taps her arm to stop her.
"Zee… please don't start anything. You said you'd chill."
Emily said softly
"Yeah. Let's just graduate in peace, hot girl style."
Faye pouted
Zelia scoffs but doesn't reply. She flicks her gaze toward the front.
"Still so loud without saying a word. I should've transferred when I had the chance."
He feels her stare.
He doesn't meet it.
Behind his glasses, his eyes are focused, his expression a wall.
"He's a pretender."
Zelia said
"Who?"
Emily asked
"Him. Professor nothing."
she smirked and they laughed
"No more prince nothing,now Professor Nothing"
Faye stifles a laugh.
Alaric pauses briefly as if he heard something. But he doesn't turn.
"Look at me, dammit."
she stomped her foot
But he never does.
As class continues, Zelia forces herself to take notes — for once — scribbling lazily while glancing at Alaric from under her lashes.
Her friends glance between them with quiet amusement.
There is no shouting. No insults.
Just a strange, electric stillness.
The calm before a beautiful disaster.
---
★★ Hallway ★★
Students file out of the classroom, chattering and stretching as the lecture ends.
Alaric gathers his books slowly, the last to leave.
Zelia, instead of leaving immediately, lingers by the door with Emily and Faye.
She's not looking at him — not obviously. She adjusts her bag, scrolls aimlessly on her phone.
But she's watching. Listening.
"You were quiet in there thank Jesus"
Emily said dramatically
"He was quieter."
she said flatly
"Girl… you're obsessed."
Faye added
Zelia raises a brow, giving a small smirk.
"I don't get obsessed. I get intrigued."
She flipped her hair
Alaric glances up just as she glances away.
Their eyes don't meet.
But they both know.
"This girl's silence is louder than her tantrums. What is she up to now?"
Alaric Thought
He walks past them in silence.
Zelia's perfume lingers in the air.
She flips her hair with unnecessary flair as he walks by, refusing to look his way — but standing just close enough that he has to slightly shift to avoid brushing her shoulder.
"You'll look eventually."*
But he doesn't.
Not even once.
---
The cafeteria buzzed with energy—students talking over plates of steaming food, the smell of different delicacy in the air, music faintly playing from someone's speaker.
All eyes turned as Zelia Millions strutted in, flanked by her two loyal friends, Faye and Emily. Her designer heels clicked confidently against the tiled floor, and her silky dark curls bounced with every step. Heads turned. Phones lifted. Whispers followed.
She smirked, savoring the attention, then glided toward her usual table.
Before she could even sit, Zayn,pulled a chair beside her with a wink.
"Reserved for royalty," he grinned.
But Ren of the princes, was already stepping in.
"Move," Ren said sharply, yanking the chair out. "This seat's mine."
"She laughed at your jokes once and you're obsessed?" Zayn taunted. "Relax, Romeo."
They began arguing, loud enough to turn heads.
Zelia simply giggled She leaned on the table, resting her chin in her palm, amused.
"Oh please, keep going. I'm loving the attention. First one to get a black eye wins."
"Zelia…" Faye whispered.
"Let them fight," she shrugged. "This is my kind of lunch."
Then she turned her head lazily and smiled.
"Soren," she called sweetly, "come sit beside me. Make yourself useful, baby."
Her pushover boyfriend, Soren, beamed and stumbled forward quickly, pushing past the bickering boys to sit beside her.
Across the cafeteria, at the quieter corner near the windows, sat Skye—a quiet, sharp-eyed boy with black headphones around his neck, and his best friend, Midnight, a petite girl with soft curly hair, big eyes, and a heavy heart.
Skye saw everything.
Midnight sat beside him, her eyes lingering on Soren—her secret crush—as he placed his arm around Zelia, who leaned into him with a triumphant smirk.
"She doesn't even like him like that," Midnight muttered, eyes darkening.
"Then why are you crying over him?" Skye said bluntly, though not unkindly.
Midnight stayed silent.
He turned his gaze across the room—his crush, Faye, was laughing at Zayn and Ren still trading barbs, and it was the kind of laugh that made his chest ache.
Two best friends.
Both in love with people who didn't see them.
Both watching the same scene unfold from different wounds.
★
As Zayn and Ren still exchanged snide jabs, with Soren now seated proudly beside Zelia, she leaned back like a queen on her throne, sipping her juice with a wicked grin.
That's when Valarie and Gina, the self-proclaimed "It-Girls" of the Arts Department, strutted in.
They spotted the scene — Zelia glowing in her spotlight, boys fighting over her, the whole cafeteria revolving around her existence — and it burned them.
Gina sneered.
"Ugh, she's really doing the most again. As always."
Valarie tossed her hair, lips curled.
"Acting like she's Beyoncé. Please. She's just daddy's money with heels."
They sauntered over, heels clacking in rhythm, faces too smug.
Valarie crossed her arms.
"Zelia, dear. Still collecting boys like cheap handbags?"
The cafeteria gasped in unison.
Zelia paused, raised a brow… then grinned.
"Aww, Valarie. Still projecting your daddy issues on me? Shouldn't you be in therapy or something?"
Gina scoffed.
"At least we don't have to pay people to sit with us."
Zelia's smile dropped—just for a second. But Faye and Emily stiffened.
Zelia stood slowly, her presence sucking the air out of the room.
She stepped closer to Valarie, face inches away, smile cold.
"You know what's funny?" she whispered loudly enough for the room to hear.
"You've been trying to replace me since forever. But baby, you can't dethrone someone born with a crown."
Valarie looked ready to lunge.
Ren, amused, folded his arms.
Zayn muttered, "Damn… she did not come to play."
From the corner, Skye and Midnight exchanged glances.
"Should we call the nurse in advance?" Midnight asked dryly.
Just as things got tense, Principal Hammond's voice echoed from the hallway—
"I swear if there's another cafeteria drama today—!"
Everyone scattered slightly, tension breaking like a bubble.
Zelia turned to her girls.
"Let's go. I don't argue with background characters."
And with that, she walked away, her friends following, her enemies fuming, and her rivals… silenced.
Again.
★★
It was lunchtime, and Alaric Slate had planned to eat in solitude, as he likes eating alone— maybe in his office or outside under the trees where silence was guaranteed. But Winona, being sharp, bubbly, overly friendly friend and co-worker, had other plans.
"Come on, Slate," she said, tugging on his arm. "You are new here you should try to get along with the others,You're too mysterious. It's creepy. Just once!"
"I'm not here to make friends," Alaric muttered, deadpan.
Winona rolled her eyes. "But you've already made enemies. You might as well balance it out."
Before he could say no again, she'd already dragged him into the *staff cafeteria*.
Inside, the atmosphere shifted.
Heads turned. Conversations dulled into murmurs. It was like a new celebrity had walked in — or, in this case, the man who had unintentionally stolen the spotlight*.
Among the teachers seated was Professor Trevor the previously unofficial "hottest lecturer" on campus — tall, smooth-talking, always the center of attention — until Alaric arrived.
Now, Trevor watched them enter, his jaw tight, eyes narrowing at the way Winona clung to Alaric's arm like she'd known him for years. Winona waved enthusiastically to the others
"Hey, everyone! Look who I finally dragged in!"
Alaric gave a stiff nod, hands in pockets, uninterested.
Winona led him to the center table — right next to Trevor, who wasn't having it.
"Didn't think Mr. Too-Cool-for-the-Rest-of-Us actually ate food," Trevor said with a fake smile.
Alaric raised a brow, voice calm. "Didn't think the staff room doubled as a talent show. Guess I was wrong."
Winona choked on her laugh.
The other professors went quiet again, sensing the tension.
Trevor forced a chuckle. "At least I don't need to be rude to get noticed."
Alaric leaned back, his smirk lazy. "You're right. You just try too hard and still don't get noticed."
Winona blinked, torn between hiding and applauding.
Trevor's jaw clenched.
Alaric, tired already, stood. "Appreciate the invite, Winona. But this isn't my crowd."
He walked off without waiting for a response.
Winona sighed, staring after him like he hung the stars.
And Trevor?
He stared at Winona with quiet rage, vowing Alaric Slate would regret ever stepping into his cafeteria… or *his spotlight
★★
The sun hung lazily over the college courtyard as Ren, Adrik, and Leo lounged on the stone bench outside the west building — their usual spot, half-shaded, half-perfect for watching chaos unfold.
Ren leaned back with his arms folded behind his head, his jacket half-off like he didn't care about the world.
Adrik was popping gum obnoxiously, his sunglasses too dark for the already shady spot, while Leo just scroll through his phone
"So tell me again," Adrik started, blowing a bubble, "how you lost your seat to Zayn the walking STD oh i mean Soren the Autistic pushover this morning?"
Ren scoffed, eyes squinting at the cafeteria building.
"I didn't lose it. I let him have it."
Leo looked up, unimpressed. "Bro, he's been sitting next to Zelia two weeks straight. That's not strategy. That's defeat."
Ren groaned. "He only gets to sit there because I was bantering with Zayn I would have got there earlier i was just building up in the gym."
Adrik laughed. "For what? To carry her ego around?"
Leo chuckled, putting his phone away
"Honestly though, Soren's the real threat. That dude might be dumb, but he's got her wrapped."
Ren sat up straighter, jaw tightening.
"Soren's only temporary. Zelia's too much of a queen to settle for a guy who still says 'tenk you' instead of 'thank you.'"
They all burst out laughing.
Then Leo nudged Ren. "But what about that *new lecturer*? The one that talk down on her like she wasn't the most powerful girl on campus?"
Ren's smirk dropped slightly. "Alaric Slate? Yeah. I don't like him."
Leo grinned. "You don't like anyone who doesn't worship Zelia."
"I don't like anyone who makes her *pause.* That's dangerous."
They all went quiet for a second, thinking.
Then Adrik clapped Ren's shoulder.
The bell rang faintly in the distance. They stood slowly, casually… like boys with nothing better to do — but in truth, already planning their next move in Zelia's chaotic kingdom.
★★
The library was unusually quiet that afternoon — sun pouring through the high windows, dust particles dancing midair like secrets waiting to be told.
Sana sat tucked in a corner, her oversized hoodie almost swallowing her whole as she scribbled notes from an old textbook. Her lips moved silently with each line, brows furrowed in fierce focus.
Enter Mariana.
She walked in like a quiet storm — tall, androgynous beauty with a septum ring, sharp eyeliner, and cherry red braids that brushed the curve of her denim jacket. Confidence dripped off her like perfume, and her eyes scanned the room lazily… until they landed on her
Sana.
A slow smirk curled on Mariana's lips as she made her way through the aisles, pretending to browse a random shelf. She peeked through the books — spying on the girl behind them.
Sana yawned, rubbing her eyes with ink-stained fingers. Mariana leaned forward slightly and whispered through the shelf.
"Is that textbook really that interesting or do you just like pretending you're the main character?"
Sana jumped, looking up, startled. Her big eyes blinked toward the voice.
Mariana stepped into view, leaning on the table with that lazy, playful charm
.
"I'm Mariana," she said, voice like melted sugar with a smirk of trouble. "New here?. And completely lost?. Mind me showing you how to not fail History"
Sana flushed pink instantly. "Um… I-I guess, sure I need help."
Mariana winked, then sat beside her without asking.
Their elbows touched lightly. Sana was too shy to move.
Somewhere across the room, Zelia's friends watched from a distance, whispering.
The new girl hadn't been there for a month and Mariana already have eyes for her
And Sana?
She was in trouble — the sweet kind.
The silence in the library was as sacred as always—until Zelia Millions walked in, heels clicking like a rhythmic threat, head high, sunglasses still on despite being indoors. She radiated drama in designer.
Mariana was seated at a corner table with Sana, pretending to be deeply invested in History—though she was obviously more into Sana than the subject. Sana shyly pointed at a page, while Mariana leaned in just a bit too close, grinning with her cherry-red lips.
The moment Zelia entered, all eyes naturally shifted to her. Her aura demanded attention.
She spotted Mariana instantly.
Her smirk dropped.
Flashback flickered behind her hazel eyes—just two weeks ago, Mariana had asked her out after Art History class, bold and smug, like she thought Zelia would actually say yes. Zelia, of course, humiliated her in front of the whole class, replying with a mocking:
"Sorry, babe I don't date girls who think Doc Martens make them dangerous."
Back to the present.
Zelia sauntered over with slow, taunting steps. Her friends, Emily and Faye, trailed beside with knowing expressions.
Mariana looked up, calm. "Didn't know you were into reading, princess."
Zelia slid off her sunglasses. "And I didn't know you were into downgrades, but here we are."
Sana's cheeks flamed. "Zelia—"
Zelia cut her off sweetly. "Relax, scholar. I'm not talking about you."
Then to Mariana, she added: "Though you do have a talent—switching sides faster than your cheap eyeliner smudges."
Mariana smirked, unfazed. "Maybe I just like my women smart and challenging. And you're only one of those."
Zelia laughed, tossing her hair. "Bold of you to try me twice. and think you'd survive it." She leaned in closer, voice sharp but sugarcoated.
"You want to flirt with everyone in my city, darling? At least choose someone I don't protect."
Her eyes flicked to Sana—softening briefly—then back to Mariana with venom.
"I'm the Queen here. And no matter how many girls you flirt with, they'll always end up under *my* spotlight."
Mariana leaned back, lips twitching. "Maybe I like the heat."
"Careful," Zelia said, sliding on her sunglasses again. "You might melt."
Then she turned, hair flipping like a curtain call, and sashayed away with Emily and Faye—leaving a faint trail of expensive perfume and chaos.
Sana blinked, stunned.
Mariana?
She just chuckled and muttered, "This school is gonna be fun."
★★
Later that afternoon, the gossip around the school buzzed like wildfire. Word had spread fast—Zelia Millions had clashed with Mariana again, and this time in the sacred library. The rumor mill spun out of control: *Zelia was jealous*, *Zelia liked Sana*, *Zelia used to have a thing with Mariana*.
By the time she reached the rooftop lounge with Emily and Faye, their group chat had exploded with screenshots, whispers, and voice notes.
Zelia stood, phone in hand, reading a particularly ridiculous text out loud
"'Zelia caught in a love triangle with Mariana and the scholarship girl'—*are these people high or just bored?*"
Faye raised a brow. "Well… you were pretty harsh on Mariana."
Zelia scoffed dramatically, clutching her imaginary pearls. "Please. I humiliated her. That's not tension, darling—that's charity work."
Emily teased, "You do always react a bit extra when Mariana flirts with someone else."
Zelia rolled her eyes and took a sip from her iced matcha. "Because she's messy, not because I care. And I definitely don't care about her or Sana like that."
Faye leaned forward. "So, you're saying there was never anything between you and Mariana?"
Zelia blinked slowly, then burst into laughter. "Oh honey, the only thing between us was air—and even that felt crowded."
Emily laughed. "Okay, okay, we believe you."
Zelia smirked. "Good. And if anyone asks again, tell them this: Zelia Millions doesn't chase, she reigns. Case closed."
But as the wind swept her hair gently across her cheek, her gaze drifted out toward the courtyard below… where Mariana and Sana sat together again.
Her smile faltered—just for a second.
Only Faye caught it. But she said nothing.
"Right. And you and Zade… you've always fought for dominance on that. He chooses someone to ruin, and suddenly you're protecting them."
"He thinks bullying is a sport. I just do it for fun. Light games. He goes too far. If I touch someone, he backs off. If he touches someone first, I stay off… unless I'm in the mood for war."
Zelia shrugged
"So Sana's safe… because you're her shield?"
Emily reasoned
Zelia looked away, a strange emotion flickering in her eyes.
"Let's just say I don't like seeing her break."
Zelia said softly
A brief silence settled before Faye smiled.
"You have a heart after all, queen."
Faye hugged her arm
Zelia rolling her eyes
"Don't get used to it."
They burst into laughter again, but the air held a shift
As Zelia laughed off Faye's teasing, flipping her curls over her shoulder, her eyes casually drifted toward the teacher's courtyard visible from where they sat.
And there he was.
*Alaric Slate.*
In a navy dress shirt with sleeves rolled up, leaning against the wall with his signature bored expression — next to Winona, the bubbly, flirty faculty member everyone knew had a soft spot for him.
Their laughter floated across the distance, light but clearly intimate.
Zelia's smirk dropped for a split second.
"Uh-oh. Don't tell me the enemy got a girlfriend?"
Emily noticed
Zelia met Alaric's gaze for a brief, sharp second — a flicker of heat, defiance, and something unreadable.
He didn't look away first.
She did — with a deliberate eye-roll.
"Look at that combo. Ice cube and airhead. What a power couple."
Zelia.mocked
Faye snorted. "Girl, don't start."
Zelia twirled her phone in her hand dramatically.
"Slate and Winona. Sounds like a failed perfume brand."
she added
The girls burst into laughter as Zelia crossed her legs, smirking again — but a little too sharply.
Behind her cool mask, something twisted.
Jealousy?
No.
Just disgust… obviously.
"You roll your eyes like you're his girlfriend. Be honest."
Emily.teased
"I'd rather date a mosquito."
Zelia snapped
But her eyes, just for a moment, flicked back again.
And his… were still on her.
She looked away.
Again.
"Yup. You're so not obsessed."
Faye knugde her
"Shut up."
Zelja scoffed
They all laughed again, but the heat in her chest didn't quite fade.
_
from a corner a shadow held up a camera and "Click"
took a picture of the scene
"Interesting"
the figure grinned darkly before disappearing down the hallway
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