Mag-log inThe atmosphere shifted and the distance between them seemed to disappear little by little. Sophia lowered her eyes, her heart beating faster than she wanted to admit. For the first time, the feelings she had hidden for so long no longer felt one-sided. Outside the suite, the hallway remained silen
Meanwhile, outside the suite where Rose and Emma were standing, Rose felt her phone vibrate inside her purse. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen. A message from Sophia had just arrived. Gremlin: Sister, I'm almost at the hotel suite. Are you there? Rose frowned slightly. She had compl
Her voice returned to its usual calmness. “Then I suppose that's a fair reason.” Only then did the subtle tension around Henry ease slightly. "Reading." She finally answered. "What else?" Henry asked with a smile. "Studying." Henry blinked. "And after that?" Rose tilted her head. "More reading
The meeting was scheduled for early afternoon. A private floor inside one of John's luxury hotels had been reserved exclusively for the occasion. Everything had been arranged carefully. Rose arrived first. She stepped out of the elevator dressed simply yet elegantly, immediately attracting attent
The next morning, Henry sat inside his apartment with an ice pack pressed against the side of his head. The injury he had suffered at the hotel had mostly healed, but the memory remained painfully fresh. Every time he looked in the mirror, he was reminded of what had happened. The failed plan, A
Inside were several names, several plans she had made to change the future waiting for her. Her gaze stopped on one name. Henry. A cold smile slowly appeared on her face. In her previous life, she had never been given the chance to fight back. This time, she intended to give him every opportun
“Well,” Rose replied with a small laugh, “it’s not like I handed them keys in a bow.” “Still,” Nancy teased, “the house is already prepped. You don’t need to stress about that one. You did well choosing the location too—it fits them.” “Anyway, your own house is fully ready. You can swing by tomo
It didn’t take Rose long to find them. There were three of them—two girls and a boy—sophomores by uniform badge. She recognized their faces easily now. They had been whispering in the hallway that morning. And one of them—the taller girl with braids—had been especially loud by the lockers, throwing
She took a slow bite, before turning to look at him and then asked, “Don’t you have better things to do than bother me?” “I was running diagnostics,” he replied flatly. “Thought I’d take a break.” Rose’s fork paused. Her eyes flicked to his hoodie, to the small flash drive peeking from the insid
As the final bell of the period echoed through the hallway, students flooded out of classrooms like a released tide. Rose didn’t linger. She stood,glancing at Kehlani. “Let’s go,” she said. They navigated the crowded corridors with purpose, cutting through clusters of students until they reached







