Chapter 6

VIDA’S POV

The room went dead silent.

Every pair of eyes turned toward the doorway where Khaelon stood, tall and unreadable, his broad shoulders blocking half the light from the hallway. The air shifted the second he entered, heavy and sharp like a storm rolling in.

The two girls who had been mocking me instantly straightened.

One of them, the blonde from the cafeteria, recovered first. Her glossy lips curved into a slow smile as she crossed her arms. “Mr. Dravik,” she said sweetly. “We were just talking.”

Khaelon’s icy gaze slid toward me.

For one stupid, humiliating second, my heart actually leaped.

Because somewhere deep inside me, the foolish part that had admired him for years still believed he would step in again. Like he did in the cafeteria.

Like maybe that version of him was real.

I hated myself for hoping.

The brunette laughed softly. “Your little scholar looks upset.”

My grip tightened around the worn book in my hands.

Emilia shifted beside me, clearly uncomfortable. “Maybe you two should just leave already.”

“Oh, relax,” the blonde replied. “We’re only curious.”

Her eyes swept over me slowly, deliberately.

“I mean, imagine getting into Dravik University looking like that.”

The brunette snorted. “Seriously. Her whole outfit probably costs less than my shoes.”

Laughter echoed from the students lingering near the door.

I felt heat crawl up my neck, but this time, I refused to lower my head.

Not again.

Not here.

I slowly lifted my gaze and looked directly at them.

“You’re right,” I said quietly.

The blonde blinked.

“My clothes are cheap.”

I stepped forward slightly, clutching my book tighter against my chest.

“My shoes aren’t designer. I don’t have rich parents. I don’t arrive here in a luxury car.” My voice shook at first, but I forced myself to continue. “But at least I know I earned my place in this school.”

The room fell quieter.

The brunette scoffed. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” I replied, stronger this time.

I swallowed hard and lifted my chin.

“I got into Dravik because of my intelligence. Because I studied until my eyes burned and worked until my feet bled.” My voice cracked slightly. “What about you?”

The blonde’s expression darkened.

“You think wearing expensive clothes makes you superior?” I continued. “At the end of the day, the only reason you’re standing in this university is because your parents could afford to buy your future.”

A sharp gasp spread through the classroom.

The brunette stepped toward me angrily. “You little bitch!”

“What?” I cut in before fear could stop me. “Did the truth hurt?”

Emilia’s eyes widened beside me like she couldn’t believe I’d actually said it.

Honestly, neither could I.

My heart hammered violently inside my chest, but after years of swallowing insults, something inside me finally snapped.

“I may be poor,” I said, staring directly at them, “but at least I’m not pathetic enough to bully people just to feel important.”

The blonde’s face flushed bright red.

“You think you’re better than us?” she hissed.

“No,” I answered immediately.

“I think I had to fight harder than you ever will.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Tense.

And then I made the mistake of looking at Khaelon.

Because the entire time, he had been standing there watching.

Watching everything.

My chest tightened painfully as our eyes met.

Defend me.

Please.

The words stayed trapped inside my throat.

I saw no warmth in his face. No trace of the man who sat beside me in the cafeteria. No sign of the person who caught me when I fell.

Only coldness. Detached. Cruel.

Then his lips tilted slightly.

Not a smile. Something worse. Amusement.

The blonde glanced toward him with a smirk. “See? Even Mr. Dravik thinks this is entertaining.”

My stomach dropped.

Khaelon leaned lazily against the doorway, shoving one hand into his pocket.

“She’s got a mouth on her,” he said casually.

The brunette laughed nervously. “Right? The scholarship girl suddenly thinks she’s important.”

Khaelon’s eyes remained locked on me.

“People should learn their place before they start talking too much.”

The words hit harder than any slap.

I stopped breathing for a second.

Emilia looked between us in confusion. “Mr. Dravik…”

But I barely heard her.

Because something inside me cracked quietly.

I had spent years admiring this man from afar. Years building him into something untouchable inside my head. Someone strong. Someone different.

But this?

This was humiliating.

And the worst part was that he knew exactly what he was doing.

The blonde laughed louder now that she had his approval.

“You hear that?” she mocked. “Even Khaelon Dravik thinks you’re pathetic.”

“You should probably go back to whatever slum you came from,” the brunette added cruelly.

The room blurred slightly.

Not because of them.

Because of him.

Because I stupidly thought he would protect me again.

I forced my trembling fingers to tighten around my book.

Don’t cry.

Not here.

Not in front of them.

I looked at Khaelon one last time.

He didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

Didn’t stop them.

And somehow that hurt more than the insults themselves.

I nodded slowly like I understood something important.

Then I stepped past him.

My shoulder brushed against his chest as I walked out of the classroom.

The hallway outside was quieter, colder.

The second the classroom door closed behind me, my vision blurred completely.

I walked faster.

My breathing turned uneven as tears burned down my cheeks.

God.

I hated this.

I hated how much his opinion affected me.

I hated that after everything, a part of me still cared.

My arms wrapped tightly around myself as I hurried down the long hallway, head lowered so nobody would see me crying.

The tears wouldn’t stop.

I wiped them away angrily, but more kept falling.

“You’re pathetic,” I whispered shakily to myself.

I should’ve known better.

Men like Khaelon Dravik didn’t save girls like me.

They destroyed them.

I turned the corner too quickly, my vision still blurred with tears, my head bent down toward the floor. Then suddenly, I slammed straight into a hard chest. The impact knocked the breath out of me.

A strong hand instantly grabbed my arm before I could stumble backward.

“What the----”

A deep voice snapped above me.

“Are you that blind, woman?!”

I froze.

Slowly, I looked up.

And my breath caught.

The man standing in front of me was tall. Taller than Khaelon, maybe. Broad shoulders strained beneath a dark gray hoodie, messy black hair falling over sharp eyes filled with irritation.