7. Shattered in Silence

Bastian only glanced at Belle before brushing past her and walking into the shop.

Belle stayed rooted to the spot, not even getting a greeting from him. Her whole body trembled in shock—Bastian had just kissed another woman right in front of her. And just like that, he acted as if nothing had happened between them last night.

The short time they had shared, full of passion—did that mean nothing to him? For Belle, it was a moment she knew she would never forget. But now reality slapped her, hard and merciless. Had Bastian only used her as a warm-up before falling into that other woman’s arms?

Belle fought back her tears, biting her lower lip so hard it almost hurt, desperate not to let them fall.

With heavy steps, she went inside, listening to Anthony and his friends teasing Bastian. Of course, they’d seen him arrive with that woman.

“Not gonna introduce us to your Spanish guitar?” Nick wiggled his fingers, smirking. “No wonder you’ve been keeping her from us. Scared she might ditch you for one of us?”

Unnoticed, Bastian cast a quick glance at Belle, who stood frozen at the doorway, silent. Then he sat down next to Pooh, eyes locked coldly on Anthony in the tattoo chair.

“You’ll never get the chance,” Bastian shot back, his tone like ice.

“Oooh! Burn!” the others howled in unison, laughing loudly, filling the shop with noise.

Belle’s expression hardened. She couldn’t laugh at their banter, not when her heart felt like it was falling apart. Still, she stood tall, clutching the hem of her shirt with trembling fingers.

“Oh, phone!” Anthony suddenly exclaimed.

He got up, walked over to a cabinet, and pulled open a drawer. Casually, he brought the phone over to his sister. But when he saw Belle’s pale, stricken face, suspicion flickered across his own.

“Belle? What’s wrong?” Anthony asked. Just a moment ago, she’d been acting completely normal.

“It’s nothing.” Belle shook her head quickly. “I just remembered, I need to register at the university. And I think I’m already late.”

“What? Dad’s gonna hang you for that!” Anthony clicked his tongue.

“Yeah, I totally forgot. Besides, after what happened last night… everything was chaos.”

Anthony puffed out his cheeks. Belle going to college meant a lot to him, too. He had dropped out himself, and he didn’t want his sister to follow that path.

“I’ll drive you to campus,” Anthony decided.

“No need. I can go by myself. See you later.” Belle forced a small smile.

Gripping the door handle, she hurried outside. The cool air eased her suffocating chest, but it couldn’t soothe the ache in her heart.

She walked away from Anthony’s shop quickly, tears finally spilling down her cheeks as she went. Her sobs were quiet, but they felt endless.

Confusion knotted inside her. Should she regret everything that had happened between her and Bastian?

The walk to campus felt unbearably heavy, even though it was just a few blocks away.

A bitter reluctance spread through her chest. She didn’t even want to pursue the degree her father had forced on her. But what choice did she have? Her father had pinned all his hopes on Belle, seeing Anthony as the failed child.

When she arrived, the campus buzzed with the excitement of new students, as though last night’s chaos at city hall had never happened. Belle wandered through the unfamiliar grounds, lost in thought.

“Belle! Belle!” a voice called from her left as she entered one of the buildings, looking around uncertainly.

She turned to see a brown-skinned girl with shoulder-length curly hair, flashing a bright smile as she hurried over.

“I didn’t know you were starting here, too!” she chirped.

Belle offered a faint smile. “Yeah… my dad wouldn’t let me study out of town.”

“You probably don’t remember me, huh?” The girl stuck out her hand. “We went to the same high school. I’m Eve—Genevieve.”

“Oh, really? I’m sorry, I…” Belle shook her hand. “Well, nice to meet you, Eve. I’m Belle.”

“I know. You’re Anthony Watson’s little sister.” Eve’s voice dropped a notch. “Leader of the Blackfist gang—the famous, cool one.”

Belle froze, her face heating instantly. Everyone seemed to know she was Anthony’s sister, but no one had ever bluntly stated that Anthony was a gang leader. That truth was the opposite of their father’s pristine reputation, who was close to the mayor and held influence in Eastbourne.

“What’s your major?” Eve asked, smoothly shifting the subject.

“Civil engineering.” Belle shrugged. “My dad insisted on it.”

Eve narrowed her eyes. “Oooh, that’s tough, girl. Not everyone survives in that major.”

“I know.” Belle chuckled softly.

“Come on, I’ll walk you to registration. I just finished mine.”

In that short time, Belle felt surprisingly at ease with Eve, who was so outgoing and kind. Belle had always been alone, without friends—nobody dared approach her because of Blackfist.

Even at prom, she hadn’t gone with just one date but with five—Anthony, Bastian, Nick, Kyle, and Pooh.

Only now did Belle realize her life had always been a cage, even if she hadn’t wanted to admit it. Her father’s protectiveness smothered her, while Anthony and his friends constantly guarded her from the outside world.

Talking to Eve felt refreshing, like breathing free air for once.

“Hey, you know there’s an underground boxing match the day after tomorrow?” Eve whispered as they left campus together.

Belle shook her head. She’d seen it once after begging Anthony to take her, but she never knew it was a regular event. She thought it was a one-time thing.

“Your brother’s fighting. You really didn’t know?” Eve’s eyes widened. “Are you sure you two are even siblings? Be honest with me.”

“Of course we’re siblings. Anthony just doesn’t want me knowing about his personal life.” Belle sighed. “We’re years apart, and he still treats me like a little kid.”

“Well, eighteen’s an adult, Belle.”

“Tell that to Anthony.”

Eve stopped in her tracks. “Why don’t you tell him yourself? Better yet, why don’t we go to the fight?”

Belle hesitated. If Anthony was fighting, then Bastian and the others would be there too. Could she even face Bastian again after what happened? Her heart still hurt too much.

“I don’t know,” she muttered, shaking her head. “My dad’s pretty strict, you know.”

“Come on, just tell him you’re staying over at my place. Say I’m your bestie. You’ll come, right?”