MRS BLAKE’S POVThe doctor’s report on Nina’s health was still in my hands.I had read the lines over and over again, hoping they would change .. hoping maybe I was mistaken.But the truth stared right at me in bold letters.Nina might look strong, but her kidneys were failing… slowly, quietly, like a candle dying in the dark.My hands clenched around the paper, crumpling it a little. Across from me, Blake sat silent … his eyes fixed on nothing, his face calm as though the world hadn’t just fallen apart. That calmness made my chest burn with anger.“You aren’t saying anything, Blake,” I muttered, my voice low but sharp.He looked up, sighing. “What do you want me to say, Lucy?”The way he said it ..like none of this mattered …made me snap.“That’s all you have to say?” I spat, slamming the report on the table. “Our daughter’s health is failing, and you’re sitting there like it’s another normal day! We have just a few months to find her a donor!”He didn’t respond. His jaw moved slight
NINA’S POV“Delete it… or I’ll make sure you disappear before morning.”His voice was cold. Sharp enough to slice through my breath. Then the line went dead.For a moment, I just stood there, frozen, my phone still pressed to my ear.I wanted to ignore the threat. To pretend it didn’t scare me. But it did.Because from the very first time I saw Professor Black in the office that day, I knew..he wasn’t ordinary.He had this darkness that made even silence feel dangerous.And now, his words kept echoing in my head, crawling under my skin.But how could I delete the only evidence I had?That photo was my weapon. My power. The only thing tying him and Amara together—and the only way I could control them both.I remember how I got it.It wasn’t planned. None of this was.Yesterday, after walking out on that annoying nanny, Paula, I’d gone outside. I was halfway through the gate when I saw a shadow moving toward Amara’s room window. At first, I thought I was imagining things.But the shape
PROFESSOR BLACK POV“Next time, watch where you’re pushing someone to. Not everyone can handle the fall.”The words left my mouth before I even realized it. The laughter that followed from the students hit me like a slap.And then I saw her face..hurt, confused, her lips trembling as if she was trying to hold herself together.Damn it. That wasn’t how it was supposed to sound.I wanted to reach for her, to tell her I didn’t mean it that way. But I couldn’t..not there, not in front of everyone.So I stood there, hands in my pockets, pretending not to care as I watched her run out.When she disappeared, I finally let out a quiet curse under my breath.I was heading toward the staff exit when a hand caught my arm. I turned fast, instinctively dodging the punch that came at me.It was the janitor. His face was red with anger, his grip hard on my collar.“I told you not to hurt her, you devil!” he shouted, shaking me.I stared at him, silent. He wanted me to react, to fight back. Instead,
AMARA'S POV“Next time, watch where you’re pushing someone to. Not everyone can handle the fall.”His voice cut through the air..cold, sharp, and mocking. Laughter erupted around me, stabbing harder than any blade could.He wasn’t defending me. He was mocking me.Professor Black.The one person I thought..just maybe…would see through the lies, through the mess, through me. The one person I thought understood me and my plight.But no… I was wrong.The laughter grew louder. I could feel their eyes burning into my skin, their whispers slicing me open. My chest tightened as I tried to hold it together. My chin trembled, but I bit down on it to stop the tears from falling. I wouldn’t give them that satisfaction. I wouldn’t let them see me break.Still, something inside me cracked.I thought I was strong enough to endure anything, but the truth was… I was just tired. So tired.My hands were shaking, my heart pounding so fast it hurt. If I stayed another second, I’d crumble right here. So I
AMARA'S POVThe morning rays shone directly into my eyes, forcing me to squint. I groaned and turned away, but it was too late .. I was awake.Weird. I was sure I slept on the floor last night. But here I was, tucked comfortably in bed. For a second, I froze. Then I remembered the dream .. Professor Black, sitting beside me, soothing me to sleep.I chuckled quietly. “I must be losing my mind,” I whispered to myself. Dreaming about him? In my room? That’s a new level of crazy.Dragging myself out of bed, I passed the mirror and I froze.For a long second, I just stood there, staring at the girl looking back at me.The girl staring back at me didn’t even look alive. My hair was a mess, tangled in every direction. My eyes were swollen with dark circles beneath them, and my skin looked pale and tired. I looked lifeless… or maybe I was. I told myself I wouldn’t let them get to me anymore, that their words and actions wouldn’t hurt…but it still did. It hurt so damn much.A lump rose in my
NINA'S POVHe leaned forward and my heart beat quickened.For a second I thought this was it … that I finally had him, that I’d wrapped my plans around him and could pull him close. I closed my eyes, waiting for his lips to touch mine. The kiss I’d been dreaming of. The club’s light threw colors across his face and everything in me expected the moment to crack open into something I’d remembered in secret.Instead, I heard it .. a low, cold chuckle.My eyes flew open, confusion spreading through me. That smile on his face.. it wasn’t warm. It was mocking. “A bitch will always be a bitch,” he said, voice sharp as a blade.Before I could react, his hand wrapped around my neck, squeezing hard. My breath caught, panic flooding my chest as I clawed weakly at his hand.And just as suddenly, he let go.He let go as if the moment meant nothing to him, and the release almost hurt more. He didn’t give me space to think. He kept going…words like knives, quiet but full of poison. “You think too