로그인Ethan stood near the door, his shoulders squared, but his jaw tight with the strain of holding back the inevitable. He could hear the distant echo of voices from the door and he knew it was only a matter of time before Lily and Maya forced their way through. “You can’t keep us out forever, Ethan!” Lily’s voice cut through the tension like a whip. Her hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from anger. “I don’t care who you’re protecting! Lena is dangerous! She will do something you don’t even understand!”Ethan’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. He could feel the muscles in his arms tighten as he tried to steady himself. “Lily listen to me,” he said, his voice low but firm. “I’m not letting you in there because it’s not safe. I’m helping Lena because she’s my sister and I care about her. I have to—”“You care about her?” Lily’s laugh was bitter, almost hysterical. “Ethan, she’s manipulating you! She’s using you like one of her pawns and you’re just going to stand there a
Lily excused herself from Andrea with a polite smile, careful to keep her voice light. “I’ll catch up with you in a minute, Andrea. Don’t wander off without me.”Andrea gave a small, knowing smile, but before she could answer, Lily was already moving down the dimly lit corridor, her shoes making soft taps against the floor. Her heart thumped with a mixture of curiosity and caution. A few moments ago, she had seen Lena and Chloe slip into one of the side rooms, their expressions tense.Lily’s hand hovered over the doorknob. She was just about to push it open when a shadow moved in front of her. “Fancy seeing you here,” came a smooth voice.Lily froze. Ethan looked impossibly calm, leaning against the wall as if he had been waiting for her all along. “I didn’t see you there,” Lily said, taking an involuntary step back.Ethan’s lips curved into a smile, one that was both charming and infuriating.“Of course not,” he said, his tone teasing. “You’re far too busy curious about things y
The grand chandelier overhead bathed the ballroom in a warm, golden glow, casting delicate shadows across the polished marble floors. The music pulsed lightly in the background, but Lucas and Liam barely noticed it. They were more focused on the small crystal glasses in their hands, filled with a sparkling wine.“To a night that we’ll probably remember for all the wrong reasons tomorrow,” Lucas said with a mischievous grin, tapping his glass against Liam’s.“Or maybe for all the right reasons,” Liam countered, his laugh low and rich as he took a sip. “You know, this is exactly what we needed. We're finally letting loose.”Lucas nodded, letting the warmth of the drink settle into his chest. “Exactly. No work, no stress, just this.” He gestured vaguely to the group of dancing couples, the laughter echoing off the walls, and the general magic of the evening.Their attention, however, soon shifted when they spotted Maya across the room. Beside her, Graham was leaning in, clearly amused
Chloe’s pulse thudded in her ears as she reread the thin, crumpled report Lena had slapped into her hands.The paper trembled between Chloe’s fingers, though she tried to keep her expression neutral.Lena leaned back against the wall, her arms crossed, her face smug. “You look pale,” she said lightly. “Though I suppose that’s to be expected.”Chloe swallowed hard. The words on the page felt like claws reaching out of her past.These were things her father had buried years ago, things that should have remained dead.Her voice came out low. “Where did you get this?”Lena’s smirk widened, slow and satisfied. “Does it matter?”“Yes.” Chloe folded the report carefully, though her hands still shook. “It matters because no one should have had access to this. My father cleared everything from my record. Every file, every trace. This shouldn’t exist so where did you get it?”Lena made a soft clicking sound with her tongue. “Oh, Chloe. Records don’t just disappear. People hide things, sure,
The door clicked shut behind them with a soft but final thud, sealing the small room. Lena stood near the center of the room, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, while Chloe lingered closer to a corner.For a moment, neither of them spoke.Chloe raised a brow. “So… are we done here? You dragged me away like the world was ending.”Lena swallowed hard and forced herself not to look away. “I didn’t drag you. I just needed to talk to you alone.”Chloe’s lips twitched in amusement. “Right”“This isn’t something to talk about lightly.”Chloe sighed dramatically and looked around.“All right, fine. You’ve got two minutes before I walk out.”Lena’s jaw tightened. “I want you to stop seeing Aiden.”That did it. Chloe blinked once then let out a short, incredulous laugh.“That’s what this is about? Seriously?” She laughed harder, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Oh my god, Lena. You scared me for a second. I thought you were going to tell me something catastrophic, but Aiden?” S
The Moon Ball had changed the usually lively campus into something out of a fantasy novel. Lanterns shaped like crescent moons dangled from the overhanging trees, their silver glow scattering soft shimmer across the walkways. Lily paused at the entrance with Lucas and Liam following her but when they stepped into the ballroom, a hush swept momentarily across the room, followed by whispers of admiration.Lily tried not to blush, though warmth crept up her throat. She still wasn’t used to this kind of attention. “I’m going to find Maya,” Lily said, touching Lucas’s arm lightly. “Don’t get into trouble.”“No guarantees,” Lucas replied with a grin, but his eyes softened. “Go, we’ll be around.”Liam gave her a mock salute, and she slipped away from them, weaving through crowd of students taking selfies and dancing under the floating balls of moonlight.She had only taken a few steps toward the refreshment table when a familiar voice stopped her.“Lily?”Her breath caught. It was Andrea.







