Chapter 5

Aria’s Pov

My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. I couldn't let him leave. Not now. The air in the hallway felt thin, charged with the lingering tension of the scene we’d just caused in front of Damien. Kael turned to walk away, his shoulders broad and dismissive, and panic flared in my gut.

"Kael, wait!" I stepped into his path, my hands trembling as I reached out to block him. "We

aren't done talking about this. You need this just as much as I do."

He looked down at me, his icy gaze cutting through my desperation. "I told you no, Aria. I don't

do fake. And I certainly don't do whatever game you’re playing with your ex."

"It’s not a game," I hissed, my voice low so the lingering students wouldn't overhear. "I’m trying

to survive here. I can help you. I know your grades are slipping. I know the athletic department

is breathing down your neck."

"I’ll handle my own business," he said, stepping to the side to bypass me.

I moved again, planting myself firmly in front of him. A wave of guilt washed over me. I’d spent

months trying to be better, trying to shed the manipulative skin of the girl I used to be. But

looking at the cold resolve in Kael’s eyes, I realized the 'new' Aria wasn't going to win this fight. I

had to reach back into the shadows of my past.

"Is that right? You'll handle it?" I felt my expression harden, my voice dropping into a tone I

hadn't used in a long time. "Because I don't think you realize how much influence my family still

has on that board. Or how much they listen to me when I voice 'concerns' about the academic

integrity of our star athletes."

Kael stopped dead. His jaw tightened so hard I heard the bone click. "Are you threatening me?"

"I’m giving you a choice," I countered, my pulse racing. "You let me tutor you, you let me help

you bring those grades up so you stay eligible, and we keep up this front. Or, I can have the

board revoke your scholarship. I can make it happen fast, Kael. Faster than you can lace up

your skates. You’ll be off the team and out of this school before the puck drops against the Wild

Tigers."

The mention of our biggest rivals—the one game he couldn't afford to miss—made his eyes

flash with a sudden, violent heat. The anger radiating off him was palpable, a physical weight

pressing against my chest.

"You really are the same person everyone says you are," he spat, his voice a low growl. "I'm doing what I have to do," I said, though my stomach turned. "Do we have a deal?"

He stared at me for a long beat, the silence between us screaming. Finally, he leaned in, his

shadow engulfing me. "Fine. We have a deal. But under my terms. You don't dictate when or

where we do this. I don’t follow your little social calendar."

Relief washed over me, though it was stained with the bitterness of my tactics. "The benefits are

heavily in your favor, Kael. You get to keep your scholarship and your spot as captain. All I get is

a little breathing room from Damien."

Kael let out a harsh, dry laugh. "Favoring me? You’re using me as a human shield against a guy

who’s obsessed with you. You’re doing this for yourself, Aria. Don’t pretend you’re some martyr

for my education."

"I’m trying to help us both!" I argued, my voice rising.

"You’re trying to save your own skin," he retorted. "Let’s not lie to each other. That’s the first rule

of this 'deal'."

He stepped forward, closing the small gap between us. I expected him to walk past me, but

instead, he reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me in so close that my chest brushed his

leather jacket. I gasped, my body instinctually tensing, my breath hitching in my throat.

"Don't flinch," he whispered, his face inches from mine. His eyes searched mine, intense and

demanding. "If you react like that every time I touch you, everyone will know. Our plan will go

down the drain, I’ll lose my spot, and you’ll lose whatever it is you’re so scared of. We both lose

it all. Understand?"

"I understand," I breathed, my heart drumming a frantic rhythm against my ribs. Up close, he

was overwhelming—the scent of cold air and something metallic, the sheer heat of his body. I

forced myself to stay still, to meet his gaze without blinking.

"Good," he said, releasing me abruptly.

As he turned and finally walked away, a sense of grim clarity settled over me. I had one less

problem. Kael was in. I had a shield.

Then, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

My hand shook as I pulled it out. A new message from the unknown number sat on the screen.

*‘I’m watching you popularity queen, if you don’t want your reputation tarnished, tread lightly’*

A chill swept through me, turning my blood to ice. I stared at the words, the threat feeling more

real than ever.

"Something wrong?"

I jumped. Kael hadn't gone far. He was looking back at me, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Nothing," I said quickly, shoving the phone back into my pocket. "Just... a reminder about a

class."

"You’re a bad liar, Aria," Kael said, his voice trailing off as he shook his head. "You want

something more out of this than just a fake boyfriend. I can see it in your face."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I snapped, turning away before he could see the sheer

terror I knew was leaking into my expression. "I’ll see you for our first session."

I hurried away, my legs feeling like lead. I made it to my next class and sank into my seat, trying

to focus on the professor’s opening remarks. But the room felt loud. Too loud.

*“Did you see them?”* a girl whispered two rows back.

*“Kael and Aria? No way,”* another replied, her voice buzzing with excitement.

The whispers followed me like a swarm of insects. I tried to ignore them, staring straight at the

chalkboard, but then I felt it—the shift in the room. The sound of dozens of phones vibrating, the

collective gasp that rippled through the desks.

My own phone buzzed again. I*******m notification.

I looked down. My screen showed a new video posted by a gossip account that specialized in

school scandals. My breath caught. Around me, students were already huddled over their

screens, their eyes wide, their heads turning toward me.

I looked at the thumbnail. It was dark, grainy, but the silhouette was unmistakable. It was me.

My finger hovered over the play button, hovering in the air, trembling. I wanted to know. I

needed to know. But the fear seeping into my soul was a physical weight, paralyzing me. I

looked up and saw Damien across the room, his eyes fixed on me, a predatory smirk playing on

his lips. Everyone was watching. Everyone was waiting.

I couldn't breathe. My fingers refused to move, terrified of the destruction I knew was only one

click away.