Rumor

Rumors traveled faster than wildfire at Blackthorne Heights, One person heard something.

Told another…That person added a few details, Someone else exaggerated it…. And Boom!!! It is now a ready made gist.

And before twenty-four hours had passed, an entirely different story was circulating around campus.

According to the students, Kaizen Arclair had violently assaulted the scholarship girl.

According to others, he had nearly killed her.

Some even claimed Nyra was still fighting for her life.

Nobody knew the truth, Yet everyone had an opinion.

The campus had become a battlefield of whispers and somehow...the rumors kept getting worse.

***

Auren Arclair heard about it during lunch, the sixteen year-old sat frozen in his high school cafeteria as his classmates discussed the scandal.

"Did you hear?"

"They finally arrested Kaizen Arclair."

"He attacked a girl."

"No way."

"I heard she's in intensive care."

Auren's face drained of color.

His older brother wasn't perfect.

Far from it, he was stubborn, hot-tempered, annoyingly protective.

But violent?

Against a girl?

Never.

Not once, Auren abandoned his lunch immediately.

Within the hour, he was standing inside the penthouse, after waiting for hours without seeing his brother, he left feeling dejected. 

He couldn't bring himself to tell Thier mom because that would worsen her health condition, he just hoped someone would tell him this was all a misunderstanding.

*****

Meanwhile...

Mr. Thompson Arclair stormed into the Vice Chancellor's office.

The door slammed open so hard it rattled the glass windows, The room fell silent instantly.

"What exactly is happening to my son?"

His voice thundered through the office, The Vice Chancellor stood briskly intimidated by his presence.

"Mr. Arclair"

"No."

Thompson pointed toward him…..

"The university I heavily sponsor allows my son to get arrested?"

His steel-gray eyes burned with fury. 

“I don't care about whatever he does with his life, but things like this is a public scandal and that's not good for my reputation, that's why he's here”

"You expect me to sit quietly while every news outlet in Vancouver is discussing my family?"

The Vice Chancellor sighed.

"The police acted based on a report."

"A report?"

Thompson laughed bitterly.

"Since when do rumors become evidence?"

The older man's expression darkened.

"Where is my son?"

*****

Two hours later.

Thompson stood outside a holding cell, everyone giving way like he is some kind of top celebrity… yes he is.

His expensive suit looked painfully out of place against the dull concrete walls.

Kaizen barely looked up.

The silence between father and son stretched painfully.

Then Thompson spoke "What have you done now?"

Kaizen laughed, a hollow sound.

"What makes you think I did anything?"

His father folded his arms.

"The entire city thinks you assaulted a girl."

Kaizen's jaw tightened for a moment, neither spoke.

Then old wounds resurfaced as they always did.

His father looked at him, disappointed, judgmental, distant…..Exactly the same way he looked at him years ago when he walked away from their family.

When his mother's illness became too expensive, too complicated, too inconvenient.

Kaizen looked away, the sight of the man disgusted him…. He's here to judge him and bail him out for his own benefit…probably not tarnish his image… not like he cares.

“You left us, you left Mom, you left Auren…. You only remembered we existed when the court ordered you to.”

Tuition, allowances, legal obligations…that was all his father ever provided.

Nothing more,

Nothing less.

And now he wanted answers? Funny.

The cell door opened shortly afterward, Money moved mountains Indeed. 

By evening, Kaizen was released, the case wasn't just dismissed, it became quieter, less urgent and less public.

Exactly the way wealthy people preferred their scandals.

When Kaizen returned to campus, the atmosphere felt different.

Students moved out of his way immediately, unlike before, girls drool over him, giving him seductive look. But now, they looked scared like trying not to cross paths. 

Nobody challenged him, nobody whispered loud enough for him to hear.

Fear had replaced admiration…

The story spreading across campus painted him as dangerous, unpredictable and violent.

The boy who had hospitalized Nyra Solenne.

Ironically… the rumors only increased his influence.

People worshipped what they feared anyways and Blackthorne Heights was no exception.

***

A week later, Nyra was finally discharged.

The fresh air felt strange after so many days inside a hospital room. Her body still ached, her stitches still hurt.

But she could finally walk, she had always thought she was asthmatic until this incident that led her to the hospital.

The first place she went wasn't class,

Or the library,

It was the penthouse.

Because there was something she needed to say.

Something she should've said days ago.

Kaizen stood outside his room.

One hand tucked inside his pocket.

The other holding his hoodie, he always wears that to cover his injuries whenever he goes out.

For a moment, she simply stared at him.

He looked thinner, More tired, Less arrogant.

The change unsettled her.

"Kaizen."

He stopped, Turned…Looked at her and waited. .. No smirk. No teasing. no annoying nickname. Nothing.

Just quiet patience.

"Are you feeling better?"

The simple question hurt more than it should have.

Because she suddenly realized something, she missed the old Kaizen.

The irritating one, The arrogant one, the version who argued with her constantly.

This distant stranger felt wrong.

"Yes."

Her voice came out softer.

"I wanted to thank you for……." The bedroom door opened, Nyra froze.

A girl stepped out, Seraphina Vale.

Her hair was messy, her makeup slightly smudged, she wore an oversized shirt that clearly wasn't hers.

One glance, that was all it took.

The conclusion formed instantly….her stomach dropped.

"Babe?"

Seraphina wrapped an arm around Kaizen's shoulder possessively.

Then noticed Nyra, the e smile disappeared.

"Oh."

The atmosphere turned icy, Kaizen looked exhausted.

"Sera."

"Don't."

She shot Nyra a cold look, Then looked back at him.

"What is she doing here?... Ohh Lodgemates” she chuckled.

Nyra felt stupid.

Suddenly, Painfully….embarrassingly stupid.

The apology she planned to give died instantly.

Kaizen rubbed his temples, clearly annoyed.

"Get some rest, Nyra."

His voice remained calm.

"We can continue the tutorials once you're stronger."

The words sounded innocent, Helpful and Reasonable.

Unfortunately… seraphina heard every single word looking stunned.

Her eyes widened, then narrowed dangerously.

Nyra knew exactly what was about to happen.

By tomorrow morning, the entire university would know they do tutorials and that would be another subject of discussion about her.

Kaizen left and she gave Nyra a terrible look before the door closed.

Leaving Nyra standing alone in the hallway.

Frozen, Confused, embarrassed.

For some reason...The image of Seraphina leaving his room refused to leave her head.

And what hurt most wasn't the jealousy she refused to acknowledge, It was the realization that life had continued without her.

Kaizen had continued without her actually.

The thought shouldn't have bothered her.

Yet som

ehow...It did.

A lot.

That night, Nyra lay awake staring at the ceiling, Trying desperately to convince herself of one thing.

"It's fine."

Her voice sounded weak.

"Kaizen is just a jerk."

Silence answered.

Unfortunately...Her heart didn't seem convinced.