LOGINIvory POV The city lights below suddenly felt like cold, mocking eyes. The sirens weren't just background noise anymore, they were a scream, tearing through the quiet of our perfect moment. The red and blue flashes danced across the hood of the Mustang, turning Daniel’s pale face into a flickering mask of shadows."A bag of what?" I whispered, my voice trembling so hard I could barely get the words out. "Daniel, what are you talking about? I haven't been near Stella’s locker in weeks!""It doesn't matter if you were there or not," Daniel hissed, his fingers flying across his phone screen as he ignored three incoming calls from unknown numbers. "They found a stash. A big one. High grade stuff, Ivory. And there’s a ledger. A notebook with your handwriting or a damn good fake of it listing names, dates, and amounts. It makes it look like you were the one supplying Stella and her crew. Like this whole 'feud' was just a cover for a deal gone wrong.""That is insane!" I cried, the world sp
Ivory POV Returning to school after being discharged from the clinic felt like stepping into a movie set where I had somehow been recast as the lead. My ribs still gave me a sharp, stinging poke if I breathed too deeply, and the fading yellow bruise on my temple was a grim souvenir from the bathroom floor, but the atmosphere in the hallways had shifted completely.It wasn't just respect anymore. It was fear.As I walked down the main corridor, the sea of students parted like I was carrying a contagious disease. Groups that used to snicker at my thrift store jeans or whisper about my shifts at the diner suddenly went silent, their eyes dropping to the floor. About the thrift store...even my mom used to complain about them. She literally begs me to get designer brands but I am too stringent for that.I saw a girl drop her textbook, she scrambled to pick it up, glancing at me with wide, terrified eyes as if she expected me to summon a lightning bolt and strike her down right there by th
DANIEL POVI had managed to carry Ivory into her house, settle her onto the couch with about six different pillows, and pull a blanket over her legs. She looked small too small. Every time she winced, a fresh wave of guilt hit me. I needed to do something. Something "normal.""I am hungry," she whispered, her eyes half closed. "And my mom didn't leave anything prepped.""Stay put," I said, standing up and rolling up my sleeves. "I have got this.""Daniel, you don't even know where the kitchen is," she teased weakly."It’s the room with the stove, Ivory. I think I can manage."That was my first mistake: overconfidence.In the Connor household, "cooking" meant pressing a button on an intercom or sitting down at a mahogany table while a chef in whites presented a three-course meal. I had never actually made anything that didn't involve a microwave or a protein shaker.I stepped into the Walters' kitchen. It was small, warm, and smelled like cinnamon. I found a box of pasta and a jar of s
Ivory POV I tried to drift back into the darkness, but the sharp smell of rubbing alcohol wouldn't let me. I slowly peeled my eyes open, only to find Dr. Lana….the school’s blunt, no-nonsense doctor standing over me. She was clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she checked the dark purple bruises blooming on my arms.I quickly squeezed my eyes shut again, pretending to be unconscious. I wasn't ready to talk. I wasn't ready for the "I told you so.""Oh, give it up, Ivory," Dr. Lana sighed, her voice dry as sandpaper. "I saw those eyelids flicker. You might as well stay on that bed and start booking schedules for 'beat-up appointments' at this rate. You are becoming my most frequent customer."Only Dr Lana is the one physician in the world to see a patient as their customer. Most doctors would get fired or sued for daring to say this out but not her.I opened my eyes and looked at her, feeling a dull throb in my temple. "I am sorry, Dr. Lana," I croaked. "But it's not l
Ivory POV I woke up expecting the world to still be on fire. I expected the whispers to follow me like a dark cloud and the laughter to ring in my ears the moment I stepped onto the school grounds.But as I walked through the front gates, something was... off.The atmosphere wasn't heavy or mocking. It was almost like the entire school had collective amnesia. People weren't pointing at me and whispering "easy" or "ho." Instead, I saw strange faces—people I didn't even know—grinning at me."Morning, Ivory!" a girl from the cheer leading squad called out, waving at me with a friendly smile."Hey, Ivory! Nice job on the hill!" a guy from the soccer team added, giving me a thumbs up as he passed.I stood there, frozen, awkwardly waving back like a confused pageant queen. My hand felt heavy, and my brain was spinning. What is happening? Did I step into a parallel universe where I’m actually popular?I didn't have much time to think before I was nearly tackled to the ground."IVORY!”Alic
Daniel POVThe air inside the underground fight club was thick with the smell of old sweat, copper blood, and cheap cigarettes. This wasn't the polished world of the Connors. This was a basement where the only thing that mattered was how hard you could hit and how much pain you could swallow."I am up first," Zeke said, cracking his neck. He looked bored, like he was about to do chores instead of a cage match. "I need to get this frustration out before I go back to Alicia. She is still not answering my texts."Zeke stepped into the ring. His opponent was a mountain of a man….twice Zeke’s size and covered in tattoos. The guy laughed when he saw Zeke.Bad move.The bell rang, and Zeke moved like a snake. He didn't waste power. He waited for the giant to swing, slipped under the punch, and delivered a sickening kick to the man's knee. I watched from the shadows as Zeke systematically dismantled him. A jab to the throat, a hook to the ribs, and finally, a knee to the face that sent the gi







