جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 20

Chapter Eleven: Flourish CopperXander’s sleek black car cruised past the outskirts of the city, the skyline fading behind as he approached neighborhoods where his world rarely ventured. The late morning sun filtered through dusty air. As he rounded a corner, a cluster of people gathered along the street caught his eye. It seemed like a ripple of movement, voices mingled with laughter and gratitude.He slowed, curiosity rooting him to the spot. Through the crowd, a figure stood out unmistakably, Flourish Copper. She moved among the throng with grace, handing out envelopes of cash, packets of raw food, bottles of medication, and bright flyers promising scholarships to children who clustered eagerly around her. Faces lit up like the sun itself had descended.The air buzzed with reverence. To the people here, Flourish was more than a benefactor, she was a goddess.Xander watched. He admired the way she carried herself. Composed, unyielding, yet warm enough to soften hardened hearts.Thei

Chapter Thirteen: Lucky in my dreams Freya woke up slowly, consciousness returning in fragments before sound or sense followed. A dull ache pulsed through her body, radiating from her ribs and shoulder, heavy and insistent. Her lashes fluttered.For a moment, she didn’t know where she was. The ceiling was white with blinding lights. A curtain drawn halfway. Panic rose in her chest, quick and shallow. “Xander.”The name slipped from her lips before she could stop it, thin and hoarse, like it had been pulled straight out of her chest.Her eyes opened fully.Marvis Diggs sat beside her bed, slouched in the chair, one leg stretched out, the other bouncing lightly. He had a bandage wrapped around his forearm and a faint bruise blooming along his jaw, but otherwise, he looked fine.His head snapped up at the sound of her voice.“Xander?” he repeated slowly, brows knitting together.Freya blinked, disoriented. The memory of warm hands, of being lifted, of a voice cutting through the accid

Chapter Fifteen: The worst way to thank you Freya’s first steps back onto campus felt heavier than they should have.North Fall University buzzed the way it always did: students laughing, arguing, rushing past with backpacks slung over one shoulder, phones pressed to their ears. Nothing had slowed down just because she had been hit by a car. Life moved on. Her ribs still ached with every breath, and her shoulder protested each time she shifted the strap of her bag. She walked carefully, like she was afraid her body might betray her if she moved too fast. The doctor had cleared her to attend classes again, but pain had a way of ignoring permission.As she approached the central quad, noise swelled.Banners stretched between light poles. Tables lined the walkways, covered in pamphlets and bright poster boards. A large sign read:STUDENTS FOR SAFETY: CHARITY DRIVE & AWARENESS DAYMusic played from portable speakers. A small crowd gathered near the center, phones already out, recording

Chapter Seventeen: How to deal with the rich Freya Woods paced the length of her apartment like a caged animal that was wounded and starved. Her bare feet slapped softly against the tiled floor, back and forth, back and forth, the motion restless and sharp. Her body still ached faintly from the accident, bruises blooming beneath fabric, ribs sore when she breathed too deeply but the pain that had her clenched wasn’t physical.It was fury. It was raw, directionless and loud in her head. She didn’t know when it had started exactly. She’d woken up angry. Angry at the light filtering through the curtains. Angry at the quiet. Angry at how her chest felt tight for no reason she wanted to admit.And then, like her mind had been waiting for it, Xander’s face rose uninvited.Xander Savage's stupid face! She cursed. His smirk. His stupid confidence. The way he stood on that field like the world owed him space. The way he handed that armband to Flourish Copper. The way people called her his ob

Chapter Nineteen: Everyone get to workCourtney stood at the head of the table, hands resting lightly against it.Her tech division sat before her. It was made of six individuals who had built careers out of finding people who did not want to be found. Their laptops were open, screens reflecting lines of code, server routes, proxy chains.Courtney tapped a remote and the central screen transitioned to the fake letters, the cult website naming Wendy Savage as founder. The porn magazine delivery scandal. The anonymous child at the gate. The parody social media account. Each incident was displayed with timestamps, geolocation data, and engagement velocity.“They launched in waves,” Courtney said. “My suspect is Lush Magazines. The bitch has been hating on my family.”One of the analysts adjusted his glasses. “They’re using offshore hosting for the cult site. The domain registration is masked. Payments were made through cryptocurrency wallets that have already been dissolved.”Courtney’s