All Chapters of Triplet Heirs; The Romano daughters : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

~MARCELLA~I'm frantically searching my mind on what I'm going to do about Albert Morrison.And then, I finally have an idea on what I think I'm going to do.I open my mouth to respond…“I’ll just ignore him…”But then…Something clicks.A thought, sharp, sudden and dangerous.My lips slowly curl into something that feels… wrong.But also tempting….very tempting.Stephanie notices immediately.“…Why are you smiling like that?” she asks.I look at her, and the idea settles fully into place.“What if I don’t ignore him?” I say slowly.She blinks. “What?”“What if I use him?” I continue, my voice quieter now, more calculated.Her eyes widen slightly.“Marcella…”“To make Lucas jealous,” I finish.There's silence, and then…“Oh my God.”I nod slightly, my mind already racing.“I flirt back. Publicly. Obviously. Enough for Lucas to notice.”Stephanie stares at me like I’ve lost my mind.“And if Lucas reacts…” I add, my voice softer now, almost hopeful, “then I’ll know

~MARCELLA~I don’t think I’ve ever woken up this… alive.My eyes snap open even before my alarm goes off, my heart already racing like it knows something big is about to happen.For a second, I just lie there, staring at the ceiling.Then it hits me.I'm having a joint class today with Lucas and Albert.It's finally time to play the game.A slow smile spreads across my lips.“Today…” I whisper to myself, my voice soft but filled with something sharp and dangerous, “…is going to be interesting.”The excitement curls in my chest, warm and electric, chasing away every trace of last night’s heaviness.Stephanie and I are good again.The plan is set.And today… I start playing.I push the blanket off and sit up, stretching slowly, my body humming with energy. Even my reflection in the mirror looks different when I stand in front of it—brighter eyes, a hint of mischief dancing in them.“Let’s see how strong you really are, Lucas,” I murmur, tilting my head slightly.Th

~MARCELLA~Albert continues to lead me to his car, but I don't pull my hand away.That’s the first mistake.Or maybe… it’s intentional.I let him lead me to the passenger side, my heels clicking softly against the pavement.I can feel his presence behind me, close enough that if I stop suddenly, I’ll crash right into him. And something tells me… he wouldn’t mind that at all.He opens the door for me.Of course he does, but I'm actually surprised he did that.I pause, glancing at him.“You do this for all the girls?” I ask, my tone light but probing.He leans slightly against the door, one hand resting above it, caging me in just a little.“No,” he says quietly. “Just the ones worth the effort.”His eyes hold mine, steady and deliberate, like he wants that line to sink in.My lips twitch.“Careful,” I murmur. “You’re starting to sound like you’re trying too hard.”A low chuckle escapes him.“Trust me,” he says, his voice dropping slightly, “I don’t try.”And som

~LUCAS~I know something is wrong the moment I step through the school gate.It’s not loud at first.Just off….a shift in the air.The usual morning noise….the chatter, laughter, footsteps, arguments over nothing, it’s all there… but distorted. Like it’s happening far away. Like I’m walking into something I wasn’t meant to see.Clusters of students gathered ahead, not moving, not walking to class….just standing, watching something. Whispering. Phones half-raised. Heads turning in the same direction like they’re pulled by a string.My steps slow, and a frown pulls at my brows.A strange, uneasy feeling creeps into my chest.“What’s going on…?” I mutter under my breath, more to myself than anyone else.No one answers.No one even looks at me, which is unusual, because after that dinner party, I'm always getting attention wherever I go.But today, they're too focused.Too invested in whatever is unfolding ahead.That uneasy feeling sharpens.Then I hear it…..“

~MARCELLA~I don’t realize when the lecture ends.One minute, the professor is still talking… his voice blending into the background noise of my thoughts… and the next, chairs are scraping, bags are zipping, students are standing.It takes me a second to catch up.Wait… it’s over?I blink, looking around as people begin to file out of the classroom in clusters, laughter and chatter filling the air like nothing just happened.Like my heart hasn’t been in a constant war for the past hour.Like I haven’t been sitting between two storms, pretending I’m not the reason they exist.I exhale slowly, my fingers tightening around my pen.Okay….good.Now Lucas will leave.He has another lecture… he always does after the joint class.This is where he stands up, walks out, disappears into his own world… and gives me space to breathe again.I wait for one second….then two, five, ten.He doesn’t move.My brows pull together slightly.That’s… strange.Slowly, I turn just enough to glance behind me.An