The Brighton Wisdom Canteen was a loud, overwhelming place, smelling of fried food and stale coffee. Students were packed shoulder-to-shoulder under fluorescent lights that hummed like angry wasps. At a table near the window, Selina, pushed her plate away with a dramatic shudder.
"I'm done," she declared, her voice sharp with revulsion. She grimaced, showing her face in a clear, theatrical display of disgust. "I couldn't eat this slop anymore."
Raina was about to stand up, her expression as cool and indifferent as ever, when the atmosphere around them violently changed.
A sudden, forceful turn yanked Selina around. She gasped, her eyes widening in pure shock. Standing over her, his face a mask of furious intensity, was Jake. Before she could even process who it was, a strong, corded hand, fueled by a nerve-shredding rage, swung towards her face, stopping just a few inches from her nose.
Selina froze, statuesque. The loud chatter of the canteen faded into a muffled roar. She couldn't move; she could only stare at the hand hovering near her. On the small last finger of that menacing fist, a single piece of jewelry caught the fluorescent light: a shining silver ring. It was subtly etched with the shape of a capital 'A'.
Fear rippled through the canteen. Every head turned. Han, lean and muscular in a deep-blue athletic jacket, scrambled to his feet, eyes wide. Ronnie, too, was stunned. Raina stared, a strange mixture of disbelief and icy realization crossing her features, because she knew, they all knew, that Jake—one of their own—was standing against them.
Jake's eyes, dark and sharp, were locked on Selina, who was now sweating, despite the cool air conditioning. His anger was palpable.
Han moved first, stepping between them. He grabbed the collar of Jake's crisp white shirt, pulling him back slightly. "Everyone, look!" someone gasped.
"Jake, are you out of your mind?" Raina's voice sliced through the tension, cold and commanding. She rarely shouted, and the sound made the blood run colder.
Jake slowly lowered the hand in front of Selina's face. He then forcefully removed Han's desperate grip from his collar. In the rough motion, the top button of Jake's shirt, the one near his throat, popped off and was flung through the air, hitting the floor with a small, brittle clink.
He never stopped staring at Selina. "What are you thinking yourself?" he snarled, his voice low, then suddenly louder, "Ha!"
Selina flinched so hard she nearly fell backward.
"Why are you shouting at her? What happened?" Han demanded, turning to Selina for an explanation, his hand still hovering near Jake's arm.
Selina's eyes were locked on Jake, paralyzed by fear.
Jake ignored Han completely. He leaned towards Selina, his voice now a dangerous, low warning. "If you ever try to do like that again," he smirked, a cruel twist of his lips, "I won't leave you, Selina." He sighed, his expression changing to one of profound disappointment. "You are also a girl, right? How can you do that to her?"
Han shoved Jake backward. "Hey!"
Jake stumbled slightly but regained his balance, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Are you protecting her?"
"Yes," Han snapped. "Actually, what did Selina even do? Tell me!"
Jake's smirk widened. "Ask your girlfriend." He turned sharply to leave, throwing the final words over his shoulder. "If you knew, you wouldn't leave her too."
As he strode away, he took his remaining rage out on a nearby, lightweight glass-topped table, punching it clean through in a shower of tiny, dull glass fragments. Everybody gasped.
Han immediately turned to Selina, his face severe. "What happened? Selina, tell me."
Selina's eyes were still wide with terror. "I didn't..."
"I know you well. Tell me," Han stared at her, his disbelief warring with his protective instinct.
Selina hesitated. I... I... she thought, her mind racing. If she confessed what she had done, she would truly be dead meat.
Raina, regaining her composure, put a cold hand on Han's shoulder. "Leave her. She's already in shock. You can ask whatever you want later."
Han reluctantly released Selina's arm. Raina, without another word, guided the trembling Selina away to the other side of the canteen, leaving Han alone to look at the wreckage.
Ronnie left the canteen, his mind a furious blur. As he headed back to his class, he saw Lara. She was laughing, talking animatedly with her friends. Lara noticed Ronnie's dark expression and stopped talking. Ronnie didn't acknowledge her, continuing his determined walk.
Lara called out, "Ronnie!" and stepped into his path, forcing him to stop.
He plastered a smile on his face, but it instantly vanished, replaced by an expression of cold fury. "Are you happy now?"
Lara frowned, confused. "What?"
"You are also with that Andria, right?" Ronnie's voice was venomous. "I'm sure you must have enjoyed it while we were getting beaten by them, huh?" He spun suddenly and drove his fist into the concrete pillar beside Lara's head.
Lara shrieked, panicking. She looked at the fresh scrape on his knuckles, then up at his furious face.
"Who's Andria?" Lara asked, trying to sound calm, though her heart hammered. She honestly didn't know the name. "You mean Gabriella?"
Ronnie moved close to her again. He smiled, a cold, predatory thing that didn't reach his eyes. "Don't act like innocent." He stepped back, pulled a cigarette and a gold lighter from his pocket, and lit it, inhaling deeply. He exhaled a cloud of smoke before speaking again. "I saw you. You were enjoying it while we got beat by them." He stared at her, his eyes burning with vengeance.
"No, I wasn't..." Lara stammered.
Ronnie smirked, taking one last drag. He warned, his voice low and dangerous. "You had better leave her. Otherwise, you will get into trouble." He winked, dropped the cigarette, crushed it under his expensive leather shoe, and walked away, leaving Lara standing there, watching his retreating figure with a mix of terror and confusion.
In the heart of the school garden, where overgrown rose bushes offered shade and seclusion, Raina was leaning against the rough bark of an old oak tree, her arms crossed.
"Why are you late?" she asked coldly as Ronnie arrived.
"Sorry," he said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Why did you call me?"
"Did you get that pendrive from Lara?" Raina went straight to the point.
"I have already said to you, I searched her whole room. I didn't get our pendrive," Ronnie replied casually, trying to match her indifference.
"Yes. But..." Raina paused, her expression becoming strained. "I am confused. Then where is it now?"
"I have no idea," Ronnie said, putting his hands in his pockets and leaning against the tree opposite her.
Raina's eyes narrowed. She spoke, her voice flat and chilling. "We have no other option. Kill Lara."
Ronnie straightened up, shocked. "Raina! What are you saying? Are you serious?"
Raina stared back, emotionless. "Yes."
"If we did, I will be in jail," he argued.
"Not me. You," Raina clarified.
Ronnie laughed, a brittle, cynical sound. "Really? Are you kidding me?"
"You won't? Then fine. I will arrange another one," Raina said, already calculating her options.
Ronnie spoke quickly. "Actually, Lara lost her memories. Then why do you..."
Raina cut him off. "Because I don't believe her. I think she's acting. What if she gave that pendrive to the police? I will be..." She hesitated, the icy veneer cracking for the first time. A flicker of genuine fear appeared on Raina's face.
"I won't let that happen," Ronnie said immediately, sensing her vulnerability.
Raina instantly regained her composure. "Then regain Lara's trust. That's the only way."
Ronnie thought for a moment, weighing the risks. "Okay. I will inform you immediately when she gets her memories back. Then you can do whatever you want."
Raina smirked, a cruel promise in the gesture. "Mm." She fell into deep thought.
High above, on the rooftop of Brighton Wisdom, surrounded by the wind and the panoramic view of the city, someone was watching. Gabriella was perched on a low parapet, her jacket sleeves pushed up, enjoying the scenery below.
"What are you planning, Raina? Ah, let me think," she whispered, rolling her eyes with a faint, cynical smile.
The muffled thud of shoes stepping onto the roof surface came from behind her.
"Hey, what's up?"
Gabriella turned. It was Ajax. She gave him a minimal, knowing smile. In an instant, her easy demeanor disappeared, replaced by the alertness of a predator.
Ajax came closer. He was wearing a black, fitted t-shirt under an open, olive-green jacket. "What are you watching?" he asked.
"Watching my enemies' next move," Gabriella smirked.
Ajax narrowed his eyes, searching the garden far below. He noticed the two figures—Raina and Ronnie—standing beneath the oak tree. He smiled. "You have great eyesight. You can even identify them from this far away."
"Because I'm an Eagle," Gabriella said, her smile returning. She paused, then her eyes turned sharp, filled with dark vengeance. She continued, her voice low and tight. "I can clearly see my prey from everywhere."
Ajax turned to her. "Why did you call me?"
"Why do you hate Silverstorm?" Gabriella's question was direct.
"Didn't I say it before? Ha. Okay, because I don't like them. They bullied me. Not only me, but every innocent person in this school."
Gabriella's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I want the real reason."
Ajax's smile vanished. He stepped closer, raising one eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?" he challenged.
Gabriella didn't reply, just held his gaze, a test of wills.
"You didn't say it yet," Ajax pressed. "Why do you want to revenge them?"
Gabriella laughed, the sound light and airy. "Actually, I am not." Her smile disappeared. "I'm just punishing them for their sin."
Ajax laughed back, a sincere, warm sound. "You don't get suspicious at me. Everybody has their own secrets." His tone shifted, becoming sincere. "You can believe me. I will definitely help you, Gabriella."
"You are right," Gabriella finally conceded. She extended her hand to him.
He took it. Their hand-shake was firm, an unspoken contract.
"Let's get down our enemy," Gabriella said.
Suddenly, the roof door burst open. Lara rushed onto the rooftop, panting. Gabriella and Ajax both turned.
Ajax's eyes widened in shock. "Lara," he whispered, low enough only for himself to hear.
Lara ran toward them. She stopped directly in front of Gabriella. "Gabriella, tell me everything," she demanded, her voice raw with desperation. "Who are you, really?"
Gabriella's face, usually so composed, showed a clear moment of panic. Ajax looked between the two girls. Lara's eyes were locked on Gabriella, demanding the truth. Gabriella's eyes were locked on Lara, a secret hanging between them.
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