Joey found Divine at lunch, sliding into the seat across from her without invitation.“So,” Joey said, “who’s Adrian?”Divine’s fork paused halfway to her mouth. “Why?”“You keep correcting people about him,” Joey said. “Adrian and Daniela aren’t dating, they’re just cousins. I’ve heard you say it like three times today.”“Because it’s true,” Divine said. “I just don’t like misinformation.”She’d noticed it happening more than once now, Divine stepping in every time someone mentioned Adrian and Daniela together, always quick to correct the record, always a little too invested in making sure people understood they were just cousins.Joey leaned against the lockers, thoughtful.Why does she care so much, she wondered, watching Divine disappear down the hallway. It’s not like it’s any of her business who Adrian’s actually with.She filed the observation away quietly, deciding to keep watching a little longer before saying anything.“Sure,” Joey said, unconvinced. “That’s exactly why you

Divine walked ahead without looking back, her pace quick and sharp."Divine, wait," Joey called out, jogging slightly to catch up. "Can we talk about this?""There's nothing to talk about," Divine said, not slowing down."You've been avoiding me all day," Joey said. "And now you're just going to walk off?""I'm going home," Divine said flatly."Is this still about Adrian?" Joey asked.That did it. Divine stopped walking, turning around sharply. "I told you already, this has nothing to do with him.""Then why do you keep getting angry every time I bring him up?" Joey asked."I'm not angry," Divine snapped, clearly angry. "I just want to go home without you interrogating me the entire way."She turned and kept walking, faster now, leaving Joey standing alone on the sidewalk."Fine," Joey called after her. "I'll find my own way then."Divine didn't respond, disappearing around the corner without a backward glance.Joey stood there for a moment, frustration building in her chest, before d

Sam found himself thinking about Aria far more than he should have over the following days. He told himself repeatedly that it meant nothing, that it was simply curiosity about the newcomer who had suddenly become part of the household, but the thought kept resurfacing regardless of how many times he tried to dismiss it.He passed by her room later that week, noticing the door slightly ajar, Aria inside tidying up the space that had become hers since moving into the mansion.He knocked lightly before stepping inside without waiting for a response."Sorry to bother you," he said, glancing around the room as though searching for something. "I think I left something important in here, back when this was still my old study before the renovation."Aria paused, folding a shirt she'd been putting away. "I haven't seen anything unusual. Just my own things so far.""Mind if I take a quick look?" Sam asked, already moving further into the room without waiting for permission."Go ahead," Aria sa

Corey couldn't let it go.Word of his humiliation near the school entrance had spread just as quickly as his original rumor had, students whispering now about how easily Adrian had dismantled his lies in front of everyone. For someone whose family carried significant weight within Newton City's social circles, someone who had never once faced public embarrassment without immediate consequences following, the experience left him seething.He doesn't know who my family is, Corey thought bitterly, pacing his room that evening. If he did, he never would have humiliated me like that.His father owned several properties across the city, connections stretching deep into local business and political circles. Corey had grown up understanding that his family's influence meant consequences rarely landed on him the way they landed on ordinary students.By the following morning, he'd already begun quietly working his connections, spreading word among his own circle of friends about wanting to prop

Corey's parents arrived at the hospital that afternoon, finding their son propped up in bed, bruises visible along his jaw and forearm, though nothing had required serious medical intervention beyond overnight observation."What happened?" his mother demanded, rushing to his bedside."I told you already on the phone," Corey said, wincing as he shifted position. "That new kid, Adrian. He wasn't even trying, and he completely destroyed me."His father's expression carried barely contained fury as he studied his son's injuries. "This is unacceptable. Do you understand who our family is? Nobody embarrasses us this way and simply walks away without consequence.""I know," Corey said. "But Dad, you don't understand. He wasn't fighting like a normal person. Every move I made, he countered before I even finished. It was like he already knew exactly what I was going to do.""That's not possible for someone with no known cultivation background," his father said, frowning deeply. "We've research