Ava thought things would calm down by the next morning.
They didn't.
If anything, they got worse.
She felt the stares the moment she stepped onto campus.
People didn't even try to hide it.
Some whispered behind their hands.
Some didn't bother whispering at all.
"Is that her?"
"Wolfe's new obsession."
"Bet she's loving the attention."
"She looks too innocent for him… maybe that's why."
"I give it a week."
Every word felt like needles digging into her skin.
Ava kept her head down, hugging her notebook to her chest, walking as fast as her legs could manage without breaking into a run.
Her stomach twisted.
Her fingers shook.
Her throat ached.
She didn't cry — she refused to — but the pressure behind her eyes burned so badly it almost broke her.
She turned a corner toward Lecture Hall B, hoping for a few quiet seconds before class.
Instead, a group of girls blocked the stairway.
The same girls who had been filming at the party.
One of them smirked the moment she saw Ava.
"Well, look who finally showed up."
Ava stopped.
Another girl — tall, perfectly styled, confidence dripping from her posture — folded her arms.
"Didn't think Wolfe's new girl would have the guts."
"I'm not—" Ava started.
The girl scoffed, cutting her off.
"Relax. Everyone knows the type. You're not the first."
A few of her friends laughed.
Ava swallowed hard.
"I didn't do anything to you."
"No," the girl said, stepping closer, "but you're acting like you don't love the attention. Typical."
Ava's lips parted, but no sound came out.
She hated this.
She hated the way people looked at her like she was something to gossip about instead of a person.
The tall girl leaned in, voice low and cruel.
"Wolfe always gets bored. Don't think you'll be an exception."
The name hit harder than Ava expected.
Not because she believed it.
But because it poked every fear she'd been trying to ignore.
She took a step back.
The girl smiled — victorious.
Then froze.
So did her friends.
A shadow fell over them.
Tall.
Still.
Unavoidable.
Nicholas Wolfe.
His expression was unreadable.
But his eyes?
Cold. Focused. Dangerous.
The tall girl straightened immediately.
"Oh— Nicholas, hey, we were just—"
He didn't even look at her.
He walked past them like they didn't exist and stopped directly in front of Ava.
"Ava," he said quietly. "Come with me."
She hesitated only a second.
Then she followed.
Not because he asked.
But because standing there felt impossible.
Nicholas kept his pace steady — slow enough for her to keep up — but Ava noticed his hands were clenched at his sides, his jaw tight like he was holding something back.
When they reached an empty hallway near the library, he stopped.
"Ava," he said softly, turning to her. "Look at me."
She did.
And the moment his eyes met hers — saw the tension, the way she was holding herself together by sheer will — something in his expression shifted.
"I'm fine," she whispered.
"You're not," he said gently. "And you don't have to pretend with me."
Her breath trembled.
Before she could say anything, footsteps echoed down the hall.
"There you are."
Nicholas' posture changed instantly.
Noah approached, phone already in his hand.
"I found something," Noah said, his tone serious.
Nicholas' eyes flicked to the screen as Noah handed it over.
Ava watched his expression darken.
Not explode.
Darken.
His jaw tightened so hard she heard the faint click of his teeth.
"It wasn't random," Noah said quietly. "The video was submitted directly. With a caption."
Ava's heart dropped.
"So… you know who did it?" she asked softly.
Nicholas looked up immediately.
"No," he said, voice calm but firm. "And you don't need to worry about that."
Ava frowned. "Nicholas—"
"I'll handle it," he interrupted gently. "You shouldn't be dealing with this."
She searched his face.
There was no doubt there.
Only certainty.
Noah cleared his throat. "I'll stay on it."
Nicholas nodded once.
Then he turned back to Ava, his voice lowering.
"I'm not letting this touch you again."
Her chest tightened.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
His eyes held hers — steady, unreadable.
"Nothing you need to worry about."
A shiver ran through her.
Nicholas stepped back, giving her space.
"Go to class," he said softly. "I'll walk you there."
She nodded.
As they moved down the hallway, Ava felt something settle in her chest.
Fear.
Confusion.
And a strange, unfamiliar sense of being protected.
She didn't know who was behind the video.
But one thing was clear.
Whoever did this…
Nicholas Wolfe already knew.
And they were about to regret it.