Angela didn't get another chance to speak. She wouldn't dare after what happened earlier. Fear gripped her chest, and she knew if she said anything else, her punishment might get worse. And if it did, Alex would suffer too.
The students were silent as they watched her and Alex walk to the middle. Once again, she had become the center of everyone's attention, a puppet for their cruel games.
"You will start in twenty seconds," Samuel said, moving aside.
There was no doubt now. This stage belonged to her and Alex.
Angela looked up at the large time board on the wall to her right. Ten seconds left. Her mind was blank. She didn't know what to do or how to even begin.
Alex, who had refused to fight her earlier, now stood ready. His stance shifted...right foot back, left foot forward, hands up, body still. His eyes locked on hers, but the warmth she once saw there had vanished.
Now, they burned with something else-bitterness, betrayal, and pain.
