LILLY Povđź’¦
 I sat on the narrow bench just outside the faculty hearing room, my hands clenched around a folder filled with character references and neatly typed appeals. My fingers trembled despite how tightly I held it. Maybe it was the silence. Or maybe it was the way the walls themselves seemed to breathe in the tension around me.
 I wasn't supposed to be here. I wasn't even supposed to be on this campus anymore.
 A week ago, I was invisible. A girl in a blue uniform with a mop and a bucket.
 Now? Everyone was looking.
 And not in a good way.
 ---
 People had started whispering when I walked by. Not out of malice, exactly—but curiosity. That was worse. They looked at me like I was a story. A scandal.
 "That's the girl from the hearing."
 "Isn't she the one who tried to get the Legacy Grant?"
 "She doesn't even go here, right?"
 I buried my face in my hands and breathed out slowly.
 Just a few more hours.
 Just one more round of questions.
 Then I could go back to my job. Back to my world. A place where nobody expected anything of me but clean floors and silence.
 And yet… some part of me still hoped for more.
 Not because I thought I deserved it.
 But because I was tired of being told I didn't.
 ---
 The door opened, and Professor Alden called my name. "Lilly? They're ready for you."
 I stood up on shaky legs and entered the room like I was walking into battle.
 Except this time, I wasn't alone.
 Because sitting quietly in the far back corner, arms crossed, sharp eyes watching every move—I saw Luca Demon.
 He shouldn't have been there.
 He didn't say anything. Just… looked at me.
 And somehow, that was enough.
 ---
 💦 LUCA POV💦
 Watching Lilly in that sterile hearing room was like watching someone pull the sun out of a cage and throw it into a storm.
 She didn't belong in there. Not under those cold lights. Not being questioned like she was a criminal trying to scam the university.
 I hated everyone in that room for even entertaining the idea.
 But I hated myself most of all—for letting it get this far.
 ---
 I had influence. Power. A last name that could silence most faculty with a single phone call.
 But using it would only confirm what everyone already thought—that she needed me to win.
 And that wasn't the story I wanted for her.
 Because Lilly? She didn't need saving.
 She needed the truth to speak louder than the lies.
 ---
 Still, I kept my phone in hand, fingers itching.
 If they pushed her too far, if they even tried to corner her again—I'd burn the entire system down.
 I'd already traced the source of that anonymous forum post. The IP led to a student council server. Samantha's fingerprints were all over it.
 Julian said to wait. Let the truth unfold.
 But I wasn't patient anymore.
 Samantha started this war.
 And I was going to finish it.
 ---
 Lilly
 They asked about my background.
 They asked about my work hours.
 They asked why I didn't formally withdraw when I couldn't pay tuition.
 Every answer felt like peeling off a layer of skin.
 But I told them.
 All of it.
 The cleaning shifts. The bills. The late nights watching lectures I couldn't afford to attend anymore.
 I didn't ask for pity. I asked for a chance.
 And when I was done, there was silence.
 Real silence.
 Like they didn't expect someone like me to speak with fire in her chest.
 ---
 I walked out before they could deliberate, pulse still roaring in my ears.
 The hallway was empty—except for Luca, leaning against the wall like he owned the building.
 "I told you not to come," I said, still trembling.
 "I know," he said. "But I'm bad at listening."
 ---
 LUCAÂ
 I watched her. Really watched her.
 There was this quiet defiance in her, like a candle that wouldn't blow out no matter how hard the world tried.
 "I'm going to expose her," I said quietly. "Samantha."
 She looked up, startled. "Don't. Not for me."
 "It's not for you." I met her eyes. "It's for me. I let this happen. I let them tear at you. I won't sit still again."
 She turned away, arms folded tightly over her chest.
 "I just want to work," she said. "Just want to keep my head down."
 I stepped closer. "And I want you to stop pretending that's all you want."
 ---
 Before she could answer, my phone vibrated.
 Blocked number.
 One message:
 "She's not who you think she is. Ask her about the day she quit school."
 Attached was a photo—grainy, surveillance-style.
 Lilly.
 At the bursar's office.
 Tears in her eyes.
 Talking to someone who wasn't on any staff list.
 My blood ran cold.
 Because I knew who it was.
 And they shouldn't have been anywhere near her.