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CHAPTER THREE –BEAUTIFUL WHEN YOU BURN🔥
I wasn't planning to see Luke Caldwell again that night.
But Crestwood had a way of pulling enemies together… especially when things were about to explode.
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The Girls' Lounge – Midnight Dares
Brielle Caldwell had invited every girl who mattered to the East Wing Lounge.
Candles. Velvet. Champagne.
Like some messed-up finishing school for high society's future liars.
I hadn't planned to go. But I needed eyes on the inside.
So I showed up.
Black dress. Blood-red lips.
The girl I used to be was buried under war paint.
"Emily Hale," Brielle said as I entered.
Her tone was dipped in sugar but laced with cyanide.
"You made it."
"I got curious," I said. "Wanted to see how the other half lives."
She smiled. "Then watch closely. Tonight's a tradition."
"What kind?"
Brielle turned, raising a glass. "Dare Night."
The girls clapped. Glasses clinked.
"Winner gets immunity for a week," she said. "No gossip. No sabotage. A free pass."
"And the loser?" I asked.
Brielle smirked. "They get to clean up the mess."
A girl named Zoe whispered in my ear, "Last year, someone ended up in the fountain. Naked. Crying."
So of course, when Brielle looked at me and said, "Your dare, new girl — kiss someone unexpected,"
I already knew where it was going.
And I was already halfway to the South Tower.
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The Tower – Second Encounter
I found him leaning on the railing of the old bell tower, backlit by city lights.
He didn't look surprised to see me.
"You again," he said, voice lazy and low. "You stalking me now?"
"No," I said. "You're just always in my way."
He tilted his head. "Or maybe I'm always exactly where you need me."
I stepped closer. "It's Dare Night."
"Let me guess." He flipped his coin. "You're here to kiss someone?"
"Not someone. You."
Luke's eyes darkened, like he'd expected this but still wasn't ready.
I didn't wait.
I grabbed his collar.
Pulled him into me.
And kissed him like I meant it.
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It wasn't sweet.
It was violent. Addictive. Dangerous.
His hands slid into my hair like he couldn't help himself.
I bit his lower lip — not out of anger, but to remind him: I'm not yours to tame.
When I pulled back, I whispered, "Still think I'm weak?"
He didn't answer.
He just stared like he'd seen a ghost.
"Dare complete," I said.
But as I walked away, I heard his voice behind me.
"You're going to be my downfall, Emily Hale."
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Monday – The Fallout
By morning, the campus was buzzing.
Photos. Rumors. Whispers.
"Did you hear she kissed Luke?"
"In the tower — alone. Bold bitch."
Brielle found me at the coffee kiosk with a look that could slice bone.
"Enjoy your immunity," she said. "You'll need it."
I just smiled. "What's wrong? Not used to losing your own games?"
Her eyes narrowed. "You're playing with fire."
"Good," I said. "Let's see who burns first."
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Luke's Apartment – Secrets & Chessboards
That night, he left me a note again.
"Bell Tower. 10 PM. Come alone — or don't come at all."
But he wasn't at the tower.
He was waiting at the penthouse — the President's private residence on campus.
When I pushed open the door, I found him seated at a marble chessboard, fingers drumming.
"I don't like being summoned," I said.
"You came anyway."
I rolled my eyes. "Why am I here?"
He moved a piece — the black queen.
"I did some digging," he said. "Your father. Thomas Hale. Top of his class. Research genius. Expelled without a proper hearing."
My heart slammed.
"Who told you that?"
He looked up. "My mother."
Pause.
"My real mother," he added. "Not the president's wife."
I blinked. "What?"
Luke stood, crossing the room slowly.
"She was a student here. Smart. Beautiful. Poor. She fell for my father — the great Julian Caldwell. But he didn't want the scandal, so he paid her off."
I swallowed hard.
"I'm not just the president's son," he said. "I'm the secret son. The bastard no one talks about."
"And you still defend them?" I asked.
He laughed, bitter and sharp. "I don't defend them. I just play them."
He moved a pawn forward on the board.
"One piece at a time."
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The Pact
We sat across from each other like opponents.
But this time, something shifted.
"What do you want from me, Luke?"
"Truth," he said. "And revenge. Same as you."
"You're switching sides?"
He leaned forward. "No. I'm creating my own."
I stared at him.
For the first time since I stepped into Crestwood, I didn't feel alone.
"So what's your next move?" I asked.
Luke smiled slowly. "We expose them. Every lie. Every bribe. Every name."
"And we survive how?"
His eyes locked on mine. "We don't."
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The Final Scene — Crestwood Ballroom
The university gala was a month away.
The biggest night of the semester.
All the elite in one room.
Luke leaned in close as we walked through the empty ballroom.
"Imagine," he whispered. "We drop the evidence during the president's speech. In front of the press. His donors. His board."
"And then?"
"Then they'll come for us both."
I looked at him.
Enemy. Partner. Temptation.
"You're insane," I said.
He grinned. "You like it."
I didn't deny it.
I just slipped my hand into his.
"Let's burn it down."
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