The morning air at Le Rosey was heavy with gossip. Gold girls huddled in corners, their eyes sharp as knives. Silver students leaned closer to each other, whispering as if sharing sacred secrets. Everyone had heard the rumor: the obsidian Marinos had shown interest in bronze girls.
For the gold girls, it was an unforgivable insult.
Amélie Rousseau, tall and ethereal, slammed her jeweled hand against her desk. "Bronze girls? As if those shadows deserve to even breathe the same air as obsidian."
Catarina Alvarez's lips curled in disdain. "It's not just an insult—it's danger. If the Marinos choose bronze, we become invisible. Do you understand? Invisible."
Yara Ibrahim, her eyes calculating, leaned back in her seat. "Then we don't let them. The bronzes must know their place. If they won't bow, we'll force them."
By the time the triplets stepped out of their own class, the air was already charged. In the courtyard, the confrontation played out.
The three bronze girls stood cornered against the marble wall. Chiara clutched her books tight, her knuckles white. Elena's chin jutted defiantly, though her eyes flickered with unease. Maya's gaze darted between exits, calculating.
Amélie's voice dripped with venom. "Do you even understand what you've done?" Just existing near them makes you dangerous. If you think you can hold their attention—"
Elena cut her off, fire in her tone. "We didn't ask for their attention.
Gasps rippled through the silver students watching. Defiance from bronze to gold was unthinkable. Before the argument could ignite further, the triplets appeared. The crowd parted instantly. Valentina's crimson lips curved in an unreadable smile, Isabella's eyes scanned the scene coldly, and Sofia's golden-brown hair shimmered in the sunlight like a warning. But they didn't stop. They didn't even glance at the confrontation. Instead, they walked straight toward the senior building.
The hallway stilled as the three opened the heavy doors without knocking. A hush fell over the senior class. Gold-beaded heirs of royals, tycoons, and political dynasties turned to stare. Even the teacher froze mid-sentence. Among them sat a boy who seemed carved from porcelain. Petite, with long, silken hair brushing his back, skin fair and delicate, and a body so fine it blurred the line between boy and girl. His golden bead gleamed faintly at his ankle as he shifted uncomfortably under the sudden silence.
Valentina's gaze lingered on him. Isabella tilted her head, curious. Sofia's lips parted slightly in amusement. "You," Valentina said, her voice calm but commanding.
The boy blinked, pointing to himself in disbelief. "Me?"
"Yes. Come outside," Isabella added, her tone cool but irresistible. Murmurs broke out among the seniors. For obsidian to single out a student—any student—was no small matter. The boy rose, his movements hesitant but graceful, and followed them out into the hall. The triplets regarded him in silence for a moment, three pairs of eyes drinking him in.
"What's your name?" Sofia asked at last.
"...Emiliano Varela," he replied softly, his accent rolling off his tongue like music.
Valentina's lips curved. "Emiliano."
Isabella smirked faintly. "You're even prettier up close."
Sofia's gaze was sharper, more curious. "Our brother has been asking about you."
Emiliano's cheeks flushed a delicate pink, though his expression stayed composed. "Your… brother?"
"Yes," Valentina said smoothly. "And when our brother asks, we deliver."
The boy's lips parted, but no words came. Around them, students peeked through the glass windows, straining to catch every detail. Teachers whispered among themselves, wondering what the Marinos intended. Inside the senior class, tension buzzed like electricity. Outside, Emiliano stood caught in the triplets' gravity—aware that one word, one nod, could change the course of his life forever.
The triplets exchanged a look, silent understanding passing between them. They hadn't come to the senior floor for intimidation, nor for politics. They had come for him.