The thing about Blackthorn? It wasn't a school. It was a fucking zoo.
Everyone fit into their little enclosures—cheerleaders flashing fake smiles, football players braying like idiots, wannabe influencers recording TikToks in the hallway like their followers actually gave a shit. And then there were people like me, the background noise. The girl nobody noticed until Celeste ended up dead.
Now? Everyone noticed. And it felt like walking around with a target on my back.
"Why the hell do you look like you swallowed a cactus?"
I glanced up from my notebook to see **Tessa Wynn** plopping into the cafeteria seat across from me. My only friend. Black eyeliner smudged from lack of sleep, dark hoodie pulled over her head, sarcasm practically dripping from her pores.
"Because I'm the academy's new murder suspect," I muttered.
She snorted. "Babe, please. You can't even kill a spider without crying. The most violent thing you've ever done is stab your straw through a Capri-Sun too hard."
I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for the confidence boost."
"Anytime," she said with a crooked grin. Then, lowering her voice, "But seriously. People are fucking scared. They think Lucian Draven did it."
At the sound of his name, my stomach twisted. I'd been trying not to think about our locker run-in. His words still clung to me like smoke.
Before I could respond, a sharp laugh cut through the cafeteria. **Zara Quinn**. Of course. Celeste's ex–best friend turned gossip queen. She strutted past our table, heels clicking like a metronome, her eyes glinting with amusement.
"Well, well," she said loudly, so half the cafeteria turned to look. "If it isn't Vale, our resident femme fatale. Careful, Tessa—she might strangle you with your hoodie strings."
Tessa flipped her off without hesitation. "Eat shit, Zara."
Zara smirked, unbothered, and sauntered away to her throne at the center table.
"I swear to God," Tessa muttered, stabbing her fork into a slice of cafeteria pizza like it was Zara's head.
Before I could laugh, the room shifted. Conversations hushed. All eyes flicked to the doors.
**Lucian Draven** had arrived.
Of course he had.
He strolled in with his entourage like he owned the goddamn place. **Damien Cross**, his right-hand psycho, trailed a step behind him, cracking his knuckles. A few other guys in their crew fanned out, all wearing that same careless smirk that said *fuck with us and die.*
Lucian's gaze swept the room like a king surveying his kingdom. And then it landed on me.
My heart lurched, but I forced myself not to look away.
"Jesus," Tessa muttered. "He's staring at you like he's about to eat you alive. Should I call the cops or Pornhub?"
I choked on a laugh, smacking her arm. "Shut up."
But Tessa wasn't wrong. His eyes burned into me, slow and deliberate, like he was already peeling away layers I didn't want anyone seeing.
"Why is it always you?" Tessa whispered. "Out of all the people in this school, why does *Lucian fucking Draven* have a hard-on for making your life hell?"
Good question. Too bad I didn't have the answer.
Across the room, Lucian smirked, like he'd heard her. Then he whispered something to Damien, and just like that, his crew started making their way toward us.
"Shit," Tessa said, eyes widening. "Incoming mafia prince and his merry band of assholes. Want me to trip him with my tray?"
I almost smiled. Almost.
But then Lucian stopped in front of our table, towering over me. The cafeteria had gone dead silent.
"Vale," he said smoothly. "Miss me?"
I looked up, met his gaze head-on, and forced my voice steady. "Like a fucking root canal."
A few kids gasped. Damien barked out a laugh. Lucian just tilted his head, eyes glittering.
"Careful," he murmured. "That mouth of yours is going to get you hurt."
I leaned back in my chair, pretending I wasn't on the verge of shaking. "Then do us both a favor and stay the hell away from it."
For a second, his smirk faltered. Just a second. Then it came back sharper, like a blade being polished.
"Oh, Vale," he said softly, almost amused. "You really don't know what game you've just started."
And with that, he turned and walked away, Damien trailing behind him.
The whole cafeteria exhaled at once.
"Jesus fucking Christ," Tessa hissed, clutching her tray. "Are you trying to die? Because that's how you die."
I stared after Lucian, pulse still racing, hating him with every fiber of my being.
But deep down, I couldn't shake the truth gnawing at me.
I'd just made an enemy out of Lucian Draven.
And part of me wasn't sure if that was the dumbest or the most dangerous thing I'd ever done.