In slow motion, the acid arced through the air, glittering wickedly as it fell toward Cathryn. Gasps tore through the crowd.
"No!"
Time seemed to slow as Tessa sprinted forward, adrenaline flooding her veins. She shoved Cathryn hard out of the way—just in time for the acid to land across her ( Tessa) own face.
A horrifying sizzle filled the air.
"TESSA!!!" Hardin and Nikolai screamed at the same time, their voices breaking.
The world around them erupted into chaos.
Continuation....
Screams tore through the air as students scattered, their phones still clutched in trembling hands, recording every horrifying second. The acrid stench of burning flesh mixed with the sharp sting of acid, spreading a suffocating silence before the noise rose into hysteria.
"TESSAAAAA!!" Hardin roared, dropping to his knees as he caught her before she collapsed. Her face was twisted in unbearable agony, acid burning across her skin.
"Somebody—water! Get fûcking water NOW!" Hardin shouted, his voice breaking. His hands trembled, yet he held her as though she were glass.
Nikolai was frozen for a split second—his mind refusing to process what had just happened. Then rage detonated inside him. He lunged at Tricia.
"You crazy bîtch!!" he bellowed, shoving her hard. His fist nearly connected with her face, but Ricco stepped in, catching his arm mid-air.
"Don't you dare," Ricco's voice rumbled, deadly calm.
"DARE?!" Nikolai screamed, eyes blazing. "Your daughter just ruined her! She just fûcking ruined her face!"
Tricia stood motionless, the empty bottle slipping from her hand and shattering on the concrete. Her chest heaved, her eyes wide, lips parted—but no words came out.
"Get out of my way, Ricco," Nikolai spat, his voice raw. "Because if Tessa dies, I swear—I'll kill her with my bare hands."
Hardin cradled Tessa tighter as she writhed and screamed in pain. His usually cocky, arrogant eyes were wet, broken. "Hang on, baby, please. Stay with me. Don't close your eyes, please don't!"
Jordan and Mulan rushed forward, throwing their jackets to cover Tessa's face from the crowd, shielding her from flashing cameras.
"Everyone back off!" Hardin yelled.
Ricco barked, "Bring the car NOW!" His guards scrambled.
Within seconds, Tessa was being rushed into the black car, Hardin refusing to let go of her, his shirt soaking with her blood and tears.
As the door slammed shut, the convoy peeled away from the college, engines screaming.
The crowd was left in stunned silence. The acid stain still smoked on the pavement.
And in the middle of it all, Tricia stood frozen—hands shaking, tears finally spilling. She whispered hoarsely, almost to herself:
"I… I didn't mean for it to hit her…"
But no one listened.
Because the world had just watched her become a monster.
The crowd's shock had not faded when Cathryn collapsed to her knees, trembling. Her eyes darted between the smoking pavement and the bleeding girl being dragged into Ricco's car.
"She… she took it for me," Cathryn whispered, voice shaking. "She… saved me…"
Caroline and Sabrina, stared at her in disbelief. "Cathryn, you're finished. Everyone saw what just happened—this is all on you," Caroline muttered.
"No!" Cathryn sobbed, clutching her hair. "I didn't ask her to save me! I didn't—"
But her words dissolved under the weight of glares from every direction. Students pointed at her, filming, whispering, their eyes full of disgust.
Meanwhile, Tricia's mind was spiraling. She stood frozen, staring at the space where Tessa had fallen. Her heart pounded as Ricco's men shoved Cathryn aside.
She screamed her name. Tessa. Everyone called her Tessa.
Her fingers twitched as her gaze dropped to the cracked pendant still hidden in her pocket—the same one she found last night near the Mrs. Cristin's room was kept.
"Tessa…" she whispered, her brows knitting. That's the same Cathryn has called her the day she saw her .
Her chest tightened. "Don't tell me…" she muttered under her breath. "That girl… the one who just got hurt…"
Her suspicion cut off when Ricco's sharp voice cracked through the air. "We're leaving. Now."
He gripped her arm and pulled her toward the cars. Tricia stumbled, but her eyes never left Cathryn, who was still crying, still shaking, still haunted by the Tessa who saved her.
And as the car doors slammed, sealing her inside with him, one thought echoed in her mind
Could Tessa… really be somehow related to her?
HOSPITAL ★
The car screeched to a halt at the entrance. Hardin leapt out, cradling Tessa in his arms. Her body was limp, her face covered, blood soaking through the jacket used in covering her face.
A team of nurses rushed forward with a rolling bed. Hardin laid her down gently, refusing to let go of her hand until the gurney pushed through the hospital doors.
The sharp sting of antiseptic filled the air. The fluorescent lights above seemed too bright, too cold.
"Her vitals are dropping fast!" one doctor barked, snapping orders. "Prep the OR immediately!"
"Please, save her!" Hardin's voice cracked as he ran alongside them, clinging to Tessa's hand. But then—the doors slammed shut in his face.
"Sir, you can't go in!" a nurse blocked him.
"Don't fûcking tell me that! That's MY GIRL in there!" Hardin roared, shoving her back.
Jordan and Mulan grabbed him, holding him by the shoulders. "Hardin, stop! You'll only make things worse!" Jordan snapped, though his own eyes were wet.
Hardin wrenched away, his chest heaving. His fist slammed into the wall with a sickening crack, blood dripping from his knuckles.
Nikolai stood apart, silent—too silent. His fists were clenched so tight his nails cut into his palms. His jaw trembled as he stared at the red EMERGENCY sign above the doors.
Then, the air shifted. Ricco stepped into the hall. Hardin's eyes burned as he stormed up to him.
"Pray she survives this, because if she doesn't, I'll rip your daughter apart with my own hands. And why the fûck does she have Tessa's face?!" Hardin shoved Ricco's chest, fury blazing.
Ricco raised his hands calmly, effortlessly making Hardin's rage look small. "Who asked her to intervene? No one. This is her fault, not mine. And don't you dare raise your voice at me."
Nikolai's eyes darkened as he stepped forward. "And what's gonna happen if voices are raised at you? Hm? Your so-called daughter just ruined another girl's face. You think that makes you untouchable?"
The tension thickened, suffocating the hall. Before another word could spark bloodshed, the doctor appeared, sweat dripping down his forehead.
They all rushed him at once. "Is she alright?!"
"Calm down—please." The doctor's gaze darted nervously to Ricco, who raised a hand, signaling him inside his office.
Hardin and Nikolai tried to push after him, but Jordan restrained them. "Guys, stop! We'll only make it worse."
Inside the office, Ricco leaned over the desk, his voice cold but commanding. "Do whatever it takes to make that girl whole again. I don't care what it costs—she cannot die."
The doctor swallowed hard. "Her face… it's severely burned. Plastic surgery is the only option."
"Then do it. Name your price," Ricco said sharply. "She's my daughter. And if she dies, so do you."
The doctor paled. "Yes, sir… but it's not that simple."
Ricco's eyes narrowed. "Explain."
"We would have to reconstruct her face using donor tissue. Someone who's already… passed away."
Ricco didn't blink. "Options."
The doctor hesitated, his voice trembling. "Months ago, a young woman was rushed here after an accident. Bianca Dominick Cruz… a world-famous celebrity. She didn't survive. Her face is still preserved in medical storage."
The room fell silent. Ricco's lips curled into the faintest smirk. "Perfect. Then give it to her."
RICCO'S MANSION ★
The grand chandeliers above flickered faintly, their light spilling across the marbled floors as Tricia stalked down the hallway, her heels clicking like a ticking clock that matched the storm brewing in her head. Her mind replayed the scene over and over again—acid, screams, blood, and confusion—like a broken film strip refusing to let her move forward.
She stopped midway, leaning against the cold wall, her breath sharp and unsteady.
"Why did she have to intervene?" she muttered to herself, voice laced with frustration and guilt. "It wasn't even meant for her. That acid… it was for Cathryn. Just to scare her, not to ruin a life. And yet that girl—Tessa—had to step in."
Her nails dug into her palms as she squeezed her fists.
"Damn it! Now everything is fûcked up."
Silence hung in the mansion, but her mind wasn't quiet. The name—Tessa. It rang in her ears like a curse. Cathryn had mistaken her for Tessa before. And when she thought about it, there was something about that girl, something unsettlingly familiar.
Tricia swallowed hard, suddenly feeling a strange tightness in her chest.
"This doesn't make sense… Why do I feel this way? Like I've some connections with her."
She laughed bitterly under her breath, though there was no humor in it.
"Am I losing my damn mind? This is crazy. I didn't even see her face properly, not with what just happened… and yet…" Her voice cracked as she whispered the thought she'd been avoiding. "It feels like… siblingship. Like… blood."
Her eyes darkened, suspicion crawling into her veins like poison.
"Dad is hiding something. I know he is. That name, none of this is coincidence. He's been keeping things from me… and I'm done being left in the dark."
Straightening her shoulders, Tricia pushed away from the wall, her expression hardening into cold determination. She stormed down the hall, the echo of her footsteps growing sharper as she made her way toward Don Ricco's bedroom—the one place in this mansion that always felt like forbidden territory.
WHITES MANSION ★
The silence in Mrs. Cristin's room was broken only by the rhythmic scratch of needle against fabric. She sat hunched over her worn-out dress, squinting in the dim light, threading carefully. Suddenly, the needle slipped—piercing her finger.
"Agh—!" she winced as blood welled at the tip, bright and sharp.
Before she could even reach for a rag, a sudden gust of cold wind swept through the closed room, rattling the curtains. Mrs. Cristin froze, her eyes darting around.
Then—crash!
The picture frame on the dresser toppled and shattered into jagged pieces on the floor. Her breath hitched when she saw what picture it was.
Tessa.
The image of her and Tessa, the one she'd carefully kept for years, now lay broken into halves, the glass glittering like ice shards.
Her hands trembled as she bent to pick up the fragments, the pricked finger smearing a thin line of blood across the glass.
"This… this isn't right," she whispered, her chest tightening.
The room felt heavier, the air colder. As though something unseen had shifted. She clutched the torn photograph, staring at Tessa's smiling face, now fractured by cracks.
"I don't like this feeling. It's a warning… something's wrong. Very wrong," Mrs. Cristin muttered, her voice shaking as she carefully set the surviving half of the frame on the table.
She lingered there, her gaze fixed, as if the photograph might speak to her. After a long silence, she gathered the broken glass into her palms, stood up slowly, and carried it out to the trash.
Behind her, the lone half of the photo remained on the table, illuminated by a flickering light—its broken edges like a wound refusing to heal.
BACK TO THE HOSPITAL ★
The doctor went back into the emergency room, shutting the doors behind him while Hardin, Nikolai, and Mulan waited anxiously in the corridor. The red "Surgery in Progress" light flicked on above the door, casting a cruel glow on their faces.
Nurses hurried past with trays, IV bags, and whispered orders, but time seemed to stop for the three of them.
Hardin paced the floor, running his fingers through his hair, his fists clenching and unclenching. "She's strong… she'll fight through this," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Mulan sat on the bench, her palms pressed together in prayer, tears slipping silently down her cheeks. "Please… don't take her away from us."
Nikolai leaned against the cold wall, his eyes closed tightly, his usually composed demeanor cracking as every muffled sound from behind those doors felt like another stab to his chest.
Inside the operating room, nurses moved quickly under the blinding white lights. Surgical instruments clinked on the metal tray as the chief surgeon gave instructions.
"Scalpel."
The operation began, long and painstaking. They weren't just fighting for her beauty—they were fighting for her life. The acid had done more damage than anyone imagined.
Monitors beeped steadily as hours passed. Sweat dripped down the surgeon's forehead, his gloved hands never pausing. "We need to stabilize her first before the grafting," he muttered, voice heavy with pressure.
Outside, Hardin sat hunched over, fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. Nikolai paced restlessly across the corridor, running his hand through his hair. Mulan sat quietly in the corner, her lips moving in silent prayers.
Hours stretched into the night. The sterile smell of antiseptic lingered. Then—suddenly—the alarm from the monitor blared inside.
"Her vitals are dropping! We're losing her!" a nurse shouted.
"Damn it, stay with me!" the doctor barked as they rushed into resuscitation efforts. Shock paddles were brought, the team worked frantically, but her heartbeat faltered like a candle in the wind.
After what felt like eternity, the room fell into a heavy silence. The doctor slowly pulled off his gloves, his shoulders slumping with defeat.
OUTSIDE THE EMERGENCY ROOM ★
The door creaked open. Everyone stood at once, their hearts pounding.
The doctor stepped out, his eyes dark with exhaustion. He shook his head slowly.
"I'm… I'm sorry. We tried everything. The surgery wasn't successful. She didn't make it."
The words fell like a death sentence.
Hardin staggered back as though struck, his chest heaving with disbelief. "No… no, you're lying!" he yelled, shoving past Nikolai.
Mulan covered her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks, while Nikolai turned his face away, fists trembling, unable to hide the tears burning in his eyes.
Hardin's knees buckled as he collapsed on the floor, screaming her name. The sterile walls of the hospital echoed with their grief.
DARK ROOM IN A PLACE IN THE HOSPITAL ★
The fluorescent light buzzed faintly as the doctor shut the door behind him, sealing off the cries of Hardin, Nikolai, and Mulan still echoing down the corridor. He slipped a glove off, reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out a phone. His voice was low, deliberate.
"Sir… a way to restore your daughter is finally here. A girl is in need of a new face. Bianca's face."
He paused, glancing at the unconscious Tessa lying on the operating bed, her face hidden beneath layers of fresh surgical bandages.
"I lied to the people that brought her here," the doctor continued, pacing the room. "They think she's dead. But she isn't. The surgery was successful—she now has the face of your daughter, Bianca. I'll give them a fake body, covered and unrecognizable. They'll never know the truth."
The other end of the line was silent at first. Then, the heavy, chilling breath of Dominic Cruz filled the silence. His voice cracked, trembling with a mix of disbelief and obsession.
"You mean… my daughter… my Bianca… lives again?"
His weathered face leaned against the dim glow of a lamp, eyes glistening as though hope had just clawed its way back into his soul.
"Yes," the doctor said coldly. "But remember… she'll wake up not as Bianca—but as someone else wearing her face."
Dominic's lips curled into something between grief and a smile. "Then she will be Bianca again. My Bianca."
The doctor hung up, staring at the still form on the bed. "Forgive me, girl," he muttered under his breath. "Your fate was sealed the moment you came here."
Outside, Hardin slammed his fists against the wall, Nikolai held Mulan as she wept, and everyone believed Tessa was gone forever.
But in the shadows of the hospital… a new face, a new identity, had just been born.
BIANCA DOMINIC CRUZ.