"Selena."
Casadin's voice cut through the silence of the locker hallway like a blade.
She turned, startled. "Cas? Ah!"
Selena let out a sharp gasp as her back slammed against the cold metal of her locker. Casadin had shoved her hard, hard enough that the echo rang down the empty corridor.
It was the middle of second period. No one was around.
He'd only left briefly to get water for Evadne, but clearly, he'd come back with something else boiling in his blood.
"I know you're behind the video from yesterday," Casadin seethed, fury burning in his eyes, eyes that had once made her stomach flutter, now narrowing with unrestrained rage.
It was the first time he had ever looked at her this way.
In all the years Selena bullied girls behind closed doors, especially those who dared get close to him, Casadin never reacted. He always brushed things off. Looked the other way.
She took that silence as proof.
Proof that maybe, deep down… he liked her.
But standing here now, with his face twisted in anger because of what she did to Evadne, Selena knew better.
He was disgusted with her.
"I don't give a damn how you parade around this school like some queen just because Hades is backing you," he growled, voice low and cutting. "But the next time you try something like that, the next time you even think about hurting Evadne again, prepare yourself for what I'll do to you."
His face was just inches from hers now. Breath hot. Dangerous.
"Because if you cross that line again, not even Falcon will be able to protect you."
His words slammed into her chest harder than the locker did.
"Don't test me, Selena," he hissed. "You really don't want to know what I'm capable of."
If he had been saying anything else, if it were any other moment, this kind of proximity, his voice, his heat, would have made her heart soar.
But now?
It crushed her.
She couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe.
Her heart cracked inside her ribcage as tears brimmed in her eyes.
Casadin's palm slammed into the locker beside her, making her flinch violently.
"Did you hear me?" he snapped.
"Yes," she finally whispered, voice shaking. "It won't happen again."
But the pain was already spilling.
Because the boy she'd loved for three long years, this boy who once smiled at her with teasing eyes and soft laughter, now looked at her like she was filth.
He turned away without another word and slammed his palm against the locker one final time before storming off.
The metal clanged in the silence.
Selena stood frozen for a moment, then bolted to the women's restroom.
She locked herself in the farthest stall, sat down, and broke into silent sobs.
She cried not like a girl who had just been scolded.
She cried like someone whose last dream had just crumbled in her hands.
All she ever wanted… was for him to love her back.
So she tried to become the perfect girl. The kind who belonged in high society. The kind who wouldn't embarrass him if one day they became something more.
She saved up every cent she had to buy luxury things, not because she liked them, but because she had to match the women who stood beside Casadin.
She changed her voice, her posture, her laugh.
She tried to become worthy.
She gave up pieces of herself. Her pride. Her time. Her soul.
And last night, she gave up her body.
To Hades Falcon.
Not because she loved him.
But because she wanted to stay in the circle Casadin moved in.
Because that was the only way she could stay close.
And still… she failed.
Three years of trying.
Three years of lowering herself, of clawing her way up, only to be met with disgust.
And then there was Evadne.
That girl who'd only been in their lives for months, yet had Casadin wrapped around her finger from day one.
Selena had overheard the stories.
That on the first day they met, Casadin had already been all over her.
And Hades?
The man who used to glare at Evadne like she was a disease?
Screamed her name last night while releasing inside Selena over and over again.
Selena squeezed her eyes shut, the tears falling harder now.
What does she have that I don't?
Why is it so easy for her?
Why is it always Evadne?
No matter what Selena did.
No matter how hard she tried.
She was never the choice.
She was always the shadow. The girl in the background.
And now she was broken. Bruised. And still alone.
It took a while before Selena could compose herself.
She washed her face until her eyes were no longer red, reapplied her makeup with shaky hands, fixed her hair, straightened her blouse, and made sure, above all else, that she looked untouchable.
Not broken.
Not discarded.
Not like a girl who'd just been used and humiliated.
She climbed the stairs to their classroom, ignoring the cold sting in her legs and the hollowness inside her chest.
The second subject had just ended. Students were scattered around during the fifteen-minute break before the next class.
"Selena! I thought you weren't coming today?" Nika greeted, surprised, as Selena stepped into the doorway.
Like always, Selena's eyes instinctively searched for him.
Casadin.
There he was.
Laughing, laughing as he leaned close to Evadne, whispering something in her ear that made her giggle. His fingers brushed against her wrist like it was second nature, like she belonged beside him.
Selena's heart twisted painfully in her chest.
Was this the same man who shoved her into a locker an hour ago, eyes blazing with hatred?
Because right now, he looked like the perfect boy next door, utterly consumed by her, by Evadne.
The ache returned. Dull and relentless.
And then, her gaze shifted.
Hades.
Sitting just ahead with his legs crossed, focused on the iPad in his hands. Cieryl beside him, chirping something with a light smile.
Hades didn't even glance at Selena as she passed behind them.
As if nothing happened.
As if last night, his hands on her body, his voice growling Evadne's name as he spilled inside her, did not happen.
"Must've been a bad night," Selena muttered under her breath.
"I wasn't feeling well last night," she said louder to Nika. "Thought I'd be absent, but I'm okay now."
She walked toward her seat, behind Hades and Cieryl, beside Blythe.
"Bestie, did you take medicine?" Cieryl asked sweetly, turning toward her with wide, innocent eyes full of concern.
Selena's fingernails dug into her palm beneath the desk.
You did this to me, she wanted to scream.
You asked me to do that video edit. You pushed me to ruin Evadne. And now… I'm the one who's paying for it. I'm the one Hades punished.
But her face remained calm. Her lips curved slightly. Her voice didn't shake.
"I did," she answered.
"Good," Hades suddenly chimed in, finally acknowledging her. His gaze locked with hers, a knowing glint flashing in his eyes. "Taking your pill is important."
His tone was neutral. Too neutral.
He wasn't talking about medicine.
"There's nothing to worry about," she replied tightly, voice quiet.
Hades smiled. A beautiful, practiced smile that hid a knife underneath.
Selena shivered.
"Oh my gosh, Selena!" Blythe suddenly shrieked, loud enough for the nearest tables to turn. "Are you seeing someone?"
"What?" Selena blinked, caught off guard. "What are you talking about…?"
Before she could stop her, Blythe pushed aside the collar of her blouse, exposing the edge of her shoulder.
There it was.
A bite mark.
Faint, but unmistakable.
"Oh my God, that is a bite mark," Blythe gasped, pointing at it.
A few of their classmates stood from their seats to get a better look.
"Wait, is that why you weren't feeling well?" Natasha giggled. "You had sex with your boyfriend?"
"Introduce him to us!" Nika added eagerly.
"Do we know him? Someone from school?" one of the girls asked.
"Who is he, bestie?" Cieryl chimed in, face the picture of curiosity.
Selena's eyes darted to Hades, who was now conveniently too absorbed in his iPad to acknowledge anything.
She forced a smile, voice low.
"He's… a workmate. I met him in Dubai. He's here on vacation. It's nothing serious, just a casual thing," Selena murmured quickly, making sure her voice didn't carry far, especially not to the back of the room.
But it didn't matter.
Because Casadin wasn't listening.
He was busy taking selfies with Evadne. Their faces squished together in silly expressions, Evadne laughing so hard her eyes were closed.
Selena's stomach twisted again.
She looked away.
No one saw the crack in her smile.
No one heard the silent scream inside her chest.
A few minutes later, Hades suddenly stood up, carrying his iPad in one hand as he made his way to the back of the classroom, toward Evadne's seat.
"Vee," he called out smoothly, wearing a disarming smile. His voice was warm, directed solely at her. Not once did his eyes stray toward Casadin, who was visibly seething beside her.
"Yes?" Evadne looked up, her tone curious but cautious.
"I have a proposal regarding the upcoming community immersion. I was hoping to discuss it with you," Hades said, his gaze unwavering.
"Oh? So you're interested now?" Casadin cut in with a mocking edge. "Weren't you completely against the immersion last week? What happened, did you suddenly stop being afraid to get your nails dirty?"
Hades didn't flinch.
"Look, Casadin," he replied calmly, finally meeting his glare. "I might have overreacted, but my concerns were valid. Now that things have been clarified and accounted for, I'm fully ready to support any good initiative from the SBO."
The unspoken challenge hung thick in the air as the two boys locked eyes, neither backing down.
Casadin opened his mouth again, likely to escalate, but Evadne reached up and gently touched his cheek. A subtle signal to stand down.
"It's okay, Hades," she interjected. "We can discuss it later with the rest of the officers. I already sent a request to the Academy President to excuse all SBO members from afternoon classes starting today until Friday so we can finalize the plans. The event is coming up fast."
"No problem. Later then," Hades nodded and gave a mock salute, lips curving into a smug smile before returning to his seat, without sparing another glance at Casadin.
The moment he was gone, Evadne turned back to Casadin, whispering sharply, "What's wrong with you?"
He clenched his jaw, still fuming. "I just… I can't stand his damn face. He's doing it on purpose."
"Look at me," she said softly. "Cas. Look at me."
It took a moment, but he finally did, eyes still clouded with frustration.
"We've talked about this," Evadne whispered. "You said you understood. We both knew this kind of thing would happen."
There was a sadness in her eyes. Not because of Hades, but because of the tension it kept causing between them.
Casadin sighed, then wrapped his arms around her protectively, whispering near her ear, "I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't mean to upset you."
He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek, then rested his forehead against hers.
"I'm upset because you're upset," Evadne admitted. "I don't like seeing you like this. Because deep down… I know I'm the one who put you in this position."
"No. That's not true," he whispered back, cupping her face in his palms. "You didn't do anything wrong."
Then, he leaned in and kissed her softly.
And then again, deeper this time.
The kind of kiss that made the whole room disappear.
The kind that made it seem like they were the only two people in the world.
The problem was… they weren't.
Their friends sat frozen, unsure whether to avert their gaze or interrupt the moment. Most chose awkward silence.
Until…
"For fuck's sake, you mosquitoes!" Flynn suddenly yelled, slamming his book on the desk with dramatic flair. "Have some respect for us single people!"
The entire class turned, startled. Casadin and Evadne pulled away quickly, blinking at him.
Flynn pointed at them, mock-serious. "Oh, my bad. Did I interrupt? Please, carry on. You've got five minutes of break time left. Make the most of it!"
Bea, Amanda, and Delvin burst into laughter.
"Asshole!" Casadin muttered, trying not to laugh. "Jealous much? Should I kiss you next?"
"No thanks, bro," Flynn replied with a smirk. "I know how little time you've got with Vee. You're squeezing every second out of this fifteen-minute break. I'd feel guilty taking any of it."
Casadin chuckled. "Glad you understand, man. Appreciate it."
"I'll see you in my dreams, bro," Flynn said with mock seduction, blowing him a kiss, sending the group into another round of laughter.
But across the room, behind his calm façade, Hades wasn't laughing.
He had watched the entire exchange, the soft smiles, the way Evadne leaned into Casadin, the way she kissed him back without hesitation.
And every second of it sank into his bones like venom.
He looked down at his iPad, fingers frozen above the screen.
Because even though he had slept with another woman the night before, used her like a weapon, branded her with his cruelty, it was Evadne's mouth he wanted.
Evadne's name he had whispered.
And it was Evadne's kiss he couldn't bear to see on another man.