I couldn't stop thinking about Chloe's words. Her voice played on repeat in my mind.
"I think I like Rylan, Ava. I know it's sudden... but something about him makes me feel warm."
I stared at her, shocked, trying to process what she'd said. My best friend had feelings for Rylan? And she chose to tell me now—when everything around me was already spinning?
"Chloe... does he know?" I asked gently.
She shook her head, her cheeks flushed. "No. And please don't tell him. I just needed to tell someone... and you're the only one I trust."
My heart ached. Chloe's feelings were genuine. And the timing couldn't have been more complicated.
[Damien's POV]
The moment Ava left, I stood there in the hallway, fists clenched. The rumors, the chaos, the glances people threw our way... I knew someone was behind this, and I was going to find out who.
My head buzzed with anger, but then a memory flooded in.
FLASHBACK
"You are not allowed to make your own decisions, Damien," my father said coldly, towering over me in his tailored suit.
"I just want to choose my own path!" I yelled back.
"You are a Blackwell. Your life is already decided. You'll run the empire one day, and you will not throw it away for a normal life."
That night, I left. No note. No goodbye. I disappeared from that world of power and control and found peace here. At least, I thought I had.
END FLASHBACK
Now, everything was unraveling again. Lies. Rumors. And Ava caught in the middle.
[Chloe's POV]
I watched Ava from across the courtyard. She looked like she was holding back a storm. I hated that she was going through so much.
But part of me... a selfish part, wanted to know what Rylan felt about me. I noticed the way he looked at her, how protective he was.
Still, I couldn't deny what I felt. The way his voice made me pause. The way he noticed little things no one else did.
And maybe that made me foolish. Or brave.
[Ezra's POV]
I should have been paying attention in chemistry class, but my eyes kept drifting toward Chloe. She looked so focused, so kind. I remembered how she stood up for Ava yesterday, her voice shaking but firm.
What the hell was happening to me?
This wasn't just a random crush. I was starting to care. A lot more than I should.
[Rylan's POV]
Ava had been avoiding me. I could tell. She didn't smile like she used to, and something in her eyes was off.
I knew about the rumors. I knew what people were saying. And part of me wanted to confront every last one of them. But I couldn't. Not when it might make things worse for her.
Then I saw Damien looking at her from across the hallway. The way his eyes softened, the way he watched her like she was the only thing that mattered.
It made something twist in my chest.
I had to be honest with myself: I wasn't just falling for her. I already had.
And now, I wasn't the only one fighting for her heart.