That night the mansion was quiet. too quiet. I went into the kitchen to get water. And froze. Sierra stood there, hugging her arms tight, head down, and still hurt. I hated seeing her like this. I hated that Luciana caused it. I hated the fact that by keeping silent, it was I who had caused it. I moved without thinking. She looked up, startled.
"What do you want, Stefano?"
Her voice… shaky, exhausted and also anger. Painful. I stepped closer. Too close. "I didn't like what Luciana did today."
She blinked. Her lip trembled, but she worked to conceal it.
"That's surprising. Cz you really like humiliating me. My mistake u love to do that" A punch to my chest.
"I don't—" I stopped, tension in my jaw. "I don't want anyone else doing it."
She laughed bitterly. "Wow. That makes it so much better."
"Damn it, Sierra—"
My hand moved to her chin, lifting it gently. Her breath caught. Mine did, too. Her lips were inches away. "Don't cry because of her," I whispered, "not because of anyone." She swallowed, eyes shining. "Why do you care?" I didn't. I shouldn't. But at that moment, I did. More than I wanted to admit. My thumb brushed her chin. And then- I kissed it. Just once. Soft. Barely there. But it ruined me. She froze, shocked.
A second later, I stepped back, my breath sharp, my hands trembling, my brain on fire. I have never kissed anyone like that.
Not there. Not with that kind of hunger. Not with that kind of loss-of-control. Before I could kiss her properly. Before I destroyed that thin line on which I was desperately holding. She slipped past me, her cheeks on fire, her eyes disoriented. And when she disappeared into the hallway—
I leaned against the counter, breathing like I'd run ten miles. "What the hell is happening to me…"
(Sierra's POV )
I closed my bedroom door and pressed my back to it. My heart would not stop racing. Stefano Blackwood… the man who claimed to hate me… the man who insulted me… the man who overlooked my humiliation… Had just kissed my chin. Softly. Slowly. Like memorizing the feeling. My fingers shook as I touched the spot.
Why did he do that? Why now? Why at all?
He confused me. He hurt me. He silently protected me. He made me hate him. He made me want him. I climbed into bed, pulling the blanket up to my chest. For hours, I couldn't sleep. Because tonight, everything changed. Everything.
The hallway was too quiet. That's the first thing that caught my attention when I stepped out of the lecture hall with Angel. Usually, the place buzzed: students hastening to the next class, laughing, gossiping, living. But today… the silence was strange.
Angel frowned. "Sierra… people are staring."
I looked up. Dozens of eyes. People whispering behind hands. Girls nudging each other and smirking. Boys staring at me with a look that didn't feel like admiration, but rather mockery. A cold shiver crawled up my spine. "What happened?" I whispered. Angel's grip on my arm tightened. "Sierra… I think something's wrong." We rushed down the hall. My heart was pounding, panic building with each step. Then I saw it—
A large poster plastered across the student board. A photo of me. Walking across the courtyard. Head down. Books in hand.
But someone had edited text across the image in bold red:
"THE GOLD-DIGGER PRINCESS."
Knowing and still feigning ignorance? My breath punched out of my chest. More posters were taped along the walls, copies of the same humiliation, some even worse with added lines:
"Daddy issues much?"
"Watch out, she hunts rich boys."
My chest locked-tight, painful. My vision blurred. Angel gasped, "W-Who did this?! Sierra, don't look—" But it was too late. I was already frozen. A ringing sound filled my ears. My hands started shaking. Memories of whispered rumors from my old school came flooding back, like poison. Then I heard giggling. Soft but sharp.
Luciana.
Standing with her three girls: Sasa, Rosa, and Kesi. Her eyes were riveted to me with vicious amusement.
"Oh," she cooed, "did the princess not like her morning surprise?
Her friends snickered loudly.
Angel stepped in front of me. "You're sick, Luciana." Luciana rolled her eyes.
"Oh, please. It's not my fault if the whole campus wants the truth. Stefano Blackwood can never fall for someone like her. He hates her. Everybody knows that."
Something inside me cracked.
But Luciana wasn't done.
"And even if—" she said, leaning in to her friends, a grin spreading over her face.
My blood went cold. "What?!" hissed Angel. Luciana just smirked, playing with her hair. "Classified." Students laughed. Some took photos. Some recorded. My throat closed. I couldn't breathe. Then—
"SIERRA!"
Ethan pushed through the crowd first, his eyes blazing. Sebastian right behind him. And Marko-breathing hard, furious. Marko reached me first.
"Who did this?" he gritted out, his voice low and shaking. "Sierra-look at me. Who did this to you?" I couldn't speak. Tears burned my eyes.
Ethan turned and looked ready to tear the posters down with his fists. Sebastian, his jaw clenched, snapped at students to back away. But Luciana only smiled sweetly.
"Aww, look. Her little army came."
Marko lost it.
"SHUT UP, LUCIANA!"
The whole hall fell silent. Marko put a hand on my shoulder, protective, gentle. His voice lowered.
"Bella, hey… you're okay. I'm here. I'm right here." His sincerity broke the dam. I burst into tears. He pulled me into a hug-tight, protective, nothing romantic-pure sibling warmth. He stroked the back of my head, furious and hurting for me.
"Let it out… you don't deserve any of this. Not one bit."
He kissed my forehead. A brother's comfort. He started taking me outside without breaking the hug, he hold me so tightly like he doesn't want these people to even look at his sister.
Ethan and Sebastian were guarding us like shields.
It should've helped. But something else twisted in my chest: deep, burning, terrified.
What if… What if Luciana was right? What if Stefano really hated me that much?
(Stefano's POV)
I was heading toward the main building when I saw the crowd.
Students whispering. Eyes that shone with the sort of cruelty I knew all too well. "Something's wrong."
Then I heard it—
Marko's voice, angry: "SHUT UP, LUCIANA!" I felt cold all over my body. I pushed through the students. Rage prickled under my skin even before I saw the posters.
And then— I froze.
Sierra. Red-eyed. Trembling.
Pressed into Marko's chest as he hugged her like she was breaking apart.
My heart slammed painfully against my ribs. My vision hazed with anger. Who the hell dared—
(To continued...)