(Sierra's POV)
I strode through the campus courtyard, my sketchbook clutched to my chest, trying to focus on something other than Stefano—the way he had kissed me, the way his eyes had burned into mine earlier at the mansion. Fifteen days alone under the same roof… I didn't know if I could handle it. It was the chatter of students, the smell of freshly cut grass from the football field, and the distant clatter of cups from the café that usually soothed me. Today, it did nothing. There was something different today, even though I couldn't put my finger on what that difference was. And then I saw them. God, not now again. Please universe save me from them.
Luciana leaned casually against a railing, the three girls—Sasa, Rosa, and Kesi—flanking her like obedient shadows. My stomach twisted. I'd hoped not to be seeing her again in such a short while, at least not when she was alone, but this wasn't my day.
She smiled sweetly-that fake, saccharine smile she always wore. "Well, well… if it isn't Sierra, all alone. How. brave of you." I kept my posture straight, keeping my voice neutral. "Hello, Luciana."
Sasa, Rosa, and Kesi chuckled silently. "We were just… chatting," Rosa said, obviously holding back smirks. She took a step closer. "I wanted to make sure you knew the truth about… Stefano." Her tone was syrupy, calm, the kind of tone that always made my stomach churn. "What truth?" I asked warily, my green eyes narrowing. Her three girls took a slight step closer; a semicircle now enveloped me. I'd had enough of feeling cornered, but I didn't show it. I wouldn't.
"It's simple," Luciana said, her voice dripping with poison. "You see, Stefano… he's never really been the cold, distant stepsibling that you think he is. Not at all." I blinked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
First, Sasa stepped forward and quickly said, "He… he used to love Luci, srry still. We caught him kissing Luciana all the time, Sierra all day, every day." My mind went blur. Stefano and Luciana? is this the reason of him calling her Luci.
Then Kesi come closer, "He never spoke cold to her, always pampered her… always wanted her at nights, too… passionate nights" she said. "He was crazy for her body."
The words felt like ice water on me. I caught my breath as my hands slightly quivered, my chest felt tight as if somebody had just squeezed it. Why he come close to me when he has feelings for someone else? "Stop it," I said, my voice soft but firm. My voice was steadier than I felt. "I don't care about Stefano. He was nothing to me. Nothing but a stepbrother. We weren't close. None of what you're saying matters to me."
Luciana's lips arced into a slow, knowing smile. "Oh, but it does matter. You just don't see it yet."
Rosa moved closer to her and whispered, "And he still… loves Luciana. He hasn't forgotten her. He's just… restrained. I still remember how he became angry when we asked Luciana for one night, he couldn't stay without her for one night." My stomach twisted into knots. My knees weakened, and my heart threatened to betray me.. And Luciana, her smirk, her eyes, was a dagger in my chest. I took a deep breath and forced myself to stand taller. "I don't care about any of this. I… I won't think about Stefano. He's irrelevant. What I care about is… myself."
Luciana's eyes narrowed, but she laughed softly, like she had won. "We'll see how long you can ignore the truth, Sierra. We'll see."
(Sierra's POV)
I walked away, clutching my sketchbook so tightly it creased my fingers. My mind spun with the words I just heard Stefano… passionate nights… loves her… always pampered her… I recited the sentences in my head over and over, trying to convince myself they didn't matter. But my stomach still burned. My chest still ached. And in the background of all this… the memory of Stefano's gaze lingered. Did he… like Luciana? Was that why he'd never defended me when she humiliated me that first time? Was it why he'd kept quiet while she whispered venom in my ear? I sank onto a bench near the campus café and buried my hands in my lap. The students chattered, yet it seemed muffled. My mind was loud, chaotic. Stop thinking about them. Stop thinking about him. Stop thinking about Luciana. Focus. Breathe. But it didn't work. Every glance, every smirk I remembered from Stefano earlier that week, the way he had kissed me, the way he had been restless… all tangled with Luciana's talks and it hurt, deeply.
(Luciana's POV )
Luciana watched Sierra's reaction carefully from across the courtyard, hidden behind the low walls lining the flowerbeds. Sasa, Rosa, and Kesi whispered amongst themselves. "She's shaken," Kesi said, frowning. "She's holding it together, though," Rosa added. A small, cruel smile curled Luciana's lips. "Exactly. She's strong, but she's human. And now she's thinking about Stefano and Stefano at the same time. She doesn't know what to do. That confusion, that fear, that. emotional weight? That's power. That's leverage. Soon, she'll start questioning everything, questioning him. That's when the fun begins." Sasa whispered with trepidation, "And Stefano?"
Luciana shrugged. "He'll come around soon enough. He always does."
(Sierra's POV)
I finally left the courtyard, heading toward the art building to meet Angel. My legs felt heavy, my mind a storm. I didn't know what to think anymore. I wanted to scream, to cry, to run-but instead, I forced myself to walk normally, clutching my sketchbook. Angel was waiting at the steps for me, beaming. "Hey, you okay?" she asked. I managed a small smile, nodding. "Yeah… just… busy day." But inside, I felt the full weight of Luciana's manipulation. The lies and truths intertwined, and I didn't know what was real anymore. And Stefano… my chest tightened at the thought of him. Did he still care for Luciana? Did he even like me? Or was I just… imagining everything? I shook my head. I wouldn't let myself think like that. I couldn't. I had to focus on school, on myself. But a small part of me--the part that remembered our kiss, the way he looked at me, the way his presence filled a room--whispered that I wasn't imagining it. I don't want to give myself false hopes, I don't want to get hurt.
(To be continued...)