THREATS FROM EVERY SIDE
The calm between Leon and Elliana didn't last long.
By the next week, the tension was impossible to ignore. Word of Leon's "recklessness" had spread like wildfire. Photos, staged videos, and whispers at school painted him as a danger to everyone—even Elliana.
Austen had stepped up his game. He wasn't just plotting against Leon—he was shaping the narrative, controlling what Elliana saw, even manipulating her friends to doubt Leon.
Elliana felt it firsthand.
At lunch, Samantha approached her, worry etched on her face. "Ellie… are you sure about him? People are talking, and… it's serious this time."
Elliana shook her head. "I trust him. I know what I saw and who he really is. That's all that matters."
Samantha frowned. "Just… be careful."
But caution was a luxury she didn't feel she could afford anymore.
That night, Leon pulled up outside Elliana's house. "We need to talk," he said, urgency in his voice.
Elliana got in without question.
"Rhea's back," he warned, voice low. "She's not just jealous—she's looking for a way to hurt you."
Elliana's stomach sank. "Why does she care so much?"
Leon's jaw tightened. "Because she thinks she owns me. And she won't stop until she proves it."
The streets were slick with rain as they drove, tension coiling tighter with each turn.
"And Austen?" Elliana asked.
"He's planning something bigger than before," Leon said. "I can feel it. He's smart, calculating. He'll use anything to make me look guilty or make you doubt me."
Elliana's chest tightened. "So… what do we do?"
Leon didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stopped at a quiet overlook, city lights sparkling below them. He turned to her, eyes serious. "We stick together. Whatever happens… we face it together. No lies, no secrets… at least not from each other."
Elliana reached for his hand, her touch firm. "I don't care about the risk anymore. I'm not leaving you."
Leon's eyes softened, just slightly. "Good. Because leaving me now… would break me."
They stayed there for a long moment, holding hands, sharing warmth in the chill night. But in the shadows, headlights flickered—someone was watching.
Rhea.
Her smile was cruel, eyes glinting in the darkness. "So close… and yet so far," she whispered.
Elliana and Leon didn't notice. They were too wrapped up in each other, too wrapped up in the fragile calm before the storm.
And the storm—Austen's schemes, Rhea's obsession, the truth about her mother—was about to hit them full force.