CHAPTER 10: THE UNEXPECTED RETURN
CHAPTER 10: THE UNEXPECTED RETURN
"Get your hands off her," Ethan growled, marching across the library, his boots slamming against the floor.
Julian stood up smoothly, adjusting his sweater, completely unbothered. "We were just discussing business, Ethan. Something you seem to be struggling to manage lately."
"Ethan, stop! He’s trying to help your dad!" Maya pleaded, jumping between them, her prosthetic leg clicking sharply as she shifted her weight.
"I don't need his help!" Ethan shouted, his eyes wild with jealousy, hurt, and exhaustion. "I see what you're doing, Julian. You're hovering around her, pretending to be a saint, just waiting for me to fall apart so you can take my place!"
"Ethan, you're acting crazy!" Maya yelled, her voice echoing in the quiet library. "He has an investment lead that could save your family's house!"
Ethan flinched as if she had slapped him. He looked at Maya, his expression turning from anger to absolute heartbreak. "You don't trust me to handle it. You think I’m failing."
"No, I don't—"
Before Maya could finish, the piercing sound of the school’s emergency alarm began to blare throughout the building. The red lights flashed in the hallway.
"Lockdown. This is not a drill. All students report to the nearest secure room immediately."
The three of them froze. Rumors of a massive protest regarding the school board's funding had been circulating, but this felt different. Panic instantly erupted in the hallways outside as hundreds of students began to run.
Ethan’s protective instincts kicked in. He grabbed Maya’s arm, pulling her toward the back of the library. "We need to lock the doors."
But before Julian could reach the main light switch, the double doors of the library slowly creaked open.
A figure stepped into the dim light. She was wearing a heavy black coat, her hood pulled down, but her face was unmistakable. The sleek, perfect hair was gone, replaced by a jagged, uneven cut. Her eyes were sunken, dark, and filled with a cold, terrifying emptiness.
It was Vanessa.
She wasn't supposed to be within state lines. She was supposed to be locked away in a boarding school. But she was standing there, a chilling smile spreading across her lips as she locked eyes with Maya. In her right hand, she gripped a heavy, rusted metal pipe she had picked up from the construction site outside.
"Did you really think a piece of paper from the school board could erase me, Maya?" Vanessa whispered, her voice echoing over the blaring alarm. Behind her, the hallway doors slammed shut, locking from the outside as a malfunction in the security system trapped the four of them inside.
May you like
Ethan stepped firmly in front of Maya, his heart hammering against his ribs, while Julian slowly backed away toward the emergency phone.
Vanessa raised the pipe, her eyes completely devoid of sanity. "You took my future. You took Lucas. You took Ethan. Let's see how strong that metal leg is when it's broken into pieces."
