Chapter 4

• The days that followed felt surreal. Despite everything, I forced myself to go through the motions—attending class, finishing homework, pretending like everything was normal. But my mind was elsewhere, constantly cycling through what had happened. Who was that man in the club? Why was Isabelle erased from the school? And why did Andre seem to know more than he was letting on?
• Then, just as suddenly as she had disappeared, Isabelle returned.
• It happened on a Monday morning. I was sitting at my desk, half-listening to the teacher drone on about historical revolutions, when the classroom door creaked open. Every muscle in my body tensed. And there she was—Isabelle.
• She looked the same, yet different. Her dark hair was neatly tied back, her uniform pressed to perfection, but there was something else—something in her eyes. A weight. A weariness she hadn’t had before.
• My breath caught. I wanted to rush to her, to demand answers, to shake her until she told me where she had been. But instead, I stayed frozen, waiting for her to speak first.
• The teacher barely acknowledged her, merely nodding before gesturing for her to take her seat. Isabelle’s gaze swept the room, pausing briefly when she met my eyes. A flicker of recognition flashed across her face, followed by something unreadable. Then, she walked straight to the empty desk beside me and sat down.
• I opened my mouth, but she beat me to it.
• “I can’t tell you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
• My heart pounded. “Tell me what?”
• She looked ahead, her expression blank. “Anything.”
• I swallowed hard. “Isabelle—”
• She turned slightly, offering me a small smile—one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “But we don’t have to hide being friends anymore.”
• A thousand questions burned on my tongue, but I bit them back. She was here. She was safe. And for now, that had to be enough.
• From that day on, we started hanging out again, as if nothing had changed. But something had. There was an unspoken tension between us, a barrier I wasn’t allowed to cross. Whenever I pushed too hard for answers, she would deflect, offering vague reassurances that everything was fine. I knew better.
• Then, just as I was beginning to adjust to this new normal, everything shifted again.
• It happened in the middle of class. The door opened, and in strolled Andre. The entire room went silent. He walked in like he owned the place, his usual smirk playing on his lips.
• “Hey,” he said casually, sliding into the seat beside Isabelle and me. “Guess what? I’m your new classmate.”
• My stomach twisted. Isabelle’s fingers curled into fists on the desk, but she said nothing.
• The silence was short-lived. A low murmur spread across the room like wildfire. Andre had always been a presence in school, but he wasn’t in our section before. He had asked to transfer. Why?
• I didn’t have time to dwell on it before I heard the whispers—angry, jealous, dangerous.
• Andre’s fan club.
• They had always been a force to be reckoned with, a group of girls who followed him around like a king and his court. And they were not happy.
• “Why her?” One of them hissed from across the room, eyes locked on me. “Why them?”
• Another girl whispered something under her breath, and soon, the air was thick with hostility. I wasn’t stupid—I knew what this meant. They saw me as a threat, and Isabelle by association.
• Andre, of course, found it all amusing. He leaned back in his chair, stretching lazily. “Relax, ladies,” he said, his voice dripping with amusement. “There’s enough of me to go around.”
• That only made it worse. Glares burned into me from every direction. Isabelle kept her head down, pretending not to notice. I wished I could do the same.
• As the lesson dragged on, the tension didn’t fade. If anything, it got worse. Notes started appearing on my desk. Small, folded pieces of paper with words that sent chills down my spine.
• Stay away.You don’t belong here.He’s ours.
• I clenched my fists, shoving them into my bag before anyone could see. But Andre noticed. He always noticed.
• “Don’t worry about them,” he muttered under his breath. “They’re all talk.”
• But I wasn’t so sure. I had already been warned once. Stop looking. Or you’ll be next.
• Now, it seemed, I was already next.
• A week passed, and things started feeling almost normal again. Or at least, as normal as they could be. Then came science class.
• The teacher announced a new project and, to my dismay, started pairing us off. When my name was called, I barely had time to react before the next name followed—Andre.
• A low chuckle sounded beside me. “Looks like we’re partners, princess.”
• I shot him a glare, but he just grinned.
• “Alright, everyone,” the teacher continued. “Coordinate with your partner to decide on your research subject”
• Andre turned to me, smirking. “How about we decide on my place?”
• I barely had time to process his words before Isabelle suddenly stood up, her chair scraping against the floor. “No.”
• The entire class went silent. Isabelle’s face was tight with barely contained fury. Without another word, she grabbed Andre by the wrist and dragged him out of the classroom.
• Whispers erupted around me, but I wasn’t listening. Without thinking, I grabbed my bag and followed them, my heart pounding. By the time I caught up, they were at the end of the hallway, partially hidden in the shadows. I pressed myself against the wall, straining to hear.
• Their voices were low, tense, almost urgent. I could barely make out their words.
• “This isn’t a joke, Andre,” Isabelle hissed. “You can’t involve her.”
• Andre’s voice was calm, almost teasing. “Oh? And why not? She’s already involved whether you like it or not.”
• “You promised!” Isabelle snapped. “You swore you’d keep her out of this!”
• Andre sighed. “That was before she started poking around. She’s not stupid, Isabelle.”
• My stomach twisted. What were they talking about? Why did it sound like I was some kind of liability?
• Then, Isabelle’s voice rose, clear and sharp. “Don’t you dare touch her! She doesn’t know anything!”
• A chill ran down my spine. My hands trembled against my sides.
• What did they mean? What was it that I didn’t know?
• And more importantly… what had I gotten myself into?