[BONUS


    Chapter for reaching 400 PS! Thank you all!?? ]


    ===??===


    [EVE]


    "Then . . . would youe if we invited Eve too?" Lily asked, shing a sugary smile in my direction. The forced sweetness in her voice barely masked the irritation simmering beneath it, like a snake hiding its fangs.


    I blinked, caught off guard.


    Wait . . . why was I being dragged into this? I had nothing to do with their study session!


    "If Eve goes, then I''ll go," Daniel said, his expressionpletely unreadable.


    My jaw dropped.


    Wait . . . what?! WHY?!


    The silence that followed was deafening. I could feel every eye in the room on me, the pressure of their stares making it hard to think straight.


    My mind raced, trying to piece together why Daniel would say that, but all I coulde up with was a nk.


    Lily''s smile twitched at the corners, struggling to stay in ce. It was clear she hadn''t expected that answer either. Her eyes flicked to me, narrowing ever so slightly.


    "So . . . what do you say, Eve?" Her voice was honeyed, but the challenge in her gaze was unmistakable.


    I swallowed, feeling the pressure mounting. "Umm . . . I really don''t want to—"


    Before I could finish my sentence, a chorus of voices interrupted me.


    "Come on, Eve, just this once!" one of Lily''s friends called out.


    "Yeah, it''ll be fun! We could use an extra hand," another added, her toneced with false cheer.


    "You wouldn''t want to let us down, would you?" another girl chimed in, her voice dripping with insincerity.


    I nced at Daniel, searching his face for any sign of a joke, but he was dead serious. His calm eyes met mine, unflinching, as if daring me to make a decision.


    My heart pounded in my chest, feeling like I was cornered. It was supposed to be a simple invitation, but now it felt like a trap—one I wasn''t sure I could escape without making a scene.


    However, they underestimated my resolve. I had promised myself a long time ago to live my life on my own terms, free from the opinions of others. There was no way I was going to let a bunch of fake smiles and empty ttery drag me into some pointless study session.


    "I don''t want to—" I started, already turning down the offer.


    But before I could finish, Sophie cut me off with a condescending smile. "Oh, I get it," she cooed, her voice dripping with faux sympathy. "Eve must be super busy. I mean, the exams areing up, and some of us have a lot to catch up on. Maybe it''s best if she sits this one out. It''s not like she''s the type who enjoys studying anyway, right?"


    Her words were coated in honey, but the venom was clear. The implication that I couldn''t keep up stung, and I could see the other girls smirking, whispering among themselves. It was a jab—no, a challenge.


    Sophie''s smile widened, clearly enjoying this. "Besides," she continued, tilting her head in mock consideration, "we wouldn''t want to overwhelm you, Eve. Group studies can be a bit intense for someone who isn''t used to them. I''m sure you''d rather do something easier, like . . . I don''t know, take a nap or something."


    The girls giggled, theirughter like nails on a chalkboard. My hands curled into fists, a surge of irritation bubbling up. I could feel the heat rising to my face, but I forced myself to remain calm.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She wanted me to back down. She wanted me to feel small, insignificant—like I wasn''t good enough to join them.


    I met Sophie''s gaze, my eyes narrowing. If she thought she could bait me into silence, she was sorely mistaken. If anything, her little performance made me want to go just to piss her off.


    "Actually," I said, my voice steady and clear, "I''ve changed my mind. I''ll be there. It sounds like a great opportunity to study—


    properly


    ." I smiled sweetly, matching her condescension with a sharine tone of my own. "I wouldn''t miss it for the world."


    The look on Sophie''s face was priceless—her eyes widened in shock before narrowing in frustration.


    Lily''s smile faltered for a split second at my sudden agreement, clearly taken aback. But she was quick to recover, masking her surprise with a sickly sweet grin.


    "Great," she cooed, her voice smooth as honey. "I''ll see you this Saturday then, Eve. And you too,


    Daniel


    . I''ll be waiting for both of you."


    Before Lily could turn away, Riri''s voice cut through the air like a burst of sunlight on a cloudy day. "Can Ie too?" she asked, her tone bright and hopeful.


    The look on Lily''s face was priceless. Her perfectlyposed smile faltered for a split second, revealing a sh of pure revulsion. It was as if Riri''s very presence offended her, like she was a stain on the otherwise polished veneer of her carefully curated image. Her nose wrinkled ever so slightly, and the distaste in her eyes was unmistakable, as though Riri carried some invisible contagion.


    Before Lily could even open her mouth to respond—no doubt with some thinly veiled excuse to keep Riri out—I stepped in.


    "Of course, Riri," I said firmly with a warm smile. "We can go together. I''d love thepany."


    Lily''s eyes flickered with irritation, though she hid it well behind a strained smile. I knew she hadn''t nned on including anyone else, especially not Riri. But I wasn''t about to walk into that lion''s den alone. I needed an ally, and Riri was the perfect choice.


    Besides, it struck me then how isted I''d be over the past months. I had no real social circle, no close girlfriends I could rely on.


    My days in the past were filled with Cole''s cold indifference and the relentless whispering of ssmates who barely knew me beyond the rumors.


    And while Lily''s group was far from friendly territory, there might be others at the study session—ssmates who weren''t caught up in petty power ys, people I could genuinely connect with.


    It was time to fix that. If I wanted to build a life beyond the shadows of my past, I needed to start making connections, however small. I couldn''t afford to be an outcast forever.