SAMANTHA POVđź’¦
 They think I'm cruel.
 They're right.
 But cruelty is only a matter of perspective. And in my world, you learn to strike before you're devoured.
 I wasn't born with a silver spoon. Not like Luca Demon with his tailored arrogance and diamond-lined legacy. Not like his loyal band of court jesters who pretend they earned their spots.
 I clawed my way up. Private tutors, flawless transcripts, carefully curated internships—I bled for them all.
 So when a janitor tried to take what I'd earned?
 No.
 No, I wasn't going to let that slide.
 Lily Lorenzo She thinks she's invisible when she walks through campus with that downcast gaze, trying to disappear behind her mop and quiet voice.
 But there's nothing invisible about ambition. I smelled it the first time I saw her step into the Chancellor's building to drop off supplies. The way she glanced around like she was measuring it. Like she belonged there.
 That's when I knew.
 She wasn't just another charity case. She was a threat.
 ---
 The Legacy Grant wasn't just money. It was power. The kind of prestige that sticks to your name like perfume. And she thought she could take it?
 Not after everything I'd done. Everything I planned.
 Not when I was this close to becoming Student Council President, this close to landing a seat on the Youth Advisory Board. Not when I'd sacrificed more than anyone knew just to survive in this world.
 So yes—I made the first move.
 Flagging her file? Easy.
 Leaking that thread on the campus bulletin? Child's play.
 I knew people would believe it. They always do. All you have to do is plant the doubt and watch it grow.
 But I didn't expect Luca to get involved.
 Not like this.
 ---
 He used to be predictable. Flashy. Unbothered. He'd hook up with girls, flirt with professors, throw parties that made the university PR team sweat.
 But since she entered the picture?
 He's changed. Sharper. Quieter. Angry.
 It's disgusting.
 He looks at her like she's gravity and he's ready to fall.
 He defended her.
 He silenced me.
 And now? They've suspended me from the council, pending a "review."
 As if I'd lose sleep over a review.
 No. I'm not done yet.
 Because even if Lilly has nothing to hide, she's still in my way.
 ---
 I open my laptop, scrolling through the digital threads I started. The fake accounts, the curated doubts. People are starting to question me now.
 Good.
 Let them.
 Let them wonder if I'm unstable. Let them fear what I'll do next.
 Because fear is a currency, and I know how to spend it.
 Julian tried to intervene. He said I was going too far.
 He doesn't understand what this world demands of girls like us—girls who weren't born into power, who had to seize it.
 Lilly doesn't even realize she's in a war.
 But I do.
 A sharp knock rattles my dorm door.
 I check the time. 1:12 a.m.
 No one should be here.
 I open it halfway, and find nothing.
 Except for an envelope on the floor.
 No name. No return address.
 Inside—
 A photo. Grainy. Surveillance-like.
 Me, standing by the Chancellor's Office.
 On the back, written in bold ink:
 "𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙤𝙛."
 I stare at the message, heart racing.
 Because suddenly—this isn't just about Lilly.
 Someone else is playing this game.
 And I don't know whose side they're on.