Upcoming scandal
Nadine was speechless. Was this her life now? And why was she so invested in his life? He could do whatever he wanted—she didn't care. The most important thing right now was that he kept his goddamn mouth shut.
Looking around, she could see the mocking gazes of people around her. Of course, the news of her getting rejected would be the gossip of Paradise. Not wanting to indulge any further in the weird conversation circulating, she made her way to the cafeteria, where Luna and Jeremy were already seated.
Luna, upon sighting her, waved enthusiastically. "Nadine, over here!" she called. Nadine smiled faintly and started moving toward them, but stopped when her eyes caught something peculiar. It was Vesper and Ophelia, pointing at something and acting strangely.
"Nadine! Come over, we're waiting," Luna's voice snapped her back to reality. Shrugging off the weird feeling, Nadine continued to their table.
"So, guys," Nadine began as she settled into her seat, "have you heard about the Founder's Day party? Who's staying behind with me?" She expected Luna and Jeremy to seamlessly agree, but their reactions took her by surprise.
Luna scratched her head awkwardly and whispered, "Actually, Nina gave Jeremy an invitation to the Founder's Day ball. She said Ava Gonzalez invited us personally."
Nadine's face went blank for a moment. Why the hell would she do that—invite him to the party? Something wasn't right; she could feel it in her bones.
"Guys, I have a bad feeling about this party. Why don't we just skip it? Founder's Day is so cliché, and we have anatomy practicals coming up, remember?" Nadine tried to reason with them.
Jeremy turned to her, his tone unusually sharp. "Nadine, sorry, but we have to go. We don't usually get invited to events like this. To me, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to mingle with high-class people."
Nadine didn't respond immediately. Why did it feel like Jeremy was desperately trying to climb the social ladder?
"You don't have to be so curious. I've attended plenty of these balls, and trust me, they're not as interesting as they seem," she replied confidently, directing her words toward Jeremy.
His eyes darkened slightly. "You see, Nadine, that's the issue. People like you wouldn't understand. Yes, we're commoners—I know that. I'm a scholarship student, struggling to pay my fees. For me, being invited to an event like this is a dream. And here you are, telling me to reject it. Do you even hear yourself?"
Luna stared at him, shocked. Nadine, on the other hand, was speechless. Why the sudden hostility? Before she could respond, Jeremy stood up angrily and stormed off.
"What's wrong with him? I just asked a harmless question," Nadine said, bewildered. Luna shrugged, equally confused. At that moment, Simon and Harlan entered the cafeteria.
"I don't like those two; they give me the creeps," Nadine muttered, pointing at the dashing young men marching into the building. As they passed by, Simon's shoulder brushed against Jeremy, causing him to stumble and drop his plate. Sauce spilled all over his pristine white uniform.
Jeremy frowned deeply, pissed beyond measure, but Simon ignored him and kept walking. Harlan patted Simon's shoulder mockingly. "Take that, you trash of a scholarship student," he sneered.
As if nothing had happened, the two continued on their way, leaving Jeremy humiliated. Nadine wanted to help, but Jeremy's eyes locked onto Rose's. Her sister, however, scoffed and turned away, further crushing Jeremy's spirit. Furious, he left the cafeteria, and Luna's worried gaze followed him.
Nadine shook her head in sympathy. It was clear Jeremy was under a lot of pressure. But what followed next was even more shocking. Rose walked up to Simon, whispered something in his ear, and his reaction caused a ripple of murmurs among the students.
Luna frowned deeply. "What's your sister doing? Doesn't she know Simon is taken?"
Nadine smirked knowingly. "Oh, she knows. Rose is using him for something. It's obvious. But why?" She sighed, deciding she didn't care. Ezekiel's sudden appearance in her thoughts these days was more troubling. She had no choice now; she had to attend the party.
"Okay, Luna, I'll come to the party," she finally said.
Luna's face brightened with delight. "Wow, I'm so happy you changed your mind! Don't worry, Nadine. I'll stay by your side," Luna assured her with a smile.
But before Nadine could respond, a loud scream pierced through the cafeteria, silencing the chatter. Everyone turned in panic. There, lying on the ground, was Nina—unconscious and bleeding from her ears and nose.
"Oh my gosh! Someone call an ambulance! She's not breathing!" a voice shouted. Chaos erupted as a stretcher was brought in, carrying Nina's lifeless body to the waiting vehicle.
Nadine's eyes followed the commotion, but her gaze stopped on Rose, who stood in the corner, smiling darkly. Beside her was a strange boy.
"Who's that guy with my sister?" Nadine asked.
Luna shifted nervously. "That's Rowan. Rumor has it he just got out of juvenile detention. He's Ava Gonzalez's cousin."
Nadine's face paled. A juvenile delinquent here? And the malicious look on Rose's face only confirmed her suspicions. Her sister had planned this.
Meanwhile, Vesper, sitting opposite the commotion, put down her plate and shrieked. Ophelia looked as pale as chalk.
"Did Rose just turn our plan against us? How the hell did she know what we were going to do?" Vesper whispered in panic.
Ophelia didn't respond. This was beyond her. It seemed that removing Rose from the equation would be harder than they thought. It was time to upgrade their game. Tonight, at 10 p.m., during the Founder's Day event, there would be blood.
Rose's giggle echoed through the hall as she continued her conversation with Rowan. Simon, standing nearby, winked at her. This act didn't go unnoticed by Nadine, who was silently observing everything.
"Goodness," she muttered to herself. "It seems everyone in this school is crazy. In fact, crazier than it might seem."
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