The morning sunlight broke over Paradise High, but its warmth failed to reach the cold tension that gripped the school. News of Sylvia's gruesome accident had spread like wildfire. Students whispered in hushed clusters, their eyes filled with shock and dread. Some claimed they had seen the chandelier crash, while others speculated about sabotage. Whatever the truth, it was undeniable: Paradise High was shaken to its core.
Rose paced frantically outside the clinic, her footsteps echoing in the otherwise quiet corridor. The clinic was swarmed with doctors and nurses, their faces grim as they worked tirelessly to stabilize Sylvia. Rose felt helpless. Her best friend lay behind those doors, fighting for her life, and there was nothing she could do.
Emily stood nearby, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "Rose, you need to calm down. Sylvia is strong. She'll pull through."
Rose spun around, her eyes wild with desperation. "Calm down? Emily, her body was pierced by a chandelier! Her face, her eyes—she might never recover!"
Emily flinched, the weight of Rose's words settling heavily on her shoulders. She had no response, no assurances to give.
"Where were you when it happened?" Rose demanded, her voice sharp and accusing. "You're always with Sylvia. How could you not be there?"
Emily opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the clinic door swung open. A doctor in a pristine white coat emerged, his expression somber. "Sylvia is being transferred to the city hospital in Silver Hill," he announced. "She needs specialized care immediately."
Rose's heart sank further. The doctor's words felt like confirmation of her worst fears. As the medical team prepared to move Sylvia, Rose's knees buckled, and she would have fallen if Emily hadn't caught her.
"She'll be okay," Emily whispered, though her voice wavered with doubt.
But Rose wasn't listening. She pulled away, her gaze burning with suspicion. "You still haven't answered me, Emily. Where were you?"
Emily's expression hardened, her lips trembling as tears welled in her eyes. "You think I had something to do with this?" she asked, her voice cracking. "How could you, Rose? How could you think I'd hurt my best friend?"
"Then explain yourself!" Rose shouted.
"I was with Harlan," Emily retorted, her tone edged with frustration. "Ask him if you don't believe me. I didn't touch that chandelier, and I'd never harm Sylvia—not for a man, not for anyone!"
Rose's shoulders slumped, her anger giving way to sorrow. "Then who did this? Who would want to hurt her?" she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Emily didn't have an answer.
Elsewhere in the dimly lit school basement, Vesper and Ophelia cornered Ava near the storage room. Their faces were tense, their voices low but accusatory.
"Ava," Vesper began, her tone cold, "did you do it?"
Ophelia crossed her arms. "Did you pour the acid on the chandelier rope like we planned?"
Ava's face hardened, her jaw clenching as she turned to Nina, who stood silently beside her. Nina's hands trembled, her gaze fixed on the floor.
"I realized I couldn't do it," Ava admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I tried—I really did. I thought about pouring the acid on Rose's face, but I couldn't. I'm not that wicked. I don't know who took the acid or used it on the rope."
Nina's head shot up, her wide eyes filled with fear as Ava continued.
"Nina, did you give the acid to someone else?" Ava asked, her voice sharp.
Nina nodded slowly, her movements almost robotic. Being under Ava's control had broken her spirit, but something about this situation felt even more sinister.
"That means someone was watching us," Ophelia said, her voice laced with unease. "They must have known about our plan. When we backed out, they stole the acid and used it themselves."
Vesper ran a hand through her hair, her mind racing. "Whoever it was, they wanted Sylvia dead. The rope wasn't just tampered with—it was drenched in sulfuric acid. There's no way she'll recover from this."
A heavy silence fell over the group as the weight of their failed plot sank in.
---
Back outside the clinic, Rose sat on a bench, her head in her hands. Her mind replayed the horrifying scene over and over again—the chandelier crashing down, Sylvia's screams, the blood pooling on the marble floor. It was too much.
Emily sat beside her, hesitant to speak. She had never seen Rose this broken before.
"Rose," she began softly, "you have to believe me. I would never hurt Sylvia. She's my best friend, just like you are. I—"
Rose cut her off, her voice cracking. "Then why weren't you there? If you had been with her, maybe this wouldn't have happened!"
Emily's eyes filled with tears. "I was with Harlan why don't you believe me Rose ," she repeated. "If you don't believe me, ask him yourself."
Rose didn't respond. She simply buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
---
Meanwhile, Luna stood in a dark corner of the school library, her breaths shallow and rapid. She had seen everything. She had watched the perpetrator tamper with the chandelier rope, their movements deliberate and calculated.
She had recognized them, too.
But now, her life was in danger. If they found out she had seen them, they wouldn't hesitate to silence her.
Luna pressed a hand to her racing heart, her mind spinning with fear. She couldn't go to the authorities—there was no proof. And if she confronted the culprit, she might not live to see another day.
For now, all she could do was stay quiet and pray that the truth would come to light before it was too late.
****
The secrets of Paradise High were growing darker by the moment. With Sylvia fighting for her life, Ava and her group grappling with the consequences of their actions, and Luna harboring a dangerous secret, the school's fragile balance was teetering on the edge.
But one question loomed above all else: Who was behind the chandelier sabotage, and how far were they willing to go to cover their tracks?