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The pressure was mounting. Every day, Riele's double life grew harder to maintain, especially with her mother pushing her to get more information from Jace, and Jace unknowingly pulling her deeper into a connection she couldn't deny. She was caught between two worlds—each with demands she struggled to satisfy.
One afternoon, as she left her last class, Riele was stopped in the hallway by Clara, one of her closest friends from her "Felix" life. Clara was lively, outspoken, and, like the others, saw Felix as just another guy.
"Hey, Felix!" Clara's voice carried a spark of excitement. "Are we still on for the study group tonight? Everyone's going to be there."
Riele hesitated, weighing her options. She wanted to be close to Jace, to keep up the charade and fulfill her mother's expectations, but she also needed moments like these to keep up her friendships and make sure no one suspected her secret.
"Yeah, I'll be there," she finally replied, trying to push aside her anxieties. Maybe a study group could serve as a temporary escape from the tangle of loyalties she was trapped in.
Clara grinned, satisfied. "Awesome! And I heard Jace might show up too. You guys have been pretty close lately, huh?"
Riele's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to keep her cool. "Yeah, he's a good guy. We get along well."
But Clara wasn't fooled by her calm exterior. She narrowed her eyes and smirked. "Uh-huh. It seems like he's got more than 'friendship' in mind, Felix. You should watch out; he's got a reputation for being...well, intense."
"Intense" was an understatement. Riele knew better than anyone just how fiercely Jace could focus on someone. His protectiveness, his jealousy—it had grown increasingly clear that he didn't want to share her with anyone.
"I'll keep that in mind," Riele replied with a small smile, but inside, she was torn. Every warning made her think about the lengths Jace would go to if he ever discovered her true identity.
---
That evening, the study group gathered in the school library. The dim lighting and quiet ambiance were comforting, but Riele's nerves were already on edge, especially when she noticed Jace sitting across from her, his gaze sharp and focused.
As they worked through their assignments, Jace leaned forward, lowering his voice so only Riele could hear. "Felix, I've been thinking…about what you said. About secrets."
Riele's pulse quickened. She hoped her face didn't betray the surge of panic she felt. "What about them?"
"You just seem…different," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "Like there's something you're not telling me."
She forced a casual laugh. "Everyone has secrets, Jace. Even you."
But he didn't laugh. His expression remained serious, almost intense, and he reached over, lightly touching her hand. The contact sent a jolt through her, and she found herself staring into his eyes, captivated despite herself.
"I don't want you to hide from me, Felix," he murmured. "Whatever it is, I'd understand."
Riele swallowed hard, unable to look away from him. The weight of her deception felt unbearable in that moment, but she knew there was no way out. The truth would only destroy the fragile bond they'd built, and she couldn't afford that.
"I promise," she said quietly, "when the time is right, you'll know everything."
Jace held her gaze, his eyes darkening with something unreadable. "I'll hold you to that."
The tension between them was almost suffocating, but before anything more could be said, Clara and the others broke into laughter over a joke, snapping the tension.
---
Later that night, back at her mother's estate, Riele returned to her room and sat by the window, lost in thought. She was slipping, letting her emotions dictate her actions instead of her loyalty to her mother's plan. She knew her mother would see her hesitance as weakness, but the part of her that longed for something real, something genuine, couldn't be silenced.
As she stared out at the moonlit garden below, she heard footsteps approaching her door. A chill ran down her spine as her mother's goons, Marcus and another guard, entered her room without warning.
"Your mother has a message for you," Marcus said in his usual emotionless tone. "She wants you to deliver results soon, or she'll handle things herself."
Riele clenched her fists, feeling trapped. She was so close to Jace, close enough that he was starting to trust her completely. But every step she took brought her closer to betraying him, and the thought made her feel sick.
"Tell her I'll get the information she wants," she replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her.
Marcus nodded but didn't leave. "Just remember, Riele, loyalties lie with family. Any attachment beyond that is...dangerous."
The threat was clear. Her mother wouldn't hesitate to use any means necessary to keep her in line, even if it meant hurting the one person who made her feel alive.
After the guards left, Riele sank onto her bed, feeling more alone than ever. She knew that her time was running out, that the line between duty and desire was thinning with every encounter she had with Jace. The question was, which side would she choose before it was too late?
---
The following day, Jace found her in the school courtyard, his eyes dark and unreadable. There was a new intensity in the way he looked at her, a possessive edge that made her heart race.
"Felix," he said, pulling her aside from the others. "I've been thinking about what you said, about the truth. I'm done waiting."
Riele's heart pounded as she looked up at him. "What are you saying, Jace?"
"I don't care what it is," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't care about your secrets, or your past. I just need you to know that...I won't let you go."
The possessive glint in his eyes was both thrilling and terrifying, and she knew in that moment that he was serious. He wouldn't let her walk away from him, no matter what she was hiding.
But with her mother's eyes always watching, Riele realized that the choices she made in the coming days could change everything. She was walking a thin line, and one misstep could destroy everything she held dear.
For now, all she could do was keep pretending, knowing that the moment of truth was drawing ever closer—and with it, a reckoning she might not survive.