---
I left the club, my anger still burning, but my mind was calm and focused. Lucas would regret what he did. People like him always underestimated me, and I loved proving them wrong. By the time I got home, I already had my revenge planned.
Sophia was sitting on the couch, her textbooks and notes spread out around her. She looked up, her eyes narrowing in concern.
"You're back early," she said, setting her coffee mug down.
"I had an eventful night," I said, tossing my bag on the floor.
"What happened?" she asked, sitting up straighter.
I sighed, flopping down beside her. "I caught Lucas with Bianca at the club."
Sophia gasped, her jaw dropping. "That snake? Are you kidding me? What did you do?"
"Oh, I handled it," I said, a slow smirk spreading across my face.
Sophia leaned in, her curiosity piqued. "Define 'handled it.'"
"Let's just say Lucas's penthouse is... warmer than it used to be."
Her eyes widened in shock, then she burst into laughter. "Raven! Tell me you didn't!"
"Why not?" I said, shrugging. "He deserved it. Nobody messes with me and walks away unscathed."
Sophia shook her head, laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. "You're insane, you know that?"
"No," I corrected, grinning. "I'm just creative."
---
The next morning, I was in the middle of making breakfast when someone pounded on the door. I rolled my eyes, already guessing who it was.
"Don't even bother answering," Sophia called from the couch.
"Too late," I muttered, swinging the door open.
Sure enough, Lucas stood there, his hair disheveled and his expression livid.
"Did you burn down my penthouse?" he barked, his voice low and furious.
I leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "Good morning to you, too."
"Raven," he said through gritted teeth. "Did. You. Do. It?"
"Why would I waste my energy on someone as insignificant as you?" I said, tilting my head.
His face darkened. "You're crazy."
"And you're boring me," I said sweetly before slamming the door in his face.
Sophia peeked around the corner, a cup of coffee in hand. "Was that Lucas?"
"Yep," I said, grabbing my omelet from the stove.
"Did you deny it?"
"Obviously," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm not stupid."
She laughed. "He looked like he was about to explode. Remind me never to get on your bad side."
"You're safe," I said, smirking. "For now."
---
After breakfast, we headed to campus. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and for the first time in days, I felt genuinely happy.
Sophia and I split ways when we got to the main building. She was a med student, always buried in her books and constantly stressed about exams. Meanwhile, I was in engineering. My schedule was brutal, but I loved it.
I met up with Valentina and Julian before our lecture started. Valentina was already deep into a story about some drama she overheard in the cafeteria, and Julian was laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
"You're late," Valentina teased as I sat down.
"Long night," I said with a shrug.
"Was it Lucas?" Julian asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yup," I said, grinning. "And let's just say he's having a rough morning."
Both of them laughed, and for the first time in a while, I felt like I could relax.
---
The day flew by in a blur of classes, projects, and laughter. Graduation was just around the corner, and everyone was buzzing with excitement. The engineering labs were filled with last-minute experiments, and the energy on campus was infectious.
By the time I got home, I was exhausted but content. Sophia was already on the couch, her nose buried in her anatomy textbook.
"Good day?" she asked without looking up.
"Better than yesterday," I said, dropping onto the couch beside her.
She smiled. "Good. You deserve it."
For the first time in a while, I felt like maybe she was right.
---