Despite her growing unease, Hanna agreed to meet Elordi again after school. The weight of Ciara’s attacks had taken its toll on her, and part of her knew that if there was any chance to stop the storm Ciara had created, she had to take it. But trusting Elordi—someone who had always walked the line between ally and adversary—was another matter entirely. Still, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she needed him. He was the one person who seemed to know where the cracks in Ciara’s armor were.
As she sat down across from him in the coffee shop, Hanna could feel the weight of her decision pressing down on her. Elordi was already there, as expected, his usual smirk firmly in place. But this time, there was something different in his demeanor—a quiet intensity that hadn’t been there before.
Without a word, Elordi slid his phone across the table toward her, his eyes watching her intently. “She’s messy,” he said, his tone almost casual. “She’s always been good at hiding her tracks, but not good enough.”
Hanna’s gaze flicked from the phone to Elordi, then back to the screen. The moment she unlocked it, she felt her pulse quicken. There were screenshots of text messages, photos, and even an old video clip that made her stomach twist in discomfort. The messages were damning—Ciara talking about her plans to ruin Hanna’s reputation, manipulating people to get what she wanted, and even threatening those who crossed her. The video was worse, showing Ciara speaking in a low, threatening tone, making it clear that anyone who stood in her way would regret it.
Hanna swallowed hard as she processed what she was seeing. The evidence was irrefutable. Ciara’s true nature was exposed in ways Hanna had never imagined. But as she stared at the phone, her mind raced with one question that she couldn’t shake.
“Why didn’t you bring this forward sooner?” she asked, her voice a little sharper than she intended.
Elordi didn’t flinch at the accusation. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed casually over his chest. “Because I didn’t care before,” he said bluntly. “She wasn’t my problem. But now? Now it’s personal.”
Hanna’s brow furrowed as she looked up at him. There was something in his voice—something that hinted at a deeper motive. It wasn’t just about Ciara’s actions anymore. There was something more, something that connected Elordi to this fight in a way Hanna hadn’t yet understood.
The silence between them grew, heavy with the weight of his words. Hanna hesitated before asking the question that had been gnawing at her for days. She had always known Elordi had his own motives, but this was different. If he was willing to risk everything to bring down Ciara, there had to be a reason.
“What did she do to you?” Hanna asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
For the first time since they’d started talking, Elordi’s smirk faltered, replaced by something colder, harder. He didn’t look at her, instead staring off into the distance, his jaw tightening as though the question had struck a nerve. Hanna’s pulse quickened. This was more than just a game to him. She could see it now—the anger, the resentment bubbling beneath the surface.
“Let’s just say she’s not the only one who knows how to play dirty,” Elordi said, his voice low and tight. There was a note of finality in his words, and though he didn’t elaborate further, Hanna knew that whatever had happened between them had left scars that weren’t visible on the surface.
Hanna swallowed, unsure of whether to press him further. She had a feeling that digging into Elordi’s past with Ciara would only open a Pandora’s box she wasn’t sure she wanted to explore. But at the same time, she couldn’t ignore the fact that Elordi’s motivations were tied up in something personal, something far more complicated than just a desire to see Ciara fall.
“Why now, then?” Hanna asked cautiously, her voice quieter. “Why help me, when you’ve stayed out of it before? What changed?”
Elordi finally turned his gaze back to her, his expression unreadable. “Maybe I’m tired of being used. Maybe I’m tired of her thinking she can control everything. She’s hurt a lot of people, and it’s time someone made her pay.”
The words hung in the air between them, charged with a tension that Hanna couldn’t ignore. There was more to Elordi than the charming, arrogant persona he wore like a shield. Beneath that surface, there was something darker, something he wasn’t ready to fully reveal. And as much as she hated to admit it, Hanna knew she couldn’t afford to ignore his offer, no matter how dangerous it might be.
“I still don’t trust you,” Hanna said, her voice steady despite the turmoil swirling inside her. “But if you can really help me bring her down, then I’ll take what you’re offering.”
Elordi’s lips curled into a half-smile, though there was no warmth behind it. “Smart move,” he said. “But don’t forget—you’re in this with me now. No turning back.”
Hanna didn’t respond, but inside, she knew the truth: there was no turning back. Not now. Not when the stakes were this high. As much as she disliked relying on Elordi, as much as his presence made her uneasy, she knew that he was the only one with the power to expose Ciara’s lies for what they were.
But she also knew that working with Elordi meant walking a dangerous line. He wasn’t an ally in the traditional sense. He was unpredictable, and in a game this ruthless, that made him both a dangerous asset and an even more dangerous liability.
As she walked away from the table, the weight of the decision hung heavily on her shoulders. She had made a deal with someone who had no loyalty—someone who would help her tear down Ciara, but for his own reasons, and at whatever cost. But in the end, Hanna couldn’t afford to play it safe. Not anymore.