Later that evening, as Hanna tried to process the events of the day, her phone buzzed with a message that made her stomach twist. It was from Elordi.
Elordi: You did good today. But don’t think she’s done.
Hanna stared at the screen, the words sinking in. She had expected as much—Ciara wasn’t the type to go down quietly. The battle had been won, but the war? That was still uncertain.
Hanna: I know. What do we do now?
Her fingers hovered over the screen as she considered her next words. She didn’t want to rely on Elordi any more than she had to, but in this situation, she felt cornered. Ciara wasn’t just a threat to her anymore—she was threatening everything Hanna had built, everything she had worked so hard to hold onto.
Her phone buzzed again, and she braced herself for what was coming next.
Elordi: You let me handle it.
Hanna’s fingers froze on the screen. The message was so simple, yet it carried with it a promise of more than she was comfortable with. Elordi wasn’t someone she trusted completely—she knew that much—but at the same time, he had the resources, the connections, to take down Ciara once and for all.
But at what cost?
The unease settled deeper in her chest. Elordi was a wildcard, unpredictable and ruthless when he wanted to be. Hanna had seen that side of him, and she didn’t know if she could rely on him without something dark taking hold of her own sense of morality.
Her mind raced, torn between wanting to finish this once and for all and knowing that getting deeper into Elordi’s world could pull her further from the life she wanted to rebuild.
Hanna: What exactly do you mean by that?
The reply came almost instantly.
Elordi: You don’t need to worry about the details. I’ll take care of it. You’ve done enough.
Hanna bit her lip, frustration building. He was trying to take control of the situation, leaving her with no room to make decisions.
But the truth was, Hanna felt powerless. Ciara had already taken so much from her—her reputation, her peace of mind—and now, she was threatening to take the last thing Hanna had left: her relationship with Finn.
Hanna: Fine. But I’m not crossing any lines.
The silence on the other end was palpable for a few moments. Hanna could almost hear Elordi’s smirk through the screen as he replied.
Elordi: No promises. Just trust me.
Hanna’s stomach churned. There was a part of her that still wasn’t sure she could trust him, but the weight of everything Ciara had done pushed her forward. She couldn’t afford to wait any longer. She needed this nightmare to end.
She set her phone down, staring at it for a long moment. The room around her seemed quieter now, her thoughts louder. The darkness of her choices loomed, and Hanna wondered if this was really the path she wanted to take.
But it was too late to turn back now. She had already walked too far into this world.
Her phone buzzed again, pulling her from her thoughts.
Finn: Can we talk?
Her heart skipped a beat. The message was simple, but the weight of it hit her all at once. Finn had been quiet all day, his presence a calm but distant reassurance. She hadn’t heard from him since the assembly, and despite the overwhelming relief of having the truth exposed, there was still so much unsaid between them.
She typed a quick reply.
Hanna: Of course. I’ll be there soon.
She stood up from her desk, her hands shaking. The choice she had made to work with Elordi, to take matters into her own hands, weighed on her like a lead anchor. But right now, she had to face Finn—face him and make sure he knew that no matter how many battles Ciara threw at them, she was still here, still fighting for what they had.
And that was more important than anything else.
As she headed out the door, her mind kept racing. This was just the beginning, and Hanna knew that whatever came next—whether it was Elordi’s plan or the fallout from Ciara’s latest scheme—she would have to confront it head-on.
But for now, she had Finn. And that was all that mattered.
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