Hanna sat hunched over her notes in the dimly lit library, the weight of Ciara’s last threat still lingering in her mind. Across from her, Emily furiously scribbled ideas into her notebook, pausing only to tap her pen against the table in frustration.
“Have you heard anything else from her?” Emily finally asked, her voice hushed but tense.
Hanna shook her head, her eyes fixed on the table. “Just the message from last night. ‘You’ll regret crossing me.’” She let out a shaky breath. “It’s like she’s everywhere, even when she’s not.”
Emily frowned, leaning closer. “We need more leverage. Something that’ll force her to back off for good. I’m talking about something that’ll make her too scared to even try again.”
Hanna opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the chair across from them scraped loudly against the floor. Elordi slid into the seat, his usual smirk firmly in place as he surveyed the two of them with amusement.
“You two look like you’re plotting a coup,” he said, leaning back in his chair with a casual confidence that made Hanna want to both roll her eyes and scream.
“Maybe we are,” Hanna replied, crossing her arms and meeting his gaze. “What’s it to you?”
Elordi’s smirk widened as he reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out his phone. “Because,” he said, placing it on the table and sliding it toward them, “I’ve got something that might help.”
Hanna exchanged a wary glance with Emily before picking up the phone. On the screen was a grainy video of Ciara standing in a dark hallway, her face twisted in anger as she argued with someone off-camera. Her voice was sharp, venomous, and filled with threats.
“You think you can just walk away from me?” Ciara snapped in the video. “You’re nothing without me, and I can destroy you any time I want.”
The person off-camera responded, their voice muffled and shaky, but Ciara’s words were unmistakable. “If you don’t fix this, I’ll make sure everyone knows what you did. And believe me, they’ll hate you more than they hate me.”
Hanna’s stomach twisted as she replayed the video, her mind racing. “What is this?”
Elordi shrugged, his smirk never wavering. “It was sent to me anonymously this morning. Guess someone else out there wants her taken down too.”
Emily leaned over, her eyes wide as she watched the video. “This is… this is perfect. Who sent it?”
Elordi spread his hands in mock innocence. “No idea. They didn’t leave a name. Just a message that said, ‘Use this wisely.’”
Hanna set the phone down, her fingers trembling slightly. The video was damning—proof that Ciara’s manipulative tactics extended far beyond what she had already exposed. But it also raised more questions than it answered.
“Why would someone send this to you?” Hanna asked, narrowing her eyes at Elordi. “What aren’t you telling us?”
Elordi chuckled, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. “Relax, sweetheart. I’m just the messenger. Whoever sent it clearly knows I’m the best person to get it into the right hands.”
Emily snorted. “Or they just know you can’t resist getting involved in drama.”
“Either way,” Elordi said, ignoring her jab, “you’ve got a new weapon. So, what’s the plan?”
Hanna hesitated, her mind torn. On one hand, the video could be exactly what they needed to neutralize Ciara for good. But on the other hand, she couldn’t ignore the fact that this mysterious sender had chosen Elordi, of all people, to deliver it. That didn’t sit right with her.
“We need to verify it,” Hanna said finally, her voice firm. “I’m not using this unless I know it’s real.”
Elordi rolled his eyes but nodded. “Fine. Play detective if you want. But don’t wait too long. Ciara’s not going to give you time to think.”
Hanna ignored him, turning to Emily. “Can you enhance the audio? Maybe figure out who she’s talking to?”
Emily nodded eagerly, already pulling out her laptop. “I’ll get started tonight.”
As Elordi stood to leave, he leaned down close to Hanna, his smirk softening into something more serious. “Be careful, Hanna. The closer you get to her, the more dangerous this game becomes.”
Hanna didn’t respond, her thoughts too consumed by the video and the possibilities it held. As Elordi walked away, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew more than he was letting on.
“Do you trust him?” Emily asked quietly, her eyes still on the screen as she worked.
Hanna shook her head. “No. But I trust that he wants Ciara gone as much as we do.”
Emily glanced up, her expression skeptical. “Let’s hope that’s enough.”
As Hanna sat back in her chair, her mind raced with questions. Who had sent the video? Why now? And most importantly, what would Ciara do when she realized they had it?
For the first time since the assembly, Hanna felt a flicker of hope. But it was tempered by the cold realization that the real fight was just beginning.
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