The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the empty parking lot as Hanna walked towards Elordi. Her thoughts were heavy, weighed down by the tension that seemed to follow her wherever she went. Finn’s words echoed in her mind, but the gravity of what she had to do next kept pushing her forward.
Elordi’s figure loomed by his car, leaning against it casually, his usual smirk on display. But there was something different about him today—something harder in his eyes.
“You look like hell,” Elordi said, his voice laced with amusement.
Hanna managed a tired smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks. What do you have for me?”
Elordi pushed off the car and handed her a folder. There was no playful banter this time. His usual swagger was gone, replaced by a sharp seriousness that made the hairs on the back of Hanna’s neck stand up.
“This is it,” he said, his voice low. “The nail in her coffin.”
Hanna took the folder, her fingers trembling slightly as she flipped it open. Her eyes scanned the contents quickly—screenshots, documents, and a series of logs. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw what it was.
Ciara had hacked into the school’s system. There were timestamps, IP addresses, even traces of the tools she had used to alter grades. It was all there in black and white.
Hanna swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper. “This could get her expelled.”
Elordi leaned closer, his presence almost suffocating. “It could do a lot more than that,” he murmured, his tone dark, with a hint of something dangerous.
Hanna felt her stomach churn. She knew exactly what Elordi meant. This wasn’t just about taking Ciara down—it was about destroying her completely. If they used this information, it wouldn’t just ruin Ciara’s reputation. It could ruin her future. Her entire life.
She looked up at Elordi, her heart racing. “And what do you expect in return?”
Elordi smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “You’ve already given me what I want. We both know this is bigger than just you and her. It’s about taking down the person who has been manipulating everyone for years.”
Hanna’s chest tightened. “You’re using this to get to her, aren’t you? This is more about your revenge than anything else.”
Elordi’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes grew colder. “I’m not pretending to be a saint, Hanna. I do what I need to do to win. And this? This is what needs to happen.”
Hanna’s fingers tightened around the folder. She didn’t want to make a decision like this. She didn’t want to sink to Ciara’s level. But with every passing day, the stakes grew higher. Ciara had already destroyed so much. And yet, Hanna wasn’t sure she was ready to go as far as Elordi was suggesting.
“Are you sure this is the only way?” Hanna asked, her voice shaking slightly.
Elordi stood a little taller, his expression hardening. “I’m sure. You know what she’s capable of. You know how far she’s willing to go. This is the only way to end it.”
Hanna stared at him, uncertainty swirling in her gut. She had worked so hard to fight Ciara’s lies, but now, standing in front of Elordi, the lines between right and wrong had blurred. She had wanted to be the one to end it, to expose Ciara for what she was. But this—this was something darker. It was a game she didn’t want to play, but one she might have no choice but to join.
“I’ll think about it,” Hanna said, her voice barely audible.
Elordi’s smirk returned, though it was tinged with a new edge. “Take your time. But don’t take too long. We both know Ciara won’t stop until she’s taken you down.”
Hanna didn’t respond. She turned away, the weight of the decision pressing down on her. What was she willing to sacrifice to end this? How far would she go to protect herself, her friends, and her future?
As she walked away, the unanswered questions lingered in the air, and Hanna realized she was standing at the edge of a cliff, unsure of which direction to fall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~