The air in the school felt thick with tension as the rumors spread like wildfire. By the time lunch was over, the news of Ciara’s grade hacking had exploded across the campus. Hanna sat at their usual table with Emily, Talia, and Finn, her eyes focused on the phone in her hands, her heart hammering in her chest as she refreshed the student forum over and over.
The evidence they had leaked had done its job. The truth was out, and Ciara was now facing the consequences. But even as the weight of the moment settled over her, Hanna couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of unease.
“She’s been called to the principal’s office,” Emily said, glancing at her phone. “They’re finally going to do something about her.”
Hanna looked up, meeting Finn’s gaze. For the first time in days, his expression softened, a small flicker of pride in his eyes. She could feel the distance between them slowly narrowing, but there was still so much left unspoken.
“You did it,” Talia said, her voice trembling slightly with disbelief. “You really took her down.”
Hanna let out a shaky breath, the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on her. “We did it,” she corrected, glancing at each of her friends. “But it doesn’t feel real.”
“Why?” Finn asked, his brow furrowing. He reached across the table and placed a hand over hers, his touch warm and reassuring.
Hanna stared at their hands, the truth of the situation sinking in. “Because even though we’ve exposed her, I still don’t think it’s over. Ciara doesn’t go down without a fight. I don’t trust that this is the end of it.”
Emily shook her head, frustration evident in her tone. “Hanna, she’s cornered. There’s no way she can escape this. Her reputation’s ruined. People are already turning on her.”
“I know,” Hanna said quietly. “But Ciara’s always had a way of making things worse. I can’t shake the feeling that she’s got something up her sleeve. Something we’re not seeing.”
Talia, who had been silent for a few moments, leaned forward. “I get it. But maybe this time, we’ve really won. She’s going to have to face the consequences, and this time, it’ll be harder for her to twist things to her advantage.”
Hanna nodded, but her heart remained heavy. She couldn’t let her guard down. Not yet.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and as they all stood up to leave, Hanna’s phone buzzed again. She glanced down at the screen, her stomach twisting as she saw the name that appeared.
Elordi: This isn’t over. Don’t get comfortable.
Hanna swallowed hard, her pulse quickening. Elordi’s words hung in the air like a warning. She had known Ciara wouldn’t go down without a fight, but now it seemed as though Elordi himself was still in the picture, pulling strings behind the scenes.
She slipped her phone into her pocket, trying to push the anxiety down. But no matter how many times she told herself that they had won, a small voice in the back of her mind kept repeating the same thing: It’s not over.
As Hanna walked to her next class, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the real battle was just beginning.
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