The whispers hadn't stopped all day.
Everywhere Liora went—through the lecture hall, across the courtyard, even in the cafeteria—students' eyes followed her.
Some looked curious. Some were amused.
But all of them remembered what she had done that morning.
She had stood up to Adrian Blackwood.
And humiliated him.
Liora didn't regret it. Not exactly. But she couldn't shake the heaviness in her chest. Adrian wasn't someone who laughed things off. He was someone who made people regret crossing him.
She just didn't know when it would happen.
By the time her classes ended, she was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to disappear into her room, maybe cry into her pillow where no one could see.
But when she reached the parking lot, she froze.
Adrian was waiting.
Leaning against his car, arms folded, his expression unreadable.
Her stomach dropped.
"Get in," he said. His tone was soft. Too soft.
Every nerve in her body screamed that it was a trap.
Still, she climbed in. The silence in the car was suffocating. Adrian didn't speak. He didn't even look at her. He just drove, calm and steady, until he stopped—not at the mansion, but at a luxury café near campus.
Confused, Liora frowned. "Why are we here?"
Adrian finally turned his head, and the smirk on his lips sent a chill down her spine.
"Revenge," he said simply.
Before she could reply, he was already out of the car.
Inside the café, the atmosphere shifted instantly. Students whispered, waiters scrambled, and girls practically melted as Adrian walked past.
And then—he grabbed Liora's wrist.
Her heart stuttered. "What are you—"
He pulled her close, sliding an arm around her waist as though they were lovers. His voice was smooth, loud enough for the watching crowd.
"Don't be shy, Liora," he murmured. "You wanted attention, didn't you? Now you have it."
Her blood ran cold.
The café fell silent, everyone staring.
Adrian smirked down at her, his act flawless. "My fiancée is a little shy, forgive her."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Liora's entire body stiffened. Fiancée?
She tried to push him away, but his grip tightened. "Adrian, stop this."
"Oh, but why?" His voice was a purr only she could hear. "This is what you wanted, isn't it? To embarrass me? Now let's see how you enjoy being the center of the show."
Her cheeks burned as whispers filled the café. Some people stared in envy. Others glared with jealousy.
And Adrian drank it all in, satisfied.
"Smile," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear. "Or I'll make sure you regret it even more."
Tears pricked at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She lifted her chin, forcing her face into something resembling confidence.
If he wanted a show, she'd give him one.
"Fiancée?" she repeated loudly, her voice carrying. "Don't flatter yourself, Adrian. You couldn't even dream of deserving me."
The café gasped again.
For a moment, Adrian's mask cracked. His eyes darkened, his grip loosening just slightly.
And Liora, seizing the moment, shoved him away.
She stormed out of the café, her pulse racing, her body trembling.
But as she stepped into the cool evening air, one truth pressed down on her chest.
She had won this round.
But Adrian Blackwood wasn't done with her.
Not even close.