Campus Library - 2:55 PM
Stephanie's hands trembled as she walked through the library's main floor, past students hunched over textbooks and laptops, toward the reference section at the back.
She shouldn't be here. She knew she shouldn't be here.
But the thought of Emily winning again, of being overshadowed again, of spending the rest of her life being "the girl who betrayed her sister" while Emily became "the brilliant Mrs. Blackwood" it was unbearable.
The reference section was nearly empty. Just old books no one used anymore, dusty shelves, and poor lighting that the library kept meaning to fix but never did.
Perfect for a secret meeting.
Stephanie checked her phone. 3:00 PM exactly.
"You're punctual," a voice said from behind a shelf. "I appreciate that."
Stephanie spun around to find a woman stepping into view mid-forties, expensively dressed in a way that whispered old money, with sharp eyes that assessed Stephanie like a predator evaluating prey.
