Liam didn't confront anyone at school.
He didn't storm into offices or demand explanations.
That wasn't his way.
Instead, he sat in the principal's office two days later, calm and composed, documents neatly arranged in front of him.
"This essay," Liam said evenly, sliding his tablet forward, "was shared without consent. The post came from a student account. Multiple screenshots confirm it."
The principal frowned. "We are already looking into it."
"I'm sure you are," Liam replied. "But I want to be clear—this isn't gossip. It's harassment."
Silence filled the room.
"We take that seriously," the principal said finally.
Liam nodded. "Good."
He stood, polite as ever. "I trust you'll handle it appropriately."
---
At school, the atmosphere shifted.
Phones were checked. Posts disappeared. Teachers watched more closely.
Ariana felt it immediately.
Her friends spoke less. Laughter faded the moment teachers passed. The confidence she once carried like armor began to crack.
She didn't know who had acted.
But she knew why.
---
Mira noticed the change too.
No more laughter in the halls. No new messages. No cruel notes slipped into her desk.
During lunch, a girl approached her hesitantly.
"I'm… sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have shared it."
Mira looked at her calmly. "Then don't do it again."
The girl nodded and left quickly.
Mira returned to her meal.
She didn't feel victorious.
She felt tired.
---
That evening, Liam found Mira in the small sitting room near the garden. She was practicing calligraphy, brush moving slowly, deliberately.
"You're very steady," he said gently.
Mira looked up. "I've had practice."
He smiled faintly. "I noticed things were… uncomfortable at school."
She lowered her brush. "It's better now."
Liam studied her for a moment. "If it ever isn't, you can tell me."
She met his eyes.
"Thank you," she said softly. "But I can handle myself."
"I know," he replied. "Still—no one should handle everything alone."
She nodded once.
That was all.
---
From the staircase above, Dominic paused.
He hadn't meant to listen.
But he had heard Liam's voice. Mira's calm reply. The quiet strength beneath it.
Something stirred—annoyance, perhaps.
Or something else.
He turned away before he could name it.
---
That night, Ariana lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling.
For the first time, no one was laughing with her.
No one was backing her up.
And the silence felt heavier than any punishment.