The steady beep… beep… beep of a heart monitor filled the quiet hospital room. A faint ray of morning light filtered through the blinds, brushing against Tiana's pale face. Her wrist was wrapped in white gauze, and a bruise darkened the side of her forehead where the rod had struck.
Calvin sat beside her bed, his head in his hands, eyes bloodshot from sleepless hours. He hadn't left since she was brought in.
A soft knock came at the door, but he didn't look up.
"Mr. Stallion?" a nurse said gently. "You should rest—"
"I'm fine," he interrupted, voice hoarse. "Just… tell me when she wakes up."
The nurse sighed and left quietly. The moment the door clicked shut, Calvin exhaled shakily and looked at Tiana again.
"You were so close, Tia," he whispered. "So damn close."
He reached for her hand, clutching it tightly. "Whoever did this… I'll find them."
Across town, the halls of Wemberg High buzzed with speculation. News of Tiana's attack had spread like wildfire. The science fair had ended in chaos — flashing sirens, police tape, and rumors thicker than smoke.
In the cafeteria, Chloe sat at a corner table, pretending to scroll through her phone. But her trembling fingers betrayed her calm act.
"Did you hear?" a girl whispered behind her. "Someone said they found Tiana's phone near the stage."
"And there was… blood," another added, shuddering.
Chloe clenched her jaw and forced a small laugh. "People will say anything for drama," she muttered, though her heart hammered in her chest.
From across the room, Sophie watched her — uneasy, paranoid. The two hadn't spoken since Paris. Now, guilt weighed heavier than silence.
Sophie stood, walked over, and sat opposite Chloe. "You're shaking," she said quietly.
Chloe's head shot up. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not," Sophie said. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Chloe's lips twitched into a cold smile. "If you're here to accuse me again, don't."
"I'm not," Sophie replied. "But people are starting to talk. They think you did it."
Chloe froze. "What?"
"The teachers found Tiana's locker open," Sophie continued. "And inside — a flash drive with your initials engraved on it."
For a moment, Chloe couldn't breathe. "That's not possible," she whispered. "That's not— I didn't—"
Sophie leaned closer, voice trembling. "Chloe… what did you do?"
"I didn't touch her!" Chloe snapped, standing up abruptly, knocking her chair over. The whole cafeteria turned to stare.
Flushed and panicked, Chloe grabbed her bag and stormed out, her heels echoing down the corridor.
That night, Calvin stood outside the hospital window, staring up at the dim light glowing in Tiana's room. The London air was cold, his breath forming faint clouds in the night.
Behind him, footsteps crunched softly on the gravel.
"Still here?" a voice said.
He turned. It was Detective Walsh — the same investigator who had once worked for Tiana's father.
"Yeah," Calvin muttered. "Can't leave her alone."
Walsh nodded, pulling out a small notepad. "We've got something. The CCTV from the school's backstage."
Calvin's pulse quickened. "Show me."
The detective glanced around, then opened his phone, playing the footage. The screen showed a blurry figure approaching Tiana from behind. The lighting was dim — but as the figure raised an object, the faint reflection of blonde hair caught the frame.
Calvin's eyes widened. "That's… Chloe?"
Walsh paused the video. "That's what we think. Same height, same hair color, and the bracelet — identical to the one she wears."
Calvin clenched his fists. "I knew she hated Tiana, but this…"
Walsh pocketed the phone. "We'll question her tomorrow. For now, stay close to Tiana. If she wakes up, she might remember something."
As the detective walked away, Calvin stayed frozen under the moonlight, his chest tight with fury.
The Next Morning
Tiana's eyes fluttered open, vision hazy. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled her nose. When she turned her head, Calvin's face appeared beside her, full of relief and exhaustion.
"Tia," he breathed. "Thank God."
She tried to sit up, but pain shot through her skull. "What happened?"
"You were attacked," Calvin said softly. "At the fair. They think it was Chloe."
Tiana blinked, her thoughts foggy. "Chloe? No… that doesn't make sense. She's cruel, yes, but she wouldn't—"
"She would," Calvin cut in. "We saw the footage."
Tiana shook her head slowly. "It's not her. Something's off."
Before Calvin could reply, her monitor beeped faster. She reached for his hand, her grip weak but urgent.
"Calvin," she whispered, eyes wide. "Someone else was there."
"Who?"
But she was already fading again, eyes rolling back as the nurse rushed in.
Meanwhile, at Wemberg High, Chloe stood in the principal's office, pale and shaking as Detective Walsh questioned her.
"I didn't do it!" she cried. "You can't pin this on me — I wasn't even backstage!"
"Then why," Walsh said calmly, "was your bracelet found beside the bloodstain?"
"I lost that weeks ago!"
Walsh leaned forward. "Funny. Your classmates don't remember you wearing it since yesterday."
Tears welled in Chloe's eyes. "Someone's setting me up!"
Outside the office, Sophie pressed her ear to the door, guilt twisting her stomach into knots. She wanted to defend Chloe — but part of her feared the truth was exactly what it seemed.
As the detective left with the evidence bag, Chloe collapsed onto the floor, sobbing. "This isn't happening… it can't be…"
But in the corner of the hallway, half-hidden behind a row of lockers, Cersie watched quietly — a faint smirk curving her lips.
She held her phone, watching the security feed she had edited herself — the same footage Calvin had seen.
"Poor Chloe," she whispered, eyes glittering with mischief. "Always so easy to blame."
She slipped the phone into her pocket and walked away as the camera's red light blinked.