Chapter 57
Andrea woke up in Gabriel’s room, the sunlight streaming through the tall windows casting soft patterns on the walls. For a brief moment, she felt disoriented, the events of the previous night like a distant nightmare. But as she shifted beneath the oversized blankets and caught sight of Gabriel sitting quietly by the window, everything came rushing back.
The greenhouse. Claire. Stephen. The attack.
Her chest tightened, and she pulled the blankets closer around her, her hands trembling.
Gabriel noticed her stirring and stood, his usual calm demeanor tinged with an unease she hadn’t seen before. “Morning,” he said softly, pulling a chair closer to the bed.
Andrea didn’t respond, her voice caught somewhere in her throat.
“You’re safe here,” Gabriel reassured her, his tone steady. “I promise.”
Andrea nodded faintly, but her mind was too clouded to form words.
Gabriel hesitated, his eyes darkening. “There’s… something you need to know.”
Andrea stiffened, looking at him warily.
“This morning,” he began carefully, “two students were found dead on campus.”
Her stomach churned. “Who?”
Gabriel’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Stephen Olister and one of his friends. They were… beaten to death.”
Andrea’s blood ran cold. “Aiden?”
Gabriel nodded slowly, his expression grave. “We’re trying to handle it, but the situation is… complicated.”
Andrea swallowed hard, her mind racing. Stephen had been one of her attackers, but hearing about his death didn’t bring the relief she might have expected. Instead, it left her feeling hollow, as though the chaos surrounding her had finally reached a breaking point.
Later that day, Gabriel guided Andrea to Nathaniel’s private room. The air inside was tense, the kind of tension that made her feel like she shouldn’t be there.
All four Sinclair brothers were gathered, their expressions unreadable. Nathaniel stood by the large oak desk, his usual air of control strained. Aiden leaned against the wall, a bruise already forming on his cheek. Liam sat in an armchair, tapping his fingers against the armrest, while Gabriel took his place beside Andrea, his presence grounding her.
Nathaniel’s gaze softened when he saw her. “Andrea,” he said, his voice low, almost soothing.
She flinched as he stepped closer, her body instinctively recoiling.
“Don’t,” she said sharply, holding up a hand. “Don’t touch me.”
Nathaniel froze, his expression faltering. He looked at her as though she had struck him, the hurt flashing across his face before he quickly masked it. “I’m just trying to—”
“I don’t care,” Andrea snapped, avoiding his gaze. “Just… don’t.”
Nathaniel stepped back, his jaw tightening as he retreated to his place by the desk.
Liam let out a low whistle, breaking the awkward silence. “This is going great,” he muttered.
“Shut up,” Nathaniel barked, his calm composure snapping.
Nathaniel turned on Aiden, his voice rising. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
Aiden shrugged, his face impassive. “I handled the problem.”
“You handled the problem?” Nathaniel repeated, his tone incredulous. “You’ve endangered all of us—our family, our business. Stephen Olister wasn’t just some random idiot. He was the heir to the Olister crime family.”
Andrea’s breath caught. She hadn’t known that detail, and hearing it now made her stomach sink.
Nathaniel advanced on Aiden, his fury barely contained. “Do you have any idea what they’ll do when they find out you killed him? You’ve put us all in the crosshairs!”
Aiden pushed off the wall, his stance defiant. “I don’t regret it,” he said coldly. “He deserved worse.”
Nathaniel’s fist flew before anyone could intervene, connecting with Aiden’s nose with a sickening crunch.
Aiden staggered back, blood streaming down his face, but he didn’t flinch. “Feel better?” he sneered, wiping the blood with the back of his hand.
“Not even close,” Nathaniel growled, his fists still clenched.
Gabriel stepped between them, his voice firm. “That’s enough. Fighting each other isn’t going to fix this.”
Nathaniel exhaled sharply, turning away to regain his composure.
The brothers spent the rest of the meeting strategizing, their voices a tense mix of anger and urgency. Andrea sat silently, her mind replaying everything that had happened.
She barely noticed when Liam handed her a glass of water, his usual smirk replaced with quiet concern. “You okay?” he asked, his voice softer than usual.
Andrea nodded faintly, though she wasn’t sure if she believed it herself.
Later that evening, as the academy buzzed with rumors about the murders, a scandal of a different kind erupted.
Aiden, still fuming from the confrontation with Nathaniel, had leaked a damning video of Claire. The footage showed her at a private nightclub, drugged and surrounded by six men who were supposedly her friends. The humiliating scene played out across the academy forum, sparking outrage and disbelief.
Within hours, Claire’s reputation was in shambles. The Queen of Hearts was now the subject of ridicule and pity, her once-loyal followers quickly abandoning her.
Andrea stumbled upon the video while scrolling through her phone. Her stomach turned as she watched the footage, a mix of horror and unease bubbling within her.
“What the hell?” she muttered, her voice trembling.
