he would let it go. That he would be like every other entitled, self-absorbed

wasn't like

culated. And worst

followed her wherever she went, gazes that lingered too long, the way students would smir

ame br

dining hall, she felt it-the unmistaka

aulted ceilings, their prisms catching the morning sunlight. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined one side of the room,

signed to impress, to remind her

rying to make herself invisible as she wove through the tables.

ce cut throu

arship

w, drawn-out, drip

oom s

ring against her ribs. She didn't h

en V

served for the elite. His group-Ravenwood's untouchable royalty-surrounded him

sual arrogance. The sleeve of his uniform was pushed up just enough to reveal a silver ring

Tap

the silence, sl

o keep moving. Ignor

e it past almost w

e he

didn't need to raise his

crawled down

he entire room w

ed him, it w

ing around the tray as she stepped forward. Each step felt heavi

anding just outside the invisible bounda

significant, something unworthy of his time

I'd let the other

her expression blank.

as if the word itself was a joke. He shifted in h

Tap

er. In respect." His voice was quiet but carried across the hall, c

react, he tilted

m the rim-slow, deliberat

d, soaking through her napkin

ed as he set the em

he sai

rupted wit

ones who thrived off cruelty, who waited for mo

h caught in

back of her eyes, but sh

Not in fro

lowering his voice just eno

e, Ivy Monroe-you

warning.

uld feel the entire room waiting, hold

run? Would

ed around the ed

d stop herself, she d

e spilled tea and wiped her fingers ag

gle s

te, mirror

f stunne

ead ever so slightly

ter died

sh

ad been sucked

n sti

y smirk-but his eyes had darkened, sharpening like a pr

, but she forced hers

ew that much. But backing dow

d away, as if afraid to witness what would happen next. Others were

tely rigid. Their gazes met for a fraction of a second, a

u

s too lat

wly as if consider

s committing every detail to memory-the curve of her defiance, t

ftly, he sai

't soun

o

ded int

found something

to turn away first. She could feel his eyes on her back as she walked

at moment

made a very d

amien

ing to let h