Lila's blood turned to ice.
Nina stepped into the room, her silver dress glinting under the lights. The door clicked shut behind her.
*This was a setup.*
Lila's fingers tightened around the files. "You knew I'd come."
Nina smirked. "Of course I did." She strolled forward, heels tapping against the hardwood. "You're predictable, Lila. Desperate people always are."
Lila's heart hammered. She glanced at the open safe, then back to Nina. There was no way out but through.
"Why?" she demanded. "Why target *me*?"
Nina tilted her head. "Because Jaxon picked you."
The words hit like a slap.
*Jaxon picked me?*
Before Lila could react, Nina snatched the files from her hands. "Did you really think this was about scholarships?" She laughed, cold and sharp. "This was always about *him*."
Lila's mind raced. "What are you talking about?"
Nina's smile faded. "Two years ago, Jaxon and I were *everything*. The golden couple. The future of Crescent Bay." Her fingers curled into fists. "Then he betrayed me. Walked away like I was nothing."
Lila's stomach twisted. *Jaxon and Nina?* It made sense—the tension between them, the way Nina watched him.
"So this is… *revenge*?" Lila asked.
Nina's eyes glittered. "It's a *lesson*." She stepped closer. "I knew if I dangled your scholarship in front of you, you'd bite. And I knew Jaxon would try to play hero." Her lips curved. "Now he'll watch you burn for it."
Lila's breath caught. "What do you mean?"
Nina pulled out her phone and tapped the screen. A video played—*security footage* of Lila breaking into the safe.
"Imagine this sent to the dean," Nina purred. "Breaking and entering. Theft. Your little scholarship won't survive that."
Lila's legs trembled. She was trapped.
Then—
*Bang.*
The door flew open.
Jaxon stood there, his chest heaving, eyes blazing.
"Enough, Nina."
Nina didn't even flinch. "Right on time." She smirked. "Here to save your damsel in distress?"
Jaxon's jaw clenched. He looked at Lila—just for a second—but it was enough. *I'm sorry.*
Then he turned back to Nina. "What do you want?"
Nina sighed, like she was bored. "The same thing I've always wanted. You. Back in the Society. Back with *me*."
Lila's stomach churned. *That's what this was about?*
Jaxon shook his head. "Not happening."
"Then she's done." Nina nodded at Lila. "Say goodbye to Crescent Bay."
Silence.
Lila's pulse roared in her ears. This was it. Her future—gone.
Then Jaxon did something unexpected.
He laughed.
Nina's smile faltered. "What's so funny?"
Jaxon pulled out his phone. "You're not the only one who records things." He turned the screen toward her.
A video played—*Nina* admitting everything. *"I knew if I dangled your scholarship… Now he'll watch you burn for it."*
Nina's face went pale.
Jaxon pocketed his phone. "So. Here's the deal. You delete that footage of Lila. You reinstate her scholarship. And you stay the hell away from both of us."
Nina's eyes flashed with fury. "Or what?"
"Or this goes public." Jaxon's voice was steel. "And the whole school finds out how pathetic you really are."
For a long moment, no one moved.
Then Nina snarled and grabbed her phone, deleting the footage. "Happy?"
Jaxon nodded at Lila. "Let's go."
Lila didn't need to be told twice. She bolted for the door—
Nina's voice stopped her.
"This isn't over, Jaxon."
He didn't look back. "Yeah. It is."
---
### **Outside the Mansion**
The cold night air hit Lila like a slap. She gulped it down, her legs wobbling.
Jaxon didn't speak until they were halfway down the driveway.
"You okay?"
Lila whirled on him. "*You and Nina dated?*"
Jaxon winced. "Yeah."
"And you didn't think to *mention* that?"
"Would it have changed anything?"
"*Yes!*" Lila's voice cracked. "This whole time, I was just a pawn in your stupid breakup drama!"
Jaxon's expression darkened. "It wasn't just drama, Lila. Nina's dangerous. The Society—they *ruin* people. I couldn't let that happen to you."
Lila scoffed. "Because you *care*?"
"Because it was my fault you were involved!"
The words hung between them.
Lila's anger faltered. "What?"
Jaxon ran a hand through his hair. "Nina went after you because of me. Because she knew I'd…" He hesitated. "I'd noticed you."
Lila's breath caught. *Noticed me?*
Before she could process that, Jaxon kept talking.
"I tried to stay away. But when I saw you at that party, looking like you'd rather be anywhere else…" He shook his head. "I couldn't let her win."
Lila's heart pounded. All this time, she thought she was just a tool to him. But the way he was looking at her now—
Her phone buzzed.
A notification from the school: *Scholarship status: Active. Next payment cleared.*
Lila's eyes widened. "It's back."
Jaxon smiled—a real one, for the first time all night. "Told you I'd fix it."
Lila should've been relieved. But all she could think about was the way he'd said *I'd noticed you.*
She swallowed hard. "So… what now?"
Jaxon stepped closer. "Now? We live our lives. No more Society. No more scheming." He paused. "Unless you want to keep pretending to be my girlfriend."
Lila rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Hale."
But she was smiling.
And so was he.
---
The rumors died down—mostly.
For the first time since she'd arrived at Crescent Bay, Lila walked through campus without whispers trailing her. No more sideways glances. No more snickers behind cupped hands.
It should've felt like a victory.
So why did she still feel like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop?
Lila adjusted her backpack straps as she headed toward the library. The scholarship office had confirmed her funding was secure, and her dorm room no longer felt like a ticking time bomb. But Nina Whitmore wasn't the type to just *let go*.
Something was coming.
She could feel it.
---
### **The Library**
Lila had just settled into her usual corner when a shadow fell across her notebook.
She looked up—and froze.
Jaxon Hale stood over her, his usual smirk replaced by something quieter. More serious.
"Hey," he said.
Lila's pulse kicked up. "Hey."
They hadn't spoken since the night at Nina's. She'd assumed they'd go back to ignoring each other—him to his golden-boy world, her to her books.
But here he was.
Jaxon slid into the chair across from her without asking. "You okay?"
Lila blinked. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because Nina doesn't lose gracefully." He tapped his fingers against the table. "I haven't seen her since the party. That's… not normal."
A chill ran down Lila's spine. "You think she's planning something?"
"I *know* she is." Jaxon leaned forward. "Look, I have practice all week, but if you see her—or anyone from the Society—just text me, okay?"
Lila narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
"Because I owe you."
The raw honesty in his voice caught her off guard. Jaxon Hale didn't *do* vulnerable.
She hesitated, then nodded. "Fine."
Jaxon's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Good." He stood to leave—then paused. "Oh. And Glasses?"
"Yeah?"
"You did good the other night."
Before she could respond, he was gone.
Lila stared after him, her face inexplicably warm.
---
**Two Days Later**
The email arrived at 3:17 AM.
Lila woke to her phone buzzing violently on her nightstand. She squinted at the screen—*Unknown Sender*—and opened the message.
A single line:
**You think you won? Check the Crescent.**
Her stomach dropped.
*The Crescent* was the school's online gossip board—a toxic wasteland of rumors and secrets.
Hands shaking, Lila pulled it up.
And there, at the top of the page, pinned for the entire school to see:
**"Scholarship Girl's Dirty Little Secret"**
Below it was a photo—blurry but unmistakable.
Her. In Jaxon's dorm room. Holding the notebook.
The caption beneath it:
*"Lila Carter didn't earn her place here. She stole it. Just like she steals everything else."*
Lila's vision swam.
*No. No no no—*
The comments were worse:
*"Knew she was a liar."*
*"Someone should report her."*
*"Wait till the dean sees this."*
Her breath came in short, panicked gasps. Nina had played her final card—and it was checkmate.
Her phone buzzed again. Jaxon's name flashed on the screen.
She answered with a choked, "They know."
"I saw." His voice was tight. "Meet me at the boathouse in ten."
"Why?"
"Because we're not letting her win."
---
### **The Boathouse**
Dawn was just breaking when Lila reached the lake. The boathouse was abandoned this early, the only sound the gentle lapping of water against the dock.
Jaxon was already there, pacing.
He turned the second he saw her. "You okay?"
Lila wrapped her arms around herself. "Do I *look* okay?"
His jaw clenched. "We'll fix this."
"How?" She laughed bitterly. "This isn't some Society game, Jaxon. This is my *life*. If the dean sees that post—"
"He won't."
"You can't promise that!"
Jaxon stepped closer. "Yes, I can. Because I know how Nina operates." He pulled out his phone. "She's not after your scholarship anymore. She's after *me*."
Lila frowned. "What?"
He turned the screen toward her—a new post on The Crescent, uploaded minutes ago:
**"Jaxon Hale's Downfall"**
The photo showed Jaxon handing her the notebook in the library. The caption:
*"Guess who's been pulling the strings?"*
Lila's stomach twisted. "She's turning them against you."
Jaxon nodded grimly. "She wants me back in the Society—or she wants me ruined."
"So what do we do?"
For the first time since she'd met him, Jaxon looked uncertain. "I… don't know."
The admission startled her. Jaxon Hale *always* had a plan.
Lila took a deep breath. "Then we make our own move."
Jaxon raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Like what?"
She pulled out her phone. "We fight fire with fire."
---
**One Hour Later**
The Crescent Bay student body woke up to a new post.
**"The Truth About the Crescent Society"**
Attached was a file—*every* dirty secret Jaxon had collected over the years. Scholarship tampering. Blackmail. The works.
And beneath it, a single line:
*"Ask Nina Whitmore who *really* runs this school."*
Lila hit *post* and exhaled.
Jaxon whistled low. "Damn, Glasses. You play dirty."
She smirked. "Learned from the best."
His grin faded as his phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number:
**This isn't over.**
Lila's stomach knotted. "Nina?"
Jaxon pocketed his phone. "Doesn't matter." He nodded toward campus, where students were already gathering, voices raised in shock. "The Society's done. And so is she."
Lila wished she could believe that.
But as they walked back, side by side, she couldn't shake the feeling that the real battle was just beginning.