Chapter 3

The next morning, I went to the dean's office to file my withdrawal papers.

As I walked out, Ethan and Lily blocked my path.

Lily’s eyes were puffy and red, looking like she had been crying for hours.

"Seraphina, please don't drop out of school. It’s all my fault. I shouldn't have touched your model..."

"At least you're self-aware," I interrupted her performance.

Lily choked on her words, her tears threatening to spill.

Ethan immediately lost his temper.

"Seraphina! How long are you going to keep up this pathetic act? Does forcing Lily to apologize make you feel powerful?"

"Dropping out? Who are you trying to scare? With your spoiled, fragile personality, what can you even do without Easton University? Without me?"

"Apologize to Lily right now, withdraw your paperwork, and don't make me slap some sense into you."

A crowd of students had gathered around, whispering and pointing fingers at me.

To them, I was the spoiled, rich bully tormenting an innocent scholarship girl.

The chat boxes started spamming again:

[Sera, stop being so stubborn! He’s giving you a chance to save face! If you don't drop out, you'll still be the future Mrs. Carter!]

[Exactly! Don't ruin your own future over some green tea drama! Ethan still cares about you, he's just acting tough!]

[Take your mom's advice, hug him, cry, and apologize! It's not too late!]

I looked at Ethan's arrogant face and realized just how blind I had been.

"Ethan, did you seem to forget something?"

I slapped my approved withdrawal form hard against his chest.

"My family built the library at this university. We funded the entire science wing."

"Even if I decided to burn this place to the ground, nobody would dare say a single word to me."

"As for you..."

I swept my eyes over him with pure disgust.

"Without the Vance family backing you, what are you even worth?"

The hallway fell into dead silence.

Ethan's face turned a violent shade of purple.

He raised his hand, aiming a hard slap right at my face.

"Seraphina, you're asking for it!"

But before his hand could reach me, it was caught mid-air.

"Crack."

The sound of fracturing bone echoed clearly through the corridor.

Xavier had appeared out of nowhere. He held Ethan’s wrist with a single hand, his grip vice-like, his smile deadly.

"Hitting a woman, Ethan?"

"Are you tired of having hands?"

Ethan broke out into a cold sweat from the pain, but he still tried to yell, "Xavier! This is a private matter between me and Seraphina! None of your business!"

Xavier tightened his grip, making Ethan scream in agony.

"A private matter?"

Xavier reached out with his other hand, lazily twirling a strand of my hair around his finger.

"How come Seraphina didn't mention you when she spent the night at my place last night?"

Instantly, the crowd erupted into chaotic whispers.

Even I was stunned.

Since when did this guy become such a liar?