"Won?" I echoed, amused. "Oh, Bianchi... I wasn't even playing."
Boom. Silence.
The entire hall went dead silent.
Her expression shattered—crumbling right in front of everyone.
"You'll regret this," she growled under her breath, humiliated.
I smiled—unbothered—as I turned away, voice soft but cutting.
"You're not worth regretting."
GASPS. AGAIN.
Bianchi stormed off, defeated, face burning with fury.
Meanwhile, my friends just stared at me like I'd grown horns. I ignored them and casually walked toward the exit.
And there he was.
KD.
I stopped right in front of him, refusing to look impressed by his usual calm stance. He didn't even flinch. Just leaned against a pillar like he was auditioning for Most Infuriatingly Calm Human Alive.
Ugh. Typical.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Are you mad?" I asked lazily, tilting my head. "That I dethroned you?"
His lips curled into that slow, knowing smile.
"No," he replied softly, almost teasing. "I knew you would."
I blinked. That was... unexpectedly honest.
I squinted at him suspiciously.
"Don't tell me..." I said slowly, crossing my arms. "You looked up my academic records."
KD grinned wider—absolutely shameless. Then—he leaned in slightly. Just close enough to make my breath hitch.
His voice dropped. Playful. Smooth. Deliberate.
"Of course," he murmured. "How else would I keep up with my girl?"
WHAT.
My pulse jumped. My ears burned.
Abort mission. Abort.
My ears burned instantly, heat crawling up my neck.
"I'm not your girl, KD!" I hissed, turning sharply and stepping back.
"Don't add another episode to our fanfic!"
He just laughed softly, amused.
"Relax, Riyee," he said with a smirk. "I just like staying informed."
I glared—but my pulse was racing.
God, I hated how calm he looked. Like he knew exactly how to throw me off.
And worse? It was working.
But before I could fire back, chaos outside exploded:
"WAIT—OH MY GOD, LOOK!"
"IS THAT—IS THAT XYTHE NATHANIEL ALCANTARA?!"
"BRO, WHAT IS SOMEONE LIKE HIM DOING HERE?!"
Time slowed.
There he was. The boy who taught me that even golden boys can lie. That promises are pretty until they cut.
Xythe Nathaniel Alcantara.
Celestine Ardent Academy's golden boy.
The Celestine's Prince. Varsity basketball captain. Ardent Court member.
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STRINGS BETWEEN US
Teen Fiction"A slow-burn teen romance threaded with secrets, rivalries, and a dangerous past neither of them remembers-until it comes for them." ✧ STRINGS BETWEEN US ✧ She left her crown behind. He ruled with silence. But some strings pull-no matter how far you...
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: OF RANKINGS, RUINS, AND THE BOY WHO
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