Chapter 1963

Jane had always understood this, at least in theory.

But only now did it really hit him-what it meant.

Addison thrashed in the freezing ocean, saltwater burning her open wounds, every splash sending a fresh wave of pain straight to her core. Blood seeped from her cuts, swirling out into the dark water, and within moments, the metallic scent spread, calling out to the sharks that had been waiting below.

They weren't even full-grown sharks, but they were big-big enough that even a group of strong men might not stand a chance.

Addison screamed for help, but the ship just kept moving, getting smaller and smaller until it disappeared altogether. The sharks closed in, tearing her apart, but even as she was pulled under, her eyes-full of hate-never left the spot where the ship had vanished.

Back in the States, Fiona made her way to campus first. The drama from the competition had spilled over into school life; besides a handful of troublemakers, the only people hanging around were those brainless, die-hard fans camped outside.

They'd tracked down everything-Fiona's company, her school, even the Stonnell family.

Luckily, International Glam's security was rock solid. There was no way any fan could sneak their way in. Besides, everyone who worked in that building was sharp enough to know better than to get involved. Until the truth was out, no one was going to start gossiping. After all, if anything really happened, no one wanted to be the one responsible.

But those fans? They didn't care about consequences.

In Fiona's class, the sarcasm was non-stop. Gossip spread like wildfire, and most students just couldn't take it anymore-they'd rather skip class and lose credits than deal with the drama.

When Fiona was finally cleared, the bullies didn't stop; they just turned on Amy, because she happened to be in the same class as Fiona.

No matter what, there was always someone pointing fingers.

Whether it was Fiona or Amy, it was always the same group doing the mocking.

When Fiona walked into the classroom, barely anyone was there. A few students sat by the windows, half-hiding behind the wall, trying their best to focus on their work. They looked up when she came in, offered a polite smile, then went right back to their books-no words, just a silent nod.

Nash was there too, head down, messing with his phone. When he noticed Fiona, something lit up in his eyes for a split second before it disappeared.

Even if it was just for a moment, Fiona caught it.

She shot him a text: Dinner tonight?

He replied almost instantly: Sure. Original content can be found at Find✶Novel.net

Nobody knew she and Jackson were back on good terms. The rumor mill was still churning out stories about how Jackson had dumped her, but Fiona never bothered to set the record straight. The gossip just kept growing.

Fiona didn't care. She sat quietly, texting Tyler to keep tabs on things.

Tyler: Legal notices have all been sent to the people we're suing.

Fiona: Next step, file the cases in court. Don't let anyone off the hook. Also, can you set up a meeting with someone from the Gregory family?

Once she'd handled everything, Fiona swapped in a new SIM card-her phone immediately blew up with messages from the Stonnell family. Ever since her parents took off on vacation, certain relatives had started getting restless.

She glanced through the texts, then decided to swing by home.

And maybe, grab dinner with Jackson afterwards.

Her schedule was packed. She stood up, left the classroom, and headed straight

to Mr. Garcia's office, knocking gently on the door.