Betrayed, Then Back For Blood

Chapter 42

Mia, with a mischievous glint in her eye, gestured toward a bed labeled with Briar’s name. “That’s your spot,” she said, her voice dripping with feigned sweetness.

Briar glanced at it, her stomach turning. The bed was shoved into the dimmest corner of the room, far from the window’s reach, where even the midday sun barely touched it. Scuff marks around the bed’s legs betrayed its recent relocation, and the name tag, curling at the edges, looked like it had been hastily swapped.

Worse, the bed was littered with trash–three hole–riddled socks and a grimy pair of underwear.

They’re trying to get under my skin,‘ Briar thought, her jaw tighte

It didn’t take a genius to figure out who was behind this.

“Is that our new roommate?” a voice called from the hallway, be with barely concealed glee.

“Let’s check her out!” another chimed in, equally eager.

“Hurry up and clean your bed, set your safe’s code, and let’s get back

distinctly gleeful voices floated in from outside, cutting off Mia befoto

want to keep the others waiting…

door as two girls sauntered in, arms linked, smirks plastered

knew these had to be her

eyes, sharp with hostility, sized her up. Clearly, they weren’t

to stir the pot. “Meet our new roommate, Briar Jennings, a freshman in Traditional Medicine. Oh, you know, the one everyone’s been buzzing about

Traditional Medicine. Lydia’s from the Ponce family, one of Shoneport’s elite. And Abbie? She’s Thomas’s little sister. You’ve met him. He’s one of our

jab, a not–so–subtle reminder that these girls

clear: watch your

been the cue to

like the Ponce family, was second–tier Shoneport elite–neither outranked the

from a challenge. If someone came for her, she hit

she raised an eyebrow, her voice

The room froze.

supposed to

in premium herbs but get caught peddling fakes? Or maybe the Ponce family

10.48 MONI,