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

others waiting… Those two she could offer any more

door as two girls sauntered

these had to be

hostility, sized her up. Clearly, they

said brightly, seizing the chance 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 on

Traditional Medicine. Lydia’s from the Ponce family, one of Shoneport’s

jab, a not–so–subtle reminder that

was clear: watch your

heiress, this would’ve been the cue to play nice, at least on

family, like the Ponce family,

to back down from a challenge. If someone came for her, she

Instead, she raised an eyebrow,

The room froze.

Lydia’s mind reeled. ‘And you’re supposed to be

from the Ponce family? The ones who claim to deal in premium herbs but get caught peddling fakes? Or maybe the Ponce family that’s been blacklisted in Traditional Medicine for five

10.48 MONI,