Chapter 50 Audrey

The moment we stepped out of the auditorium doors into the bright hallway, my friends were already swarming me like moths to a flame.

"Audrey, what the hell happened?" Tina demanded, her eyes as wide as saucers as sh reached up to gingerly touch the spot on my temple where a little bit of blood had dried. "Why did you show up so late?" I flinched away from her touch and quickly dabbed at my temple with a tissue.

"Linda..." I began, swallowing hard. "Linda and her friends attacked me in the bathro before the ceremony. Smashed my phone, locked me in a utility closet..." My voice began to quiver as I recounted the details. As I continued to tell the story of what happened, my friends' faces went pale, Avis's hand flew to cover her mouth in shock. Tina gasped loudly. Betty's jaw dropped, and Gavin's eyes narrowed.

"That's low, even for Linda," Gavin growled. "Why would she do something like that?"

"She said it was to keep me from making it to the next round." My stomach twisted at the thought. "To get revenge, I guess."

Tina huffed to herself. "I guess because of what happened with you

and Claudia Klein.

I nodded quickly, my eyes flickering down the hallway toward where it all happened. Linda and her friends had long since slipped away like ghosts in the crowd. "Is there any evidence?" Avis asked. "Did anyone see?"

I shook my head-even though Edwin had shown up, he didn't see it actually happen. Without real, tangible evidence, then it would be my word against Linda's.

An uneasy silence fell over the group as we processed that harsh reality. If it was just my

word against Linda's twisted version of events, chances were she would find a way to

wriggle out of facing any real consequences-even if Edwin vouched for me.

me out of my reverie, and I turned to see Edwin approaching with his hands curled up into fists at his sides. A security guard

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Chapter 30

to the security office, Miss Thatcher," the security

the winding hallways toward the main security office.

each one showing footage from various spots around campus. The security guard slid into her chair and tapped a few keys, pulling up the footage from the hallway outside the

seems like Miss O'Malley may have tried to find a spot with no cameras," she explained as she sped through the footage. "But luckily,

leaned in closer. There I was on the screen, walking down the empty hall with my friends before breaking off from

later, Linda and her friends appeared

Linda's large, muscular friend carried me down the hall. I thrashed and kicked, but she easily overpowered me, throwing me into the utility closet and slamming the

there was irrefutable proof of what had happened. The camera caught it all, even Linda using one of the janitor's keyrings-likely stolen-to lock me inside. My hands shook as I watched the three girls turn and run down the hallway, their wide grins barely visible

eyes as the security guard froze the video, with

for this," she stated firmly, already rising from her seat. "I'll go

office, a heavy silence fell over us. He was staring at me again with that intense gaze

2/4

Hep 14 D

Chaptes so

murmured, taking a step closer and gently brushing his knuckles over my bruised temple. I shivered at his touch,

his shoulder, I could see that the CCTV footage had accidentally begun rolling again, showing what had happened after Linda fled the scene. There was the camera's view of the empty hallway, and then suddenly, Edwin's tall form came running into frame. 1 felt my breath catch in my throat as I watched him pause halfway down the hall, those dark eyes of his flashing a brilliant gold for just a split second. He was frantic, searching every door and classroom desperately until he seemed to pick up on something. Then, his head whipped around toward the utility closet. He hesitated for only a moment before he suddenly broke into an all-out sprint, his shoulder slamming against the door. Once, twice-until finally, it buckled inward. Edwin disappeared

had swept me up and pulled me close, cradling me against his chest as if

arms. I had felt so safe, so... right. Like nothing else in the world mattered. Like this was

and stalked after me with his hands in fists at his

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