The morning sun spilled through the stained-glass windows of Kays Academy like a spotlight—bright, blinding, almost theatrical.
Lynn Kay walked through the main hall with the poise of a queen, her blazer sharp, her hair flawless, her gaze unreadable. She wasn't putting on a show.
She was the show.
But power came with a price—and that price was beginning to whisper her name.
---
In the cafeteria, the group gathered around their usual table, the buzz around them growing louder each day. Students stared less in fear now, more in awe. Lynn had become a legend with lungs.
"She's not just untouchable anymore," Fanshia said as she buttered her croissant. "She's iconic."
"Queen of hearts," Dianne added. "And daggers."
Gallagher snorted. "Let them stare. We know the real Lynn."
Sam nodded. "The real Lynn nearly punched a guy last year for mocking Gallagher's stutter."
"I don't stutter," Gallagher said, smirking.
"You did," Peter added. "She fixed that too."
Lynn arrived at the table just as Harden slid her a black coffee. She gave him a nod of thanks, but her eyes flicked to Alex, who stood leaning against a nearby pillar, arms crossed, eyes locked on hers.
She walked over.
"Walk with me?" she asked.
He didn't hesitate.
---
They strolled through the west garden, hidden from the main path by tall hedges and trimmed roses.
"I need to tell you something," she said, her voice lower now.
Alex tensed. "I'm listening."
She hesitated. "My father… he's not as clean as people think."
Alex raised a brow. "You mean the multi-billionaire who owns half the city has skeletons in the closet? Shocking."
Lynn didn't smile.
"I think he's cheating on Suzie," she said flatly.
Now Alex was silent.
"She's cruel. But he made a vow. And now Jenifer has pictures. She's holding them over me like a blade."
"You think she's bluffing?"
"No," Lynn said. "She has leverage. She just doesn't know I do too."
"What kind?"
"My mother's journals," she whispered. "Hidden in the Kay estate basement. Serene found them after the funeral. There are things in them that could destroy everyone."
Alex slowed his steps. "Lynn…"
She turned to face him.
"You don't need to fight this alone anymore."
"I know," she said. "But this next part—I have to do it my way."
He touched her cheek gently. "Just promise me something."
"What?"
"When this is over, we don't let the fire turn us into ash."
Lynn leaned into his palm. "I promise."
---
That night, back at the Kay estate, Serene sat cross-legged on the carpet, flipping through one of their mother's old books. Lynn closed the door behind her and locked it.
"She came to me again," Lynn said.
"Jenifer?"
"She's not hiding it anymore. She wants control."
Serene looked up. "What do we do?"
"We burn the chessboard."
---
The next morning, Jenifer entered the head office with a sleek folder and a knowing smile. She slid the envelope onto the principal's desk.
"Something I think you'll want to see," she said smoothly.
But the principal frowned before opening it. "You should know, we already received a warning about falsified media."
Jenifer blinked. "I… I beg your pardon?"
He opened the folder slowly.
"These photos were submitted to the board by an anonymous party—along with a full tech report proving they were doctored."
Jenifer's smile faltered.
"The source was traced back to a device registered under your name," the principal added, his tone colder now.
And just like that, Jenifer Kay was no longer the hunter.
She was the bait.
---
Later that day, in the girls' restroom, Jenifer stood frozen in front of the mirror. The door opened—and Lynn stepped in, slow, deliberate.
"Photoshopping scandal bait? How quaint," Lynn said.
"You set me up," Jenifer whispered.
"No," Lynn replied. "You set yourself up. I just made sure the trap had velvet lining."
Jenifer's voice broke. "You think you've won."
"No," Lynn said with a quiet, dangerous smile. "I think I've started."
---
That night, Lynn stood on the rooftop with Alex again, watching the stars from the same place they kissed only days ago.
"I did it," she said.
"No," Alex whispered. "We did."
She smiled, finally. Fully.
But in the dark below, far from stars and rooftops, Suzie Kay sat in her private office, reading the same folder Jenifer had tried to weaponize.
Her hands were steady.
Her eyes were not.
"I told John this would happen," she muttered.
She reached for her phone and called someone.
"Activate it," she said coldly. "It's time Lynn learns that even queens kneel."