After a week away, Danna stepped back into the university like nothing had changed—black pants, bold red shirt, hair in a confident bun, and her small rabbit bag resting on her shoulder. Her eyes were sharp, her expression unreadable.
"Rest time is over, bestie. Let's finally get back to studying," Natalia said with a grin, walking beside her.
Danna let a small smirk tug at the corner of her lips. "Yeah. Let's do this."
But just as they reached the classroom door, her steps slowed.
Garson was there. He was already seated—same place as always. And the moment Danna walked in, his eyes locked onto her. But she didn't falter.
She looked straight at him.
No fear. No hesitation.
Their eyes met—only for a second—before she calmly turned away, as if he were just another classmate and not the one who'd left her with scars and silence. She didn't know he had been watching her since the moment she entered. But he was. Every step, every glance—he saw it all.
Gasps and whispers stirred in the room as students noticed her. But Natalia gently nudged her and whispered,
"Ignore the noise, bestie. We're not here for the drama. Class starts in two minutes."
Danna nodded once, cool and composed, and took a seat on the third row. Natalia sat beside her. Garson was just behind them, on the fifth.
Class passed in a blur of voices and chalk and scribbled notes. Danna kept her focus forward. If she noticed his gaze? She didn't show it.
When the lecture ended and students began to file out, Aiden stayed behind. He stood beside Garson's desk, arms crossed.
"You not leaving?"
"I will. You go ahead," Garson muttered.
Aiden glanced at the door, then back at him.
"She's back."
Garson raised a brow, expression blank. "Who?"
Aiden grinned. "Come on, don't play dumb. You were staring at her the whole lecture."
Garson scoffed, shaking his head.
"Don't start, Aiden. Whether she's here or not doesn't matter."
He stood abruptly, grabbing his bag, brushing past his friend.
"I've got better things to care about."
"Right…" Aiden said under his breath, watching him leave. "That's why you haven't blinked since she walked in."
Natalia and Danna strolled down the hallway, their footsteps echoing faintly against the tiled floor.
"I need to keep these notebooks in the locker," Danna said casually. "You go ahead to the library."
Natalia nodded. "Alright, don't take forever."
As she disappeared down the corridor, Danna turned toward her locker. She slid the notebooks in, locked it shut, and started walking—
But before she could take another step, a hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her into an empty classroom.
"What the—?!" she gasped.
She stumbled back, wide-eyed as the door clicked shut behind them. Garson stood in front of her—his sharp gaze locked onto hers. The same piercing stare she remembered.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she barked, voice rising. "How dare you touch me?!"
Before she could yell further, Garson covered her mouth with his hand.
"Could you not scream for once?" he said, voice low and steady. "If you keep shouting, people will come—and you know what that means. Rumors'. More drama. Just… be patient. I only want to talk."
His hand dropped slowly from her mouth. For a second, their eyes met again—and in that flicker of silence, something shifted. He felt it. That strange pull he always got when he looked at her.
Why do your eyes pull me in like this? Garson thought, jaw tight.
Danna stepped back, fire in her gaze. "You want to talk?" she said sharply. "After what you did? After how you treated me? You think I'm just going to stand here and have a casual chat with you?"
Garson's tone softened, barely audible. "How's your skin now?"
She blinked, caught off guard for half a second—but her walls shot back up.
"I'm not interested in sharing anything with you, Mr. Monroe," she snapped. "And just so we're clear—I hate you."
Garson's face didn't change, but his voice dropped colder.
"Fine. As you wish. Guess what? I hate you too." He turned slightly, then added, "I was just… curious if you were alright."
"No need to be curious about me," she hissed, pushing past him and reaching for the door. "Stay out of my life."
She swung it open—only to find Aiden standing there, surprised.
His eyebrows rose. "Why were you two together… in here?"
Danna didn't even stop. She brushed past him like he wasn't even there.
Aiden turned to Garson, who stood silent, hands in his pockets.
"Well?" Aiden asked, confused. "You want to explain that, or…?"
Garson didn't answer.His eyes were still on the door.
"Why are you so late? It felt like you were gone for centuries just to dump a few notebooks," Natalia said, raising a brow as she hugged her book close, eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Relax, I was just talking to a teacher about some topics," Danna replied, scrolling on her phone like nothing had happened. "Anyway… what are you reading?"
"Some history books. Boring stuff," Natalia muttered, flipping a page and not sounding even slightly impressed.
Right then, the library door swung open.
And in walked a girl like she was stepping onto a runway—white skirt, matching top, hair too perfect to be real, and a designer bag that screamed daddy's money. The room practically shifted. People whispered. Eyes followed her like she was made of glitter and gossip.
Natalia glanced up, rolled her eyes, and leaned in toward Danna.
"Ugh. You see that?"
"Who is she?" Danna asked, finally glancing up from her phone.
"Grace Portman. rumored has it she's Garson's so-called girlfriend," Natalia said, the word girlfriend practically dripping with sarcasm. "Daughter of his dad's bestie. Typical rich girl drama."
Danna snorted but didn't say anything, eyes now following Grace as she walked by like she owned the air.
Natalia watched her closely, then muttered under her breath, "Perfect match for Garson. Cold, polished, and fake from every angle."
"Forget it, Natalia. I'm off to find something worth reading," Danna said, already walking away.