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Chapter 160
~Valerie’s POV~
I did not give anyone a mont to catch their breath as I pulled away completely. And as I disappeared from the crowd, all I could hear were my own footsteps and the burn of eyes that had already judged .
I wasn’t sure if I’d ever recover from it.
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~Detention~
By the end of the school day, I’d almost convinced myself the whispers would die down. Perhaps, just perhaps, people would let the scandal breathe.
They didn’t.
The stares still burned. The murmurs still crawled along the hallways. And now, I was being punished for breathing wrong, too.
I walked into the detention classroom, keeping my head high even when I wanted to vanish through the floor.
Professor Glenda—sharp-eyed, steel-boned, and already annoyed—didn’t wait long before she too joined the rest of the students out of spite or good old gossip.
"Ah, Miss Nightshade," she said, voice dripping with judgnt. "Nice of you to join us. I trust the paparazzi didn’t follow you all the way in?"
I said nothing. Just crossed the room, slipped into a seat at the back, and pretended she didn’t exist.
Instead, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my tiny, barely noticeable earbuds and shoved them in.
Music. That’s what I needed. Just sothing loud enough to drown out the noise or calm enough to suit my soul.
I chose loud.
The classroom buzzed faintly. Others scribbled in notebooks, scrolled through tablets, or whispered gossip they thought I couldn’t hear. I didn’t care.
At least, I didn’t... until the door creaked open again.
A hush swept the room like a blade. All the girls snapped to attention. Even the air changed.
I didn’t look up until I heard the heavy, confident steps. Their scent assaulted my nostrils first before anything else.
Dristan and the others.
Six shadows poured into the room like royalty crashing a funeral. The Heirs—every last one of them—walked in like they owned the damn place.
My music died in my ears. Slowly, I removed one earbud and looked up.
Whispers sparked instantly. "Are they here for her?"
"They really followed her?"
"This can’t be happening..."
Professor Glenda’s lips pursed so tightly they nearly disappeared. "Why are you here, Alphas?" she asked in a deceptively calm voice.
Dristan stepped forward, arms folded. "We’re joining detention."
"You weren’t given detention," she said flatly. "And this is my classroom. If you do not mind, leave. Now."
Axel gave her a slow, easy smile. "Now, now, Professor. Don’t be shy. We just wanted to support our... classmate."
"Support," Xade echoed, voice like velvet laced with danger. "We couldn’t let her suffer alone."
"Miss Nightshade has enough heat on her," Kai added. "We thought we’d... help even it out."
Professor Glenda narrowed her eyes. "Leave. Before I give you a reason not to co back."
"Oh?" Axel cocked his head and leaned on the nearest desk. "And here I thought soone with a wedding band wouldn’t mind a few extra n staying close. Or are you just jealous?" He winked.
Professor Glenda’s eyes glead like drawn steel. "Excuse ?"
"That skirt is not PSA regulation," Xade added, glancing pointedly at her legs. "Not that I’m complaining."
Ace gave a soft chuckle. "You don’t scare easily, Professor. I respect that. Sha about your temper."
The room froze, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, Dristan smirked and snapped his fingers. Lightning crackled on his fingers and straight to the desk. Imdiately, the desk splittered into two.
"Hmm, sothing slls burnt in here." His gaze left Professor Glenda’s and went straight to the desk. "Oops. I was just, you know, dusting my nails?"
My eyes darted between the Professor and Dristan and then back again. I could see the mont Professor Glenda’s control snapped.
She growled, actually growled in a subtle, low voice, trying to keep her temper. Then she stalked to her desk, picked up her roster sheet, and scribbled sothing furiously across it.
"Fine," she said, voice cold as frost. "You all want detention?"
She pointed to each one of them with her pen. "Then congratulations. You have it."
"For how long?" Dristan asked, not the least bit apologetic as his gaze flickered, to .
"Three days," I mouthed, unsure what ga they were playing.
"One week." Professor Glender voiced her opinion, her eyes blazing. "Seven days. No skips. No swaps. You show up, you sit down, and you shut up. Any violation and I’ll have you reported to the school board. Do I make myself clear?"
They all stood there, smug and unbothered, as if detention were a personal spa day.
Kai gave a lazy salute. "Yes, ma’am."
"Crystal," Xade added, grinning as he pulled out a chair next to and sat without asking.
Dristan didn’t speak. He just moved beside and lowered himself into the seat like it was his seat. Like I was his to sit beside.
The others followed suit, filling the row around until I was boxed in like so kind of goddess in a shrine made of stubborn, arrogant alpha males.
Professor Glenda turned her back to the class, muttering sothing about "lunatics" under her breath.
I slowly pulled my earbud back in—only one this ti—and hit play. But I wasn’t listening anymore.
Because now... I was watching.
And I had six reasons around not to pretend I didn’t feel sothing deep and stupid blooming in my chest again.
Although it wasn’t love, I could not deny how dangerous it was, especially each ti I looked to my side to see Ash and Ace there.
Since when did they form an alliance or sothing?
Weren’t they at each other’s throats?
Ash smiled sweetly at ... "Hey."
I barely looked at him before returning my attention to the book on top of my desk when I felt sothing poke .
I looked to my side and saw a piece of paper in front of , and my brows furrowed. Lifting my head, my eyes locked on a smiling Ace.
"My superwoman, sorry about the recent ss."
I wanted to speak to him and respond that it was okay when Dristan’s voice rang behind .
"I get jealous, my love."
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