Chapter 75Sophia barely had time to step inside the dorm before she was met with chaos.Mia and Olivia were waiting for her. Not just casually sitting around—no, they were positioned.Mia stood dramatically in the middle of the room, arms folded like a disappointed mother, while Olivia sat on her bed, smirking like she had been preparing for this exact moment all night.Sophia didn’t even get the door fully shut before Mia pointed at her.“Oh. My. God.” Mia gasped, loud and theatrical. “SOPHIA .”Sophia flinched. “What—”“Who the hell just dropped you off in a car at this ungodly hour?”Sophia blinked. “Wait, what?”Olivia grinned, shaking her head. “Oh, don’t play dumb. We saw the headlights from the window.”Mia nodded aggressively. “Yeah! You think you can sneak in here after disappearing ALL DAY and we wouldn’t notice?”Sophia exhaled, already exhausted. “You two are ridiculous.”“We’re concerned,” Mia corrected. “You’ve been gone forever. We don’t know if you got kidnapped, join
Chapter 76Mia burst into laughter. “Oh my God, **she’s right.**” Sophia’s mouth dropped open. “You guys are **insane.**” Olivia shrugged. “Hey, we’re just looking out for our **air quality.**” Mia waved her hand dramatically. “Yeah, don’t be selfish. **Think of us.**” Sophia grabbed a pillow and **launched it at Olivia.** It hit her square in the face. “Worth it,” Olivia mumbled from under the pillow. Sophia shook her head, **laughing despite herself.** Mia grinned. “Alright, fine. Go shower, then sleep for **your ridiculous fourteen hours.**” Sophia smirked. “Don’t wake me up unless the **building’s on fire.**” Olivia yawned. “Noted. But if Ryan texts—” Sophia pointed at her. “DON’T EVEN” Mia and Olivia giggled as Sophia grabbed her pajamas and headed to the bathroom, a small smile still lingering on her lips. Tonight had been a lot But for the first time in a while, she didn’t mind. Maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something good. She took a qu
Chapter 77So much for sleeping for fourteen hours," Sophia muttered to herself, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling. The room was quiet except for the soft breathing of her roommates, Mia and Olivia, who were still fast asleep. She envied how easily they could drift off and stay asleep, but she wasn’t as lucky. Once she woke up, going back to sleep felt impossible, no matter how tired she still was. It had always been like that for her. She groaned and turned onto her side, rubbing her face. "Arggg, why did Justine have to call so early?" she grumbled, reaching for her phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up, nearly blinding her in the dim room. Squinting, she unlocked it and sighed when she saw the time—6:47 AM. Way too early for a Saturday. Since going back to sleep was out of the question, she started scrolling through her notifications, hoping to at least pass the time. Her Instagram feed was the usual mix of posts from friends, influencers, and random pages she fo
Chapter 78Sophia: Nah, I’m kind of planning to take today off and catch up on some notes.She sent the message and waited. She half-expected him to just say, “Cool, no worries,” and move on, but Ryan was persistent.Ryan: Come on, Sophia. What do you mean by “notes”? It’s the weekend! You’re meant to chill.She sighed, shaking her head with a small smile. Of course, he wasn’t going to let this go that easily.Sophia: Yeah, but I’ve been putting them off all week. I really need to get them done.A few seconds later, another text popped up.Ryan: Fine, fine. But at least come out for a little while. An hour max.She hesitated. If she said yes, she knew it wouldn’t just be an hour. Ryan had this way of making time slip by, and before she knew it, the whole day would be gone. She couldn’t afford that right now.Sophia: I really just want a quiet day to myself, Ryan.She felt a little guilty sending that, but it was the truth.There was a slight pause before he replied.Ryan: Okay, I get
Chapter 79The idea of walking into a room where Zach and Taylor could be—where they would be—made his stomach turn. He had told Lana he would come, but now that he was thinking about it, was it really worth it? He hadn’t faced them properly since everything went down the last time they met at Zach's place, and honestly, he preferred it that way.Zach. His friend. Or at least, the guy who used to be his friend. The guy he had trusted. The same guy who didn’t hesitate to take Taylor right from under him. They were still close to each but Ryan always held that grudge It wasn’t like Ryan and Taylor had the perfect relationship, well to him it was but he had loved her—or at least, he thought he did. It was hard to tell now. It had been a messy breakup, not just because Taylor left him, but because she left him for Zach. That was what stung the most. The betrayal. The way Zach acted like it wasn’t a big deal, like Ryan should just get over it.But Ryan wasn't over it.He leaned against th
Chapter 80The boardroom smelled of polished wood and expensive cologne, that is because it was filled with people of such calibre . Across the long table sat three representatives from the investment firm—well-dressed, smooth-talking men with practiced smiles. David greeted them first, shaking hands firmly. "Gentlemen, good to see you again." "Likewise, Mr. Walsh," said Carter Reynolds, the lead investor. "We’re eager to finalize this deal." Eleanor forced a polite smile, taking her seat beside David. She had to keep her emotions in check—for now. So David had already spoken to investors all this while and all this was just for formality sake Carter wasted no time. "We’ve reviewed the valuation, and we believe a fifty-percent stake at our proposed terms is a strong offer. This would inject significant capital into your company and allow for the expansion that Is much needed ." David nodded. "Yes, and we appreciate that. Eleanor and I have spent time reviewing your terms—"
Chapter 81Sophia stretched her arms lazily as she watched her roommates wake up one by one. First, it was Mia, rubbing her eyes as she slowly sat up, still looking half-asleep. Then Olivia followed, groaning dramatically as she rolled onto her side.“Damn, I haven’t had that much sleep in weeks,” Olivia mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep.Sophia smirked. “Yeah, I was beginning to think you weren’t planning on waking up at all.”“I wasn’t, to be honest,” Olivia muttered, flopping back onto her pillow. “This is the most relaxed I’ve been since coming to this school. Plus, with midterms coming up, I’m not even going to stress.”Mia scoffed. “Of course you won’t. With you being a scholar, I’m sure you’ve already read half the syllabus anyway.”Olivia shot her a smug grin. “Can’t help it if I’m naturally gifted.”Sophia chuckled as she sat up and hugged her knees. It was one of those rare mornings where none of them had early classes or work shifts, and they could actually just exi
Chapter 82“He’s not my man,” Sophia groaned, finally managing to snatch her phone back. Mia crossed her arms. “Yet.” Sophia sighed. “Can we just get back to the party?” “Fine, fine.” Mia waved her hand dismissively. “Anyway, like I was saying before you rudely ignored me, the guy throwing the party is apparently rich. So that means good music, great drinks, and people who probably have nothing better to do than impress each other.” “So basically, the usual college party,” Olivia said with a smirk. “Exactly,” Mia nodded. “Which means it’s going to be fun.” Sophia arched a brow. “Or a complete disaster.” Olivia shrugged. “Either way, it’ll be entertaining.” Sophia sighed. “I don’t know, guys. I’ve never really been the partying type.” “We know,” Mia said. “That’s why we’re dragging you with us. It’s time you actually enjoy yourself.” Sophia hesitated. “I don’t even know what to wear.” “Didn’t I already say I’ve got you covered?” Mia smirked. Sophia groaned. “Why
Chapter 91She really didn’t want to run into him tonight. It wasn’t like she had done anything wrong—she had just turned down seeing him today, and that wasn’t a crime, she felt bad for that. But if he saw her here, at a party, after telling him she was staying in? Yeah. That was going to be awkward and it sound be very dishonest on her part She could already imagine the teasing.Oh, I thought you were studying, Sophia?And worse, she wasn’t sure how she would explain it. She had planned to stay in, but Olivia and Mia had been too persistent. And maybe—just maybe—she had wanted a break after all.But none of that mattered right now. What mattered was avoiding Ryan at all costs."Hey, are you okay?" Olivia asked, noticing Sophia’s silence.Sophia quickly forced a smile. "Yeah! Just, uh, just checking something on my phone."Olivia nodded, clearly not suspicious. "You sure you don’t want to dance?""Positive," Sophia said quickly. "You guys go ahead.""Okay, suit yourself!" Olivia sh
Chapter 90As soon as they stepped through the open gates, the music seemed to double in volume, the deep bass vibrating through the air. The place was already packed, with people scattered across the front yard, laughing, drinking, and dancing. The energy was high—this was clearly the party of the weekend. Like the whole school was invited Sohpia hoped she wouldn't come across someone like Katrina or even worse ryan"Damn," Olivia muttered as she took in the crowd. "The person throwing this really didn’t hold back."Mia grinned. "I told you. Looks like The guy goes all out." Just as his girlfriend always bragged Sophia glanced around, already feeling slightly out of place. Parties weren’t exactly her thing, and the sheer number of people was a little overwhelming. They were all putting on expensive jewelry, carrying the biggest of phones they were clearly the wealthy type but she was not going to be swayed. She adjusted her dress slightly, trying to shake off the discomfort."Alrig
Chapter 89As soon as the ride pulled up outside their dorm, Sophia, Mia, and Olivia went downstairs and piled into the backseat, squeezing in together. The energy in the car was already electric, and Mia was practically bouncing in her seat with excitement."This is going to be so fun," she said, clapping her hands together. "I can't believe this is, like, our first official girls’ night out!"Olivia, who was sitting on the other side of Sophia, grinned as she pulled out her phone. "Alright, come on, girls, we have to take a picture before we get too distracted."Sophia groaned but leaned in anyway, knowing there was no escaping it. Olivia switched to selfie mode, angling the camera so all three of them could fit into the frame."Okay, everybody do something cute," Olivia instructed.Mia instantly threw up a peace sign, Sophia gave a reluctant but amused smile, and Olivia pursed her lips playfully before snapping a few pictures."Let me see," Mia said, leaning over Olivia’s shoulder
Chapter 88The ride to Zach’s place was mostly quiet, save for the occasional song playing from Ryan’s playlist. Lana sat in the passenger seat, her legs propped up on the dashboard as she absentmindedly scrolled through her phone. The party wasn’t starting for a few more hours, but since Zach was one of Ryan’s oldest friends—despite their history—he figured it would be easier to arrive early and get settled in before the place got too crowded. Lana, on the other hand, had her own reasons for tagging along early. She had packed her party outfit in a bag, planning to change at Zach’s instead of getting dressed at home. There was no way she was going to sit through an entire car ride in a tight dress and heels. She wanted to look perfect for it , and for Ryan also , she figured since he would be without a companion there, she could be like his plus one and she sure as hell wanted to look good for it As they pulled into Zach’s driveway, Ryan took a deep breath. He didn’t particularly
Chapter 87Justine shrugged, pretending to be indifferent even though her heart was hammering. “Well, yeah. I mean… was it weird for you?”Matt’s smirk deepened, his expression softening. “Weird?” he repeated. “Not even a little.”Her stomach flipped at the certainty in his voice.He tilted his head slightly, studying her with that same unreadable intensity. “What about you, how did it feel to you ?”She held his gaze, her lips curving into a small smile. “Not weird at all,it felt good if I am Being honest,” she admitted.Something shifted between them at that moment. The tension that had hung heavy in the air now turned into something else—something warmer, more electric.Matt leaned forward slightly, his voice lower now. “So… does that mean you liked it?”Justine felt heat on her neck, but she refused to look away. “I did.” She hesitated, then, with a small laugh, added, “Do you Want to do it again?”Matt exhaled a soft chuckle, shaking his head in amusement. “Are you sure about wha
Chapter 86Eleanor Walsh sat in the guest room, her hands folded in her lap, staring blankly at the window. It was almost midday and the sun was still out , but it did little to warm the kind of feeling inside her. She had been avoiding David since yesterday’s disastrous meeting, knowing full well that if they spoke, it would turn into a full-blown argument.She could still hear his voice from the boardroom, practically spitting in rage when she shut down the deal. “Do you even understand what you’ve done?” he had asked through clenched teeth as the investors left, their expressions unreadable.Yes, she understood perfectly. She had stopped him from making what she believed to be a huge mistake.David had been so furious that he hadn't even ridden home with her. Instead, he had taken a private car somewhere—she had no idea where, nor did she care to ask. It didn't matter to her at that moment. When he finally returned home, it was well past midnight. He had walked into their bedroom w
Chapter 85It wasn’t until close to noon that Sophia and her friends’ order finally arrived. By that time, Olivia had complained no less than ten times about how hungry she was, dramatically falling onto the bed and groaning every few minutes.“I swear, if that food doesn’t get here in the next five minutes, I might actually pass out,” Olivia whined, rolling onto her stomach and burying her face in her pillow.Mia snorted. “Relax, Liv. You act like you haven’t eaten in days.”“I might as well have! You don’t get it—I woke up starving, and Sophia’s generosity is the only thing keeping me alive right now,” Olivia said, turning to Sophia with puppy-dog eyes. “Thank you, by the way. I will never forget this.”Sophia chuckled, shaking her head. “You’re so dramatic. It’s just breakfast.”“No, it’s the breakfast,” Olivia corrected. “The one that will bring me back to life.”As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door, making all three girls pause for a second before Olivia sat up on the bed.“
Chapter 84A short while later, Justine stepped out and Matt led her to his car. She was trying so hard to ignore the fact that she was very nervous . He opened the door gently for her and she stepped in. They drove in comfortable silence, the radio playing a soft tune. The drive was a quiet one.Soon they arrived at his apartment, she wasn’t sure what she expected, but his place was surprisingly… homey. It wasn’t overly fancy, just warm and inviting. Like a bachelor wealthy enough to put up such a set up “Make yourself comfortable,” Matt said, setting the pizza and wine down on the coffee table.She sat on the couch, hugging a throw pillow as he grabbed two glasses and poured the wine. I don't know if I should say thank you for inviting me over but let's begin then "So, what movie are we watching?" she asked, accepting her glass.Matt smirked. "That depends—are you a rom-com kind of girl, or do you secretly enjoy thrillers?""Thrillers, obviously," she said without hesitat
Chapter 83Lana nodded, keeping her face neutral. “Sounds fun and you kind of look happy”Ryan narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s it? I thought you were going to drag me or at least drop one of your sarcastic remarks Lana shrugged, looking out the window. “What do you want me to say, Ryan? You’re clearly into her.”Ryan tilted his head. Something about her tone made him pause, but he brushed it off. “Yeah, I guess I am. She’s different, you know?”Lana forced a small smile. “Is it different?”Ryan nodded. “Yeah. But she turned me down today when I asked her to meet up.”Lana raised an eyebrow. “Ouch,that must hurt your ego.”Ryan sighed. “Yeah, but she said she had to catch up on notes, so it’s not that deep.”Lana scoffed. “Ryan, you have to start reading between the lines. Girls don’t always say what they mean.”Ryan smirked. “Oh? And what exactly do you mean when you say you’re ‘not into anyone’?”Lana froze for half a second before rolling her eyes. “Oh, shut up.”“No, seriously.