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Hailey's POV

As I stepped into the school gates, Paxton’s offer weighed heavily on my mind, replaying like a broken record. My feet slowed and I froze. His voice, his demand—everything kept rushing back, making my head spin. What was I about to do?

"Are you okay?" Mia asked, brushing her hand against mine.

I glanced at her and Jessy. With them beside me, I had nothing to fear... right? They had no idea the storm I was caught up in.

"We’ll catch you later after Physics, okay?" Jessy said, giving me a knowing look, probably noticing how distracted I was.

"Yeah, sure. I’ll meet you after." I forced a smile as they left.

I needed to clear my head, so I headed straight to the library. The quiet, the smell of old books, and the soft hum of the air conditioning would help calm my nerves, or so I thought. I had barely sat down when a hand tapped my shoulder. My breath hitched as I turned.

Paxton.

Of course, it had to be him. Just seeing him made my chest tighten.

Without a word, he handed me