Chapter 135
Chapter 135
Raven raised an eyebrow as the whispers around her grew louder.
Isla’s dating Cassian? That was the first she’d heard of it.
Still surrounded by murmurs and side glances, she stepped calmly into Classroom 302.
+50
Her eyes landed immediately on Cassian, seated in the third row–perfectly composed, almost detached–while the rest of the room buzzed with barely restrained infatuation.
Nearly every student, especially the girls, cast him discreet, lingering looks, and every few seconds, someone would let out a dreamy sigh.
“Quiet down, please,” the professor said, tapping the desk with mild irritation.
He looked out over the packed lecture hall with a headache already brewing.
Normally, he’d be thrilled if even thirty students showed up for this unpopular elective.
Today, he sincerely wished there were fewer.
His eyes flicked to Cassian, then to Raven, who had just paused in the doorway.
“The room’s full,” he said. “You at the door–please shut it behind you.”
Several heads turned to see who he was talking to.
When they saw Raven, a ripple of stunned recognition passed through the room, followed quickly by a shrill voice breaking the silence.
“Wait–it’s her?!”
Everyone turned toward the speaker.
“You know her?” someone asked.
“Who is she? I’ve never seen her before.”
The girl gave Raven a quick glance, then sneered. “Let me introduce her properly. This is the freshman who almost landed Preston–until she totally blew it this morning.”
“She blew it?”
“Oh, big time,” the girl said loudly, clearly performing for the crowd. “She was stringing Preston along while flirting with some other cute guy on the side. This morning, both of them showed up to deliver her breakfast. At the same time. Preston saw the other guy, didn’t say a word, just turned around and walked away.”
She said it loud enough that everyone in the room could hear, and clearly meant them to.
Cassian, hearing the story, raised one perfectly shaped brow in mild amusement.
Suddenly, he didn’t feel so bad about having made Raven breakfast earlier–it seemed like a strangely strategic move in hindsight.
But just as that thought settled in, a skeptical voice cut through the room. “That can’t be right. Preston’s been here for a year. Plenty of girls have tried getting close to him, and he’s turned them all down. Why would she be the one to get through?”
1/3
82%
22:50 Sun, 20 Apr
Chapter 135
(+50)
“Since when does being ‘ordinary‘ matter?” another chimed in. “As long as you’re not hideous and you know how to act sweet and manipulative, most guys fall for it.”
“Wait a second–she’s a freshman. What’s she even doing here?”
That final question landed like a pin–drop. The room went silent. Then, slowly, eyes began to shift–toward Cassian.
“No way…”
“She just got dumped by Preston and now she’s aiming for Cassian?”
“She skipped military training to come here? That could get her expelled.”
“You don’t get it. This is called risking everything for love.”
“Well, say what you want–she’s got guts. Walking off the drill field like that? That’s asking for it.”
Several girls now looked at Raven with thinly veiled hostility. Even if they didn’t believe Cassian would ever give a girl like her the time of day, the fact that she’d almost been with Preston–and hurt him–was enough to make their blood boil. And now, with this girl skipping drills and strutting in here like she belonged?
Perfect. They had leverage now. One little word to the instructors, and this nobody would be finished.
“She’s throwing away her future for a guy who wouldn’t even look at her. Pathetic.”
“Exactly. Preston already saw through her. Unless Cassian’s blind, he’ll stay far away.”
“And it’s not like Cassian’s even available. He’s already taken. We’re just here to admire from afar. But her? She clearly has an agenda. If Isla finds out…”
The sentence trailed off. It didn’t need to be finished. Everyone knew what it meant: if Isla caught wind that someone was sniffing around her Cassian, this girl wouldn’t just get punished–she’d be torn apart.
Raven heard every word, every whisper dripping with sarcasm, accusation, and spite. But her expression barely shifted.
She simply lifted her foot and started walking–straight toward Cassian.
The room fell into sudden silence.
Most had assumed she’d hang back, steal a few glances, maybe work some angle of vulnerability to get Cassian’s attention. No one expected her to walk right up to him. No one thought she’d dare.
But she didn’t hesitate. She reached his row, turned, and without a word, sat down in the empty seat right beside him.
There were a few open spots near him, but everyone knew why they were empty. It was common knowledge: if anyone sat next to Cassian, he left. Instantly. No conversation. No second chances.
And now–this girl. This new, nothing–special freshman–had not only dared to sit beside him, but did so as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The classroom exploded.
“She–she actually sat next to Cassian!”
“She dared?!”
The whispers turned to gasps, the gasps to fury. A thousand pairs of furious, disbelieving eyes locked on Raven like daggers.
Did she not know? Did she seriously not realize that sitting next to him was practically social suicide? That she—of all
2/3
22:50 Sun, 20 Apr A
Chapter 135
-might be the reason he’d get up
and walk out again?
They didn’t care if she brought it on herself. But if she made their Cassian leave-
They’d make sure she paid.
3/3
