Chapter 21
Rose
All the students of Wolfswood are at their usual tables in the dining hall, catching up after the Christmas break. Everything looks the same as it did three weeks ago—but something feels different. Maybe it's me.
I spot an empty table near the windows and make my way over there. I set down my tray of food and settle into my chair.
"Well, well. Look who's back. Oh, wait. You never left. Because you have nowhere to go, do you, orphan?"
I don't have to turn around to know who's speaking. Cassandra's voice carries that particular tone she reserves for moments like this. I take a bite of my salad and keep my eyes on my plate.
“I’m not an orphan, Cassandra. Where did you even get that from? I have adoptive parents and an entire family behind me. The Devereaux, in case you didn’t remember.”
"Right, yeah… I forgot,” she laughs at me.
“I hope you had a wonderful holiday, Rose.
" She slides into the chair across from me without invitation.
She has that familiar expression on her face of barely contained amusement.
"Though I imagine it wasn't quite as luxurious as what the rest of us are used to. "
"It was fine, thank you." I meet her eyes directly. "How was yours?"
"Oh, you know. The usual. I went to Aspen, and then to Paris for New Year's. Daddy bought me a little apartment there as an early graduation gift." She examines her manicured nails. "I suppose that's the difference between old money and... Well, whatever it is you have."
A few students at nearby tables have started to listen. I can feel their attention like a weight on my shoulders. But I keep my expression neutral.
“What do you want, Cassandra? To tell me you went to Paris? Great… So did a million other people. My grandma went last year.”
She looks shocked. Like she wasn’t expecting me to dismiss her holidays like that.
"The Devereaux name might get you through these doors," Cassandra continues, "but we all know you're really just a charity case. An orphan who got lucky with a DNA test."
The dining hall has gotten quieter, and more heads are turning our way.
"I mean, it's quite inspiring really," she continues. "From some kind of orphanage to a private university like Wolfswood. Though I have to wonder what other... shortcuts you've taken to get where you are."
The temperature in the room seems to drop. I set down my fork carefully.
"Because let's be honest," Cassandra's voice is clear now, "we've all noticed how much time you spend in certain professors' offices. Very dedicated to your studies, aren't you? Especially the private tutoring sessions."
Some students’ burst of laughter eco in the dining hall. Not everyone joins in, but enough for my cheeks to burn with humiliation. The familiar panic rises in my chest. That terrible feeling of being exposed, of everyone seeing exactly what I am.
For a moment, I'm back to being that scared girl who first walked through these doors. The one who felt so small and out of place that she wanted to disappear entirely.
But then I remember Gabriel's voice from one of our lessons.
Power isn't about being the loudest person in the room, Rose. It's about knowing exactly who you are and never apologizing for it.
I take a slow sip of water. The panic fades. It’s replaced by something calmer and far more steady. I look directly at Cassandra.
"At least I'm not wasting a privileged life on being cruel and insecure. I know exactly who I am, Cassandra. Do you? No, you don’t. You are nothing beyond this. A spoiled brat who thinks that being mean and condescending is attractive."
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, I know girls like you, Cassandra. You’re trying to put me down so that the men around us think you’re the good one. That’s why you’re doing this. You cannot stand the fact that there’s a man here who likes me more than you!”
Everyone must think that I’m talking about Liam. They all know that he is Cassandra’s ex-boyfriend. And that he’s into me.
But she knows I’m actually talking about Gabriel. I can see it in her face.
The dining hall falls completely silent. Cassandra's mouth opens slightly, but no words come out.
I pick up my tray and walk toward the exit. My legs feel steady beneath me, and I keep my chin high. Behind me, a few students whisper to each other, but the mocking laughter has stopped entirely.
Professor Thompson is seated at the faculty table near the entrance. Our eyes meet briefly as I pass, and I expect him to say something about the scene I just caused. Instead, he gives me the smallest nod and returns to his newspaper.
The hallway outside the dining hall feels cooler and quieter. I lean against the wall for a moment to let the adrenaline settle. I actually did it. I stood up to her instead of running away.
"Rose?"
I turn to find Liam approaching me. He looks uncomfortable and has his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
"Hey," I say, straightening up. "How was your break?"
"It was good. Listen, I..." He runs a hand through his hair. "I wanted to talk to you about something. About everything, actually."
"Everything?"
He glances around the hallway to make sure we're alone. "I owe you an apology. A big one. I didn't mean for things to go this far, and Cassandra... She kind of dragged me into it."
I study his face. He looks genuinely upset, but I have no idea what he's talking about. "Into what?"
"The whole thing with..." He trails off, then shakes his head. "God, I've been such an idiot. I was angry after you turned me down, and when Cassandra suggested... I should have said ‘no.’ I should have walked away."
My confusion must show on my face because he looks even more uncomfortable.
"You really don't know, do you?" he asks quietly.
"Know what, Liam?"
For a long moment, he just stares at the floor. "I'm sorry, Rose. I'm really, truly sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."
The sincerity in his voice is unmistakable, but his words make no sense. I feel like I'm missing half of a conversation.
"I don't understand what you're apologizing for," I say.
"Maybe that's for the best." He looks up at me with something that might be relief. "Just... be careful, okay? Cassandra isn't done with whatever she's planning."
Before I can ask what he means, he turns and walks away, leaving me standing alone in the hallway with more questions than answers.
The unease settles in my stomach like a stone. Whatever game Cassandra is playing, it's clearly more complicated than her usual petty cruelty. And somehow, Liam is involved.
I think about the way she looked at me in the dining hall, that calculating expression behind her fake smile. She wasn't just trying to humiliate me for fun. There was something else there, something more deliberate.
Be careful, Liam had said. Cassandra isn't done with whatever she's planning.
Whatever she's planning, I have a feeling that today was just the beginning.
Chapter 22 Gabriel
"Gabriel. We need to talk."
Elliot stops me in the middle of the hallway, right as I am about to enter my next class. My stomach drops, but I keep my face neutral.
"Of course. What's on your mind?"
"Not here." He glances around the corridor. "Let’s go into my office, where no one can hear us."
The walk to his office feels like an execution march. Elliot closes the door behind us and turns to face me. His usual friendly demeanor is gone.
"I've seen the video, Gabriel. The one from the museum."
The words hit me like a physical blow. "I'm not sure what you're referring to."
"Don't." He holds up a hand. "I'm not here to judge you, but I am here to warn you. It's circulating in a small student group. Very small, for now. But it's real, and it's spreading."
I sink into the chair across from his desk. My carefully constructed world is tilting on its axis.
"How many people know about it?"
"Maybe a dozen. But you know how these things work. It'll be everywhere by tomorrow if someone doesn't stop it."
"Was it Cassandra and Liam? Did they show it to those other students?"
"I don't know the source. But Gabriel, this could destroy both of you. Her especially. She's young and vulnerable. This kind of scandal could follow her for the rest of her life."
The mention of Rose makes my chest tighten.
"What do you suggest I do?"
"End your relationship with her immediately, Gabriel. Distance yourself before this gets any worse. And if you have to, step away from Wolfwood, at least for a while. This will die down if you are not here to fuel the rumors.”
“But that would just mean protecting myself. Elliot, do you honestly expect me to leave Rose here, to the wolves, all by herself?”
"Gabriel, I don’t know about that. But I've seen you with her. I know this isn't just a casual thing. You have to think about what's best for both of you."
I nod, though every fiber of my being rebels against the idea. "Thank you for telling me, Elliot."
"Gabriel." His voice softens. "I'm sorry. I really am."
After this conversation with Elliot, my day proves to be long and very difficult. I manage to get through my lecture, having no idea what I say. The students take notes dutifully while I go through the motions. All I can think about is Rose and how I'm about to break both our hearts.
But I have to do it. I have to end this. No matter how difficult it might be. I scribble a note for Rose and send it to her through one of the doormen.
Rose,
Meet me in the greenhouse tonight at eight. I have something important to discuss with you.
Gabriel
The greenhouse is both private and romantic. If this is going to be our goodbye, I want it to be somewhere beautiful.
***
Eight o’clock comes much too soon. I pace the greenhouse nervously, barely noticing the surroundings.
It’s warm in here, a stark contrast to the January snow outside.
The air is thick and humid, filled with the scent of blooming orchids and tropical plants.
I've never brought Rose here before. It feels like a sanctuary, hidden away from the world.