Chapter 3 – Lipstick & Lies

...----------------Hey 👋 sweeties here's chapter 3 I hope u like it💕----------------...

The cafeteria smelled like polished marble and expensive perfume—a far cry from the greasy diners Lysa was used to. She scanned the sea of pristine uniforms and flawless faces, her hoodie feeling heavier with every stare.

She grabbed a tray, snagged a slice of pizza, and headed toward a corner seat near the windows. The sunlight streamed in, but it didn’t warm her nerves.

As she took her first bite, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Mind if I sit here?”

Lysa looked up to see a girl with honey-blonde curls, sharp eyes, and a confident smile. Her burgundy lipstick was perfectly applied, and her tailored blazer had just the right shimmer.

“Go ahead,” Lysa said, wary but curious.

“I’m Aria,” the girl introduced herself, sliding into the seat across from her. “You’re the scholarship girl, right? The one everyone’s been buzzing about?”

Lysa smirked. “Guess I’m a hot topic.”

Aria laughed softly. “You don’t have to pretend. We all see it—the way Samuel Virelli watches you.”

Lysa stiffened. “Samuel?”

Aria nodded. “The golden boy of Valemont. Billionaire heir, playboy, and a mystery wrapped in danger.”

Before Lysa could reply, the room’s atmosphere shifted.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward the entrance as Samuel strolled in, his black turtleneck hugging a lean but powerful frame. He carried a coat casually over one shoulder, his gaze piercing the crowd like a blade.

Samuel didn’t need an entourage—he *was* the entourage. People parted before him as if by instinct.

Then, their eyes met.

He wasn’t smiling; the corners of his mouth twitched in something like amusement—possessive, dangerous.

He settled at a table directly across from Lysa, staring like he owned not just the room but her.

Aria leaned in closer. “You’re not just a curiosity to him. You’re a challenge.”

Lysa met his gaze and lifted her pizza slice. “Good. I don’t back down.”

Samuel’s eyes darkened, but he said nothing.

The bell rang, scattering students to their next classes. Lysa stood, grabbing her bag. Aria fell in step beside her.

“You have no idea what you’re getting into,” Aria warned, voice low. “This school isn’t just about grades and parties. It’s about power, control... survival.”

Lysa smirked. “Then maybe I’m the wrong kind of survivor.”

Aria laughed, but it held no warmth. “Just remember—he doesn’t like to share.”

Later that night, Lysa returned to her dorm room, the quiet hallways a stark contrast to the chaos in her mind. She reached her door and froze.

Taped to the center was a Polaroid.

Her and Aria, sitting together in the cafeteria. The photo was taken without their knowledge—somewhere hidden, watching.

A scarlet X was slashed over Aria’s face.

Below it, scrawled in jagged black ink, were the words:

**“Choose wisely.

I don’t share.”**

—S

Lysa’s heart hammered. Someone was watching. Warning. Threatening.

She peeled the photo off the door, her fingers trembling.