Cass Winfield’s heart hammered in her chest before she even entered the school. Marvin Woods had been quiet for the past few days, but silence never meant peace. She knew better. He was a storm waiting to explode, and she wasn’t naive enough to think she could avoid the damage.
The hallway smelled like old books and burned popcorn from the cafeteria. Lockers clanged, students whispered, and the tension was thick enough to taste. Every glance she caught seemed loaded, every smirk aimed at her stung sharper than a slap.
And then she saw him. Marvin, leaning casually against the wall, smirk plastered on his face, girlfriend at his side, practically dripping with smugness.
Cass’s stomach twisted. She refused to flinch. Instead, she walked past him with purpose, head high, every step deliber
