Beneath the Golden Mask

Lines That Shouldn’t Be Crossed

Ava spent the rest of the day avoiding Damian.

She was done trying to understand him. One minute, he acted like he wanted to say something, and the next, he played along with his friends’ cruelty.

She didn’t have time for his games.

But the universe had other plans.

By the time gym class rolled around, Ava already had a bad feeling.

The class was co-ed, which meant she had to deal with Damian and his pack of rich wolves even here.

Coach West blew his whistle. “Alright, listen up! We’re playing dodgeball today. Let’s make it a good one!”

Ava groaned internally. Of course.

It didn’t take a genius to see where this was going.

Teams were chosen. She ended up on the opposite side of Damian, Lucas, and Jace.

Perfect.

As the game started, Ava managed to dodge the first few throws, but she could already tell—they were aiming for her.

Jace threw the first ball. She ducked.

Lucas sent the next one. Barely missed.

Then, Damian stepped forward, ball in hand.

Their eyes locked.

And then—he launched it straight at her.

Ava moved too late. The ball slammed into her stomach, knocking the breath from her lungs.

She stumbled back, gasping.

Laughter erupted from the other team.

“Nice shot, Damian!” Lucas whooped.

Ava gritted her teeth, straightening. The burning pain in her stomach was nothing compared to the anger boiling in her veins.

Damian wasn’t even smirking this time. His face was unreadable.

She marched past him toward the bleachers, but just as she brushed by, she muttered, “Coward.”

For the first time, Damian’s expression cracked.

After Gym: Another Warning

After class, Ava went to her locker, still fuming.

She should have seen it coming. She should have expected it.

As she shoved her books inside, someone leaned against the locker beside hers.

Damian.

She didn’t even spare him a glance. “What do you want?”

His voice was low, controlled. “You should be more careful.”

Ava slammed her locker shut. “Is that a threat?”

His eyes flickered. “It’s a warning.”

She let out a bitter laugh. “Right. Because you care, right?”

Silence.

And then—softer than before—he said, “Just… watch yourself, Carter.”

Something about the way he said it sent a chill down her spine.

But she refused to let him see it.

So, she turned and walked away.

But for the first time, she wondered if there was more to Damian’s game than she realized.

And whether she was really prepared to find out.