CRYSTAL POV
"Rules are rules," she said. "You break them, you get assigned where they want you. In my case…" she glanced around the room briefly before looking back at me, "…here. Accepting me around that time seems like a miracle, so who I to reject."
Something about the way she said it made my stomach tighten.
Like she wasn't complaining, like she had expected it. Or worse… like she wanted it.
Aliyah didn't seem convinced either. She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes slightly at Serena.
"Then why didn't you fight seriously earlier?" she asked. "You were clearly stronger. You could've ended it faster."
There was a small pause.
Serena's gaze shifted to her, calmly… almost bored.
"Because she wasn't worth it," she said simply.
The words landed hard.
Aliyah
