Hailey's POV
I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my emotions in check as I watched Nikki's exaggerated performance. Her face twisted into a theatrical mask of pain, and I could barely stifle the scoff threatening to escape my lips. Blood trickled from the self-inflicted wound on her hand, a morbid display meant to turn the narrative in her favor.
"Hailey stabbed me!" Nikki cried, her voice trembling with feigned anguish as she collapsed onto the hospital bench. She clutched her hand dramatically, as though she'd been mortally wounded. Her lips quivered, her eyes wide with faux innocence.
My heart sank, a sinking ship in a storm of frustration. I opened my mouth to refute her claims, but Paxton was already marching toward us, his brows knitted in concern. His dark eyes flicked betwee
