The Ghost Protocol

Chapter 2-The Golden Illusion

The blue text bubble on harpers phone didn’t just sit there it made her more furious than ever .

The attached image wasn’t a casual campus picture .it was a high resolution snapshot of isabelle ,the girl he told me not to worry about ,she looked completey untouchable ,the flawless wigs the bright light skin the expensive designer clothes and shoes it was the exact asthetic Harper had spent the last week quietly comparing herself to feeling smaller with every single swipe .

But it was the caption underneath from her classmate that made harper suprised " Your boy Vincent used to be in line ask him about the Dubai trip" before Harper could process the comment and the picture a heave knock rattled thefront door to her room ,she walked over ,pulled the door opened and froze it was Vincent !!!!!

the High and mighty busy law studnt who clamied his court prep schedule was to much for a simple text was standing right infront of her on her welcome mat looking competley stripped of his usal arrogrance rubbing the back of his hair .Thesilence between them was thick ,heavy with the weight of thr texts she had sent a few hours ago

'We need to talk,"Vincent said , his voice dropping to a low ,exhausted register."the things you said on the text.....about me wanting a fling .It's not like that,Harper. I was just trying to protect myself

Harper didn't offer him a seat. She stood her ground by the kitchen counter,crossing her arms "protect yourself from what,Vincent?Because from where i am standing you disapper for 4 days leave me on read and then expect me to just show up at your appartment ? itold you from day one " i don't do causal i dont play those games." sensing he was completley losing grip on the narrative ,Vincents mumbled.He pulled outhis phone lighting up his screen ,desparte to save face by exposing the very illusion thathas been haunting harpers thoughts."you think i am dealing with someone Harper?" Vincent scoffed ,a bitter raspy creeping into his voice as he turned his phone towards her, opening his messages ." You want to know why i am so cautious ? Look at this .Look at Isabelle."

As Vincent scrolled through his saved media , the entire golden aura surrounding the campus icon began to discet itsef right infront of Harper's face . He didnt speak with pride he spoke with detachment of a guy who had seen behind the curtain of the campus elite

she has casted herself so hard that guys would literally speak to her on the spot, vincent admiited ,a dark humorless laugh ,when she and i would walk round campus athletes would greet her and it was practically a joke within the boys whoes turn it was next ,it's all a front,Harper Every single bit of it .Harper looked hardly at all of isabelles pictures on his screen ,the intense knot of jealousy in her chest loosening by the second .The realitywasn't glamourous it was just messy .VAincent explained the desparte truth that isaabele came from a low income background and used male validation to overcompensate,relying on rotating roster of guys to fund her high end lifestyle,her expensive wigs and her trips out of the country.

But the real twist and wreckage of isabelle campus status was the academic fraud ,She's not even at the university anymore," Vincent revealed ,sliding his phone back into his pockets ,she was falling out paying professors to clear her grades until the dean's office caught wind of it she had to quietly transfer to a community college two hours away just to avoid a full explusion .

Harper listened with so much clarity a she looked over at vincnet ,this guy who had tried so hard to ac untouchable,who had been intimate with the campus underworld but was now scrambling to defend his ego to her .Harper realized she hasn't lost anything she had kept her boundries and was in a completey diffrent league "so" Harper said her voice dropping camly ."You used her mess as an excuse to treat me like an option?"

Vincent stepped closer trying to remain calm in his smooth tone his hand reaching out toward her i'm telling you this cause there is no point obssesing over her or that crowd i'm here now..with you let's just forget everything why dont you come over to my place Harper i miss your warmth Vincent smirked .

Harper looked at Vincent desperate eyes down to his eyes down to his hands but as he moved closer . His phone vibrated in his pocket. A deleted message notification flashes accross his smart watch ,harpers eyes locked into the preview before the message cleared " The state line is just a two hour drive vincent the hotel room is booked in your name you coming or what ?"