Chapter 9: The First Trap
500 Words
The next morning, Aria woke up feeling refreshed.
For the first time in weeks, she wasn't thinking about Ryan.
She wasn't thinking about Vanessa.
She wasn't thinking about the humiliation.
She was thinking about strategy.
Because while everyone thought she was recovering...
Aria was planning.
And planning very carefully.
At breakfast, Chloe nearly choked on her juice.
"Wait."
Aria calmly spread cream cheese on her bagel.
"What?"
"You smiled."
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"So?"
Chloe pointed dramatically.
"That wasn't a normal smile."
"Oh?"
"It was the smile villains make before destroying kingdoms."
Aria laughed.
"I think you've watched too many dramas."
"No."
Chloe narrowed her eyes.
"You've become scary."
The funny thing?
She wasn't entirely wrong.
Later that day, Vanessa appeared again.
As expected.
Aria had barely entered the library when Vanessa slid into the seat opposite her.
Like they were still best friends.
Like she hadn't destroyed years of trust.
Vanessa smiled.
"I saved you a seat."
How thoughtful.
Aria smiled politely.
"Thank you."
Vanessa relaxed.
Good.
Let her relax.
Vanessa placed a notebook on the table.
"You're taking Business Analytics too, right?"
Aria nodded.
Vanessa sighed dramatically.
"I'm struggling with the first assignment."
There it was.
The real reason.
Aria had been waiting.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Vanessa pushed her notebook forward.
"Can you show me how you approached it?"
Aria glanced at the pages.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Vanessa wanted her work.
Again.
Just like in high school.
The difference was that the old Aria would've helped.
The new Aria?
Not so much.
Still smiling, Aria handed over several pages.
"Of course."
Vanessa's eyes brightened.
"Really?"
"Why not?"
Vanessa nearly looked victorious.
Poor thing.
She had no idea.
Three days later.
Business Analytics.
The classroom buzzed with excitement.
Professor Harrison stood at the front.
A strict man known for humiliating students who submitted copied work.
Vanessa sat confidently.
Almost smug.
Aria sat beside Chloe.
Completely relaxed.
Professor Harrison adjusted his glasses.
"I reviewed your submissions."
Students immediately became nervous.
Then:
"One of you submitted plagiarized work."
The room froze.
Vanessa's smile vanished.
Professor Harrison continued.
"The student copied a sample assignment available online."
Vanessa's face turned white.
Because that was exactly what Aria had given her.
Not her real work.
A sample.
A trap.
The professor looked directly at Vanessa.
"Miss Reed."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Vanessa's hands trembled.
"I..."
Professor Harrison wasn't finished.
"Meanwhile."
He held up another file.
"The highest score belongs to Miss Kingsley."
The classroom erupted.
Vanessa looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
Aria simply smiled.
Then returned to her notes.
As if nothing had happened.
That evening.
Lucien received a message.
A video.
His assistant had recorded the entire incident.
The billionaire watched quietly.
Vanessa's confidence.
The trap.
The humiliation.
Then Aria's innocent expression afterward.
A rare chuckle escaped him.
His assistant almost fell over.
"You laughed."
Lucien ignored him.
The assistant looked horrified.
"You actually laughed."
Lucien closed the video.
"Miss Kingsley is interesting."
That was the understatement of the century.
- Writer
