Chapter Seven: The Summit Begins
749 Words
The Saint Elysian auditorium gleamed like it was made of gold.
And maybe it was.
Polished marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and silk banners hung from the ceiling. Every elite school from across the country had sent their best and brightest to this place, and each of them was watching.
Waiting for one of us to fail.
I wasn’t going to be the one.
At least, that’s what I told myself.
“You’re tense.”
Killian Reyes stood at my side, flawless in a black suit that probably cost more than my car.
He looked calm. Unbothered. Like this entire event was just another game he already knew he was going to win.
“I’m fine,” I said tightly.
“Liar.”
I shot him a sharp look. “If you’re not going to be helpful, go stand somewhere else.”
He gave a faint smirk. “And miss all the fun?”
⸻
We stood together at the entrance, greeting each delegation as they arrived. Handshakes, polite smiles, small talk that meant absolutely nothing.
Except when Killian did it.
Somehow, his smile always seemed like a dare.
And when he introduced me—Cassian Vale, Student Council President—it sounded like a challenge.
As if daring them to underestimate me.
Or daring me to prove him right.
⸻
Halfway through the morning, the welcoming speeches began.
I stood at the podium, delivering the words I’d practiced a hundred times.
“Our goal here is unity,” I said smoothly, ignoring the sting behind the lie.
We were anything but united.
And someone in this room was playing a different game entirely.
When I glanced down, Killian was watching me from his seat at the head table. His expression unreadable.
But his eyes—they burned.
Stay sharp, they seemed to say.
And then, when I least expected it, he nodded once.
Like we were in this together.
For now.
⸻
The first day of the summit ran like clockwork.
Panels, debates, strategy sessions.
I led most of them. Killian handled the rest.
And we didn’t argue.
Not once.
Which was probably why I felt so uneasy.
⸻
By late afternoon, I was reviewing tomorrow’s agenda in the prep room when Killian walked in without knocking.
“We have a problem,” he said.
Of course we did.
I closed the folder. “What now?”
He handed me a tablet.
Footage.
Security cameras.
And there I was, leaving the conference room hours earlier… except I didn’t remember ever being there.
My stomach twisted.
“When was this taken?” I asked, my voice tight.
“Ten this morning.”
“But I was—”
“In the main hall,” he finished for me.
Exactly.
I shoved the tablet away. “This is some kind of trick.”
“It isn’t.”
“Then explain it.”
He didn’t.
He just watched me with those sharp, unreadable eyes.
And for the first time, I wasn’t sure if Killian Reyes was my ally… or my enemy.
⸻
That night, the Unity Summit hosted its first formal gala.
Another one.
Because the elite never tired of dressing up and pretending they weren’t constantly sharpening knives behind each other’s backs.
I wore black silk and diamonds I didn’t remember owning.
Killian found me at the top of the stairs.
“You look like you’re going to war,” he said.
I adjusted my gloves. “Aren’t we?”
He offered his arm.
I hesitated.
But then I took it.
And the moment our skin touched, a shiver ran up my spine.
“Careful, Vale,” he murmured as we descended together.
“I don’t need you to protect me,” I said.
“No,” he agreed. “But you need someone to watch your back.”
⸻
We danced again.
Because that’s what rivals do at galas.
Pretend.
Play.
Wait for the perfect moment to strike.
But Killian didn’t move like a boy planning my downfall.
He moved like someone who knew exactly how to keep me standing.
Even if I didn’t trust him.
Especially because I didn’t trust him.
⸻
And then the lights cut out.
For one, breathless second, the entire ballroom plunged into darkness.
I didn’t move.
Killian’s hand tightened around mine.
A single shot rang out.
Panic exploded around us.
I couldn’t breathe.
And before I could process anything else, Killian pulled me against him and whispered in my ear—
“Run.”
- Writer
