CHAPTER 13: The First Move
730 Words
Ariana’s POV
I couldn’t sleep.
Ethan’s words kept replaying in my head.
She framed me… then saved me.
It didn’t make sense—until it did.
Control.
That was what Vanessa wanted. Not love. Not attention.
Power.
And now… I was part of that game.
The next morning felt off.
Too quiet.
Too normal.
Like something was waiting.
I stepped into campus, adjusting my bag, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling crawling under my skin.
Students moved around like usual, laughter echoing, conversations blending into noise.
But then—
I noticed it.
The looks.
Whispers.
Eyes lingering a second too long.
My chest tightened.
Something wasn’t right.
By the time I reached the main hallway, it got worse.
Phones were out.
People were staring.
Some pretending not to.
Others not even trying.
“What’s going on?” I muttered.
No one answered.
But then someone walked past me, and I heard it clearly—
“That’s her.”
A cold feeling settled in my stomach.
Her.
Me.
I didn’t have to wonder for long.
A message popped up on my phone.
Unknown number.
My heart dropped instantly as I opened it.
A video.
My fingers hesitated for a second before pressing play.
And the moment it started—
Everything inside me froze.
It was me.
At Ethan’s house.
Last night.
The angle was wrong—hidden.
Secret.
But clear enough.
Clear enough to see everything.
The closeness.
The moment before the kiss—
And then…
The kiss.
My breath caught as I quickly stopped the video, my hands trembling slightly.
No.
No, no, no—
“She wouldn’t…” I whispered.
But she did.
Vanessa.
“Ariana.”
I turned sharply at the sound of my name.
Ethan.
He was walking toward me fast, his expression already dark, like he knew.
“What happened?” he asked.
I didn’t say anything.
I just showed him my phone.
The moment his eyes landed on the screen, something in his expression changed instantly.
Cold.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
“She started already,” he muttered.
My chest tightened. “Everyone has it.”
“I know.”
That made it worse.
“You knew?”
“She doesn’t make small moves,” he said. “If she acts, it’s public.”
I felt my stomach drop.
“So this is just the beginning?”
“Yes.”
Silence fell between us.
Heavy.
Loud.
“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly.
The words caught me off guard.
“For what?”
“For pulling you into this.”
I shook my head immediately. “Don’t.”
“This is on me,” he insisted.
“No,” I said firmly. “This is on her.”
His jaw tightened.
But he didn’t argue.
Because we both knew the truth.
A group of students passed by, whispering again.
Laughing softly.
Judging.
The pressure started building in my chest.
“They think—” I started.
“I don’t care what they think,” Ethan cut in.
“But I do,” I said quietly.
That stopped him.
Because this wasn’t his world.
This wasn’t just power and control for me.
This was my reputation.
My life.
“What do we do?” I asked.
He didn’t hesitate this time.
“We don’t react the way she expects.”
“And what does she expect?”
“That you break,” he said.
My fingers tightened around my phone.
“She picked the wrong person then.”
Something in his expression shifted slightly.
Approval.
Maybe even pride.
But it didn’t last.
Because his phone buzzed next.
He looked at it—
And for the first time since I met him—
I saw something close to anger snap through his calm.
“What?” I asked.
He didn’t answer immediately.
Then he turned the screen toward me.
Another message.
This time from Vanessa.
This is only the beginning.
My heart dropped.
I looked up slowly.
“Ethan…”
His gaze was already dark, focused on something far beyond this moment.
“She just made her first real move,” he said quietly.
“And?”
His expression hardened.
“I’m done holding back.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Because this wasn’t just about me anymore.
This wasn’t just about rumors.
This was war.
And I had just been dragged right into the center of it.
- Writer
