Beneath the perfect lie

: Beneath the Perfect Lie Chapter One: Welcome to Paradise The gates of Halston University stood wide open, like the mouth of a beast ready to swallow its prey. Adriana Mba adjusted her oversized hoodie and stepped out of the cab, clutching the small box that held her entire world. This was supposed to be her fresh start—a new life, away from whispers, away from the past. As she walked through the lush green campus, students buzzed around with laughter, music, and gossip. Everything looked picture-perfect. But Adriana knew better. Perfection was a mask. And she wore hers well. "Watch it!" a sharp voice snapped as someone bumped into her. A tall boy with messy curls and piercing eyes steadied himself. "You should be careful." Adriana glared. "You bumped into me." He smiled, slow and deliberate. "Technically, you walked into me." Before she could respond, another voice called, "Lucas! Let’s go!" Lucas. Of course, even his name was arrogant. Adriana turned and walked off, not giving him another glance. Little did she know, that one encounter would unravel everything she had worked so hard to hide. -- Meanwhile, across campus, a secret meeting was taking place in the old student theater. A girl with perfectly styled braids handed over an envelope to a boy in a leather jacket.7 "Make sure no one finds out. Especially not her." "Don’t worry, Brenda. She won’t know what hit her." Brenda’s smile was cold. "Good. Because once she’s gone, nothing can stop me." -- Back in her new dorm, Adriana unpacked slowly, her fingers brushing against a worn photograph. She flipped it over. On the back, a scribbled note: "For every truth we bury, a lie takes root." She stared at it, heart pounding. This wasn’t just a new beginning. It was the start of everything falling apart.