Chapter 21 Chapter 21

Chapter 21 Chapter 21
EVELYN POV

The dean’s office felt unnaturally quiet after Daniel and Ethan left. The ticking clock on the wall suddenly sounded louder. Maya paced back and forth near the window, arms folded, her face tight with worry.

“This is bad,” she said. “This is really bad. She knows the dean found out. She knows Ethan talked. She is not going to just sit there and wait.”

I leaned against the edge of the desk, trying to keep my breathing steady. “Daniel knows what she is capable of.”

“That is exactly what scares me,” Maya said. “He knows. And he still went after her.”

“He had to,” I said.

Maya stopped pacing and looked at me. “And Ethan… Ethan looked like he was walking to his own execution.”

“He will be okay,” I said, though the uncertainty in my voice betrayed me.

Maya sat down on the chair across from me and pulled her knees to her chest. “Evelyn. Do you think she will try to run?”

“No,” I said. “Running would make her look guilty.”

“Then what?” Maya asked.

I didn’t want to answer.

Before I could even think of how to respond, the hallway outside filled with loud footsteps. Maya stood up instantly. The door swung open and two campus security officers rushed into the office.

“Where is Dean Harper?” one of them asked.

“He went to find Lila,” I said.

The officers exchanged a worried glance.

“That is what we were afraid of,” the first officer said.

“Why?” Maya asked.

The second officer lowered his voice. “We received a report from a staff member ten minutes ago. Lila Montgomery was seen entering the student council building… with a group of students.”

Maya’s eyes widened. “She brought backup.”

“Most likely,” the officer said. “Students loyal to her. Friends. People she has influence over.”

Cold dread washed over me.

Daniel and Ethan were heading straight toward her.

The first officer looked directly at me. “You two need to stay here. Do not move. We do not know what the situation looks like yet. The dean asked us to keep you safe.”

“But Daniel—” I said.

“We will find him,” the officer said firmly. “Stay in this office.”

They turned and rushed out.

The door slammed shut behind them.

Maya’s breathing quickened. “This is turning into something else. Something worse. She is gathering people.”

“She is building a story,” I said. “She is preparing her defense before the truth reaches them.”

Maya nodded. “And Daniel and Ethan are walking into it.”

I couldn’t stay still anymore. I stood up and walked to the window, staring out at the path below. Students moved between buildings, unaware of the storm forming at the center of campus.

Maya joined me. “What if she twists the whole thing with her loyal students? What if they make Ethan look like the aggressor? Or Daniel?”

“They will try,” I said. “But the truth is on their side.”

“I hope that is enough,” Maya whispered.

Minutes passed.

Then the hallway outside filled with footsteps again.

But these were different.

Softer.

Slower.

Calculated.

The door opened.

And the dean walked in.

Alone.

His face was pale beneath the office lighting.

“Where are they?” I asked immediately. “Daniel and Ethan.”

The dean didn’t answer right away. He closed the door behind him, walked to his desk, and removed his glasses with shaking hands.

Maya stepped close. “Dean Harper. What happened?”

He sat down heavily. “I arrived at the student council building. Several students were gathered in the main room. They said Lila was holding an emergency meeting. But by the time I got there… she was gone.”

My stomach twisted. “Gone where?”

“She left through the back,” the dean said. “Campus security found the door propped open. She left with at least two people.”

Maya stared at him. “Who?”

“The assistant council president and the council secretary,” the dean said. “Both very loyal to her.”

I felt the room tilt. “And Daniel and Ethan?”

“They were not inside,” the dean said. “Security is checking the area.”

My heart hammered.

Then the dean looked at me with a grim expression. “She is not trying to run. She is trying to control the narrative. She will try to get ahead of the truth.”

Maya shook her head. “She already did. She gathered students.”

“She is building an alibi,” I said.

The dean nodded slowly. “And possibly framing someone else.”

The silence that followed felt suffocating.

Finally, Maya asked in a small voice, “Do you think she will go after Ethan first?”

“Yes,” the dean said. “He is the weakest link.”

I grabbed my coat. “I am going to find them.”

“You cannot leave this room,” the dean said immediately.

“You cannot stop me,” I said.

The dean looked at me tiredly. “I am trying to protect you.”

“If Daniel and Ethan are in danger,” I said, “I am not staying here.”

Maya grabbed her bag. “I am going too.”

The dean stood abruptly. “I cannot let students roam campus during an active investigation. It is dangerous.”

“Lila is dangerous,” I said. “And she is out there. With people who will help her.”

The dean rubbed his forehead. “Evelyn. You saw what she did earlier. You know how she can twist things.”

“That is why I need to be there,” I said.

Before he could answer, someone knocked on the door.

A security officer stepped in.

His expression was stern. “We found Daniel.”

My heart jumped. “Is he okay?”

“He is fine,” the officer said. “But Ethan is not with him.”

“What?” Maya asked. “Where is Ethan?”

The officer hesitated. “We are still searching.”

I felt ice run through my veins.

Daniel.

Where was Daniel?

The officer stepped aside and let him enter.

Daniel walked into the office, drenched in sweat and breathing hard. His shirt was stained with dirt, and his hair was disheveled.

Maya gasped. “Daniel. What happened?”

He didn’t answer immediately. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, trying to catch his breath.

“Where is Ethan?” I demanded.

Daniel looked at me with grim eyes.

“She took him.”

Maya’s mouth opened in shock. “What do you mean she took him?”

Daniel shoved his hair back with shaking hands. “We got near the student council building. But before we even made it to the door, we heard shouting behind us. We turned around and saw two of Lila’s friends. They pretended to need help. Ethan went to check. I told him to wait but he went anyway. The moment he got close, they grabbed him.”

“Grabbed him?” Maya repeated.

Daniel nodded. “One of them whispered something to him. He looked terrified. Then they dragged him behind the building.”

The dean stood abruptly. “Why did you not call for help?”

“I did,” Daniel said. “But it happened too fast.”

I felt panic rising. “You said she took him. Did you see her?”

Daniel closed his eyes. “Yes. She was waiting at the back door. She told them to bring Ethan. And then she told me to stay out of it if I cared about what happened next.”

“What does that mean?” Maya asked.

Daniel opened his eyes. They were full of fear.

“She said,” he whispered, “‘If you come closer, he disappears just like Alex.’”

The room went silent.

My chest tightened painfully.

The dean grabbed his phone and dialed security immediately. “We have an abduction on campus. Shut down the east side entrances. Lock all buildings. Lila Montgomery is moving Ethan Bennett with assistance.”

Daniel sank into a chair.

Maya covered her mouth.

I stood frozen.

It felt unreal.

But it was happening.

“Where did she take him?” I asked.

Daniel shook his head. “I tried to follow, but they split in different directions. She planned it. She has been planning this for a long time.”

The dean finished talking to security and turned to us.

“We are going after her.”

Daniel suddenly looked up. “Wait.”

“What?” the dean asked.

Daniel pointed toward the window that faced the sports fields.

“She will take him where she took Alex.”

The room fell silent.

Maya trembled. “The lake.”

Daniel nodded. “She thinks it is poetic. She thinks it ties everything together. She thinks she can finish the story her way.”

The dean grabbed his coat. “Then we go. Now.”

Daniel stood. “I am coming.”

The dean hesitated. “It is not safe.”

“She already threatened him,” Daniel said. “I am not letting her hurt him.”

I grabbed the dean’s arm. “I am going too.”

He looked at me. “Evelyn—”

“She took Ethan because he told the truth,” I said. “She will take me next if she can. I am not letting her decide how this ends.”

Finally, the dean nodded.

Maya grabbed my hand. “I am coming too.”

Daniel shook his head. “No. You and the dean stay close. Evelyn stays with me.”

We rushed out of the office.

Campus was already coming alive with panic. Security officers ran across the paths. Students whispered. A few ran back toward dorms when they saw officers heading toward the woods.

The lake was surrounded by trees.

Deep trees.

Quiet trees.

Lila territory.

We followed the path behind the student council building, heading toward the woods. The branches swayed above us in the early afternoon breeze. The closer we got, the darker everything felt.

Daniel didn’t slow down.

He didn’t look back.

The dean ran behind us, radio in hand.

Maya stayed close to him.

My steps matched Daniel’s.

We reached the clearing.

The lake shimmered under the pale sky.

Calm.

Too calm.

Daniel scanned the area.

“There,” Maya whispered.

Footprints.

Small.

Fresh.

Leading toward the water.

Daniel followed them.

Then he stopped abruptly.

“Daniel?” I said.

He raised a hand. And then I saw it. On the dock. Ethan.

Tied to a chair. Mouth taped Eyes wide with terror. And standing behind him… Lila. Calm. Composed.

Her hands resting lightly on the back of Ethan’s chair.

She smiled when she saw us.

“Welcome,” she said. “You took long enough.”