Chapter 77 CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN | COURT

Chapter 77 CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN | COURT
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN | COURT

RONAN

I stood there and watched as the guards pulled Aspen away. She didn’t fight them. She didn’t scream again. She just looked empty. That look broke something in me.

I moved without thinking. One of the guards stepped in front of me. “You can’t follow,” he said, pushing my chest.

“Get out of my way,” I snapped.

He pushed harder. That was enough. I grabbed his collar and shoved him back into the wall. He swung at me and I dodged, hitting him in the ribs. Pain shot up my arm, but I didn’t care. Another guard rushed in and pulled us apart.

“Enough!” someone shouted.

I straightened my jacket, breathing hard. “Tell Principal Jones I’m coming,” I said, then turned and walked away before they could stop me again.

I didn’t slow down until I reached his office. I burst in without knocking.

Principal Jones sat behind his desk, calm like nothing had happened. “Ronan,” he said, folding his hands. “This is serious.”

“He didn’t do it,” I said. “You know that.”

He sighed. “His fingerprints were found at the scene. On the weapon and on the body.”

My chest tightened. “He was attacked.”

“That will be for the court to decide,” he replied. “If he’s found guilty, procedures will be followed.”

“What procedures?” I asked, already afraid.

He looked at me carefully. “He will be stripped and examined. We can’t take chances.”

My legs went weak. I stepped forward and dropped to my knees before I could stop myself. “Please,” I said, my voice breaking. “Please don’t let it get to that.”

He stood up. “Ronan, this is not.”

“He’s not who you think she is,” I whispered.

Silence filled the room. My pride burned, but I didn’t care. I bowed my head. “I’ll do anything. Anything.”

Principal Jones walked around the desk and stopped in front of me. “Get up,” he said quietly.

I didn’t move.

“Get up,” he repeated. “This is out of my hands now.”

I slowly stood. My hands were shaking. “Then help me,” I said. “Even a little.”

He looked away. “Leave my office, Ronan.”

I turned and walked out, my head pounding.

Outside, Rachel stood by the wall. Her eyes widened when she saw me. “Ronan,” she said, rushing closer. “Is it true? Is Aspen really in prison? Did she really kill someone?”

I kept walking.

She grabbed my arm. “Say something. Please. I can help. I know people.”

I stopped and looked at her. “This isn’t about you,” I said coldly.

She flinched. “I just want to…”

“No,” I cut in. “The world doesn’t revolve around you.”

I pulled my arm free and walked past her. My chest felt heavy, my mind racing. Aspen was alone behind cold walls, and I was running out of time.

All eyes were on me as I walked through the hall, whispers following like shadows. I felt them staring, judging, guessing. I didn’t care. None of them mattered. Only Aspen did.

I pushed into my room and found Brian already there, pacing. He stopped when he saw my face. “I heard,” he said quietly. “They took her.”

I dropped my bag and ran a hand through my hair. “They’re saying her fingerprints were on everything,” I said. “They want to strip her if she’s found guilty. They’ll find out who she really is.”

Brian swore under his breath. “That can’t happen.”

“She’s terrified,” I said. “She’s breaking.”

Brian nodded once, then said, “Then we sneak her out.”

I froze. “What?”

“We sneak her out of the school,” he repeated. “Tonight if we have to.”

“That’s madness,” I snapped. “The place is crawling with guards. And hiding her identity outside will be even harder.”

Brian stepped closer. “Listen to me,” he said. “One of the men we captured earlier talked. He confessed.”

My chest tightened. “Confessed to what?”

“Alettoi,” Brian said. “He’s somewhere in this school. Hiding and watching.”

My stomach dropped. “You’re sure?”

“He was scared,” Brian replied. “He said the Red Ones have eyes everywhere here. He said what happened to Aspen wasn’t random.”

I clenched my fists. “So this was planned.”

“Yes,” Brian said. “They wanted her locked up and exposed.”

I looked away, my mind racing. “Sneaking her out could get her killed.”

“Keeping her here will,” Brian shot back. “If Alettoi wants her, prison walls won’t stop him.”

Silence fell between us. I could hear my own heartbeat. “How would we even do it?” I asked.

“There’s an old service tunnel,” Brian said. “Used for supplies years ago. Most guards don’t know it exists. It leads past the north fence.”

“And the cameras?” I asked.

“I can handle that,” he said. “Short window. Ten minutes.”

I shook my head slowly. “This is too risky.”

Brian grabbed my arm. “Ronan, look at me. If she stays here, they will tear her apart piece by piece. Her secret, her mind, her body.”

I swallowed hard. “And if we fail?”

“Then at least we tried,” he said.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my head in my hands. I could see Aspen’s empty eyes again. Hear her voice calling herself a monster.

“She won’t forgive me if I put her in more danger,” I said.

“She won’t survive if you don’t,” Brian replied.

I looked up at him. “You really think this is the only way?”

He nodded. “It’s the best solution we have.”

I let out a slow breath. Fear crawled through me, but something stronger pushed back. “Okay,” I said finally. “We do it.”

Brian’s shoulders relaxed. “Good.”

“But we do it clean,” I added. “No blood. No mistakes.”

He gave a grim smile. “Then we move fast.”

I stood up, resolved to settle in my chest. Sneaking her out was dangerous. Hiding her would be harder. But losing her was not an option.

Not ever.

I’ll do whatever it takes to get her out. In the last few days, I have discovered how much I am attached to Aspen.