Chapter 111 Revenge takes shape

Chapter 111 Revenge takes shape
Chapter 111

RAVENNA

I pushed open the door to our room and found Samantha sitting cross-legged on her bed, flipping through a textbook.

She looked up the moment I entered, her eyebrows raising in question.

I sighed heavily and collapsed onto my bed face-first, letting my bag drop to the floor with a dull thud.

"Where are you coming from?" Samantha asked, setting her book aside.

I turned my head to the side so my voice would not be muffled by the pillow. "I just checked to make sure Caleb and Darius came out of the holding cell."

"Why do you even care?" Samantha's tone sharpened slightly. "You are the reason Darius challenged Caleb to a fight in the first place."

I laughed, rolling onto my back and staring at the ceiling. "Darius is just being an indirect possessive asshole. He is trying to cage me, make me his without actually going through the normal method of asking me out or confessing feelings or doing anything remotely honest."

Samantha shifted closer to the edge of her bed, leaning forward with interest. "Do you think Darius actually likes you?"

I propped myself up on my elbows and met her gaze. "I think he does. He begged me not to go out with Caleb before the date even happened. And then he followed me to the restaurant where Caleb took me. He stood across the street and watched Caleb kiss me on the cheek."

"He followed you?" Samantha's eyes widened.

"Like a stalker," I confirmed. "Stood there in the street watching us through the window."

Samantha hummed thoughtfully, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "What about you, Raven? What are your feelings? Where do you stand with Darius?"

The question hung in the air between us. I smiled, but it felt forced even to me. "I do not want to get closer to him. I need to focus on getting my revenge and then leaving this damn academy behind for good."

The words tasted bitter on my tongue, but I pushed the feeling down. This was what I came here to do. This was what Asteria needed from me.

Samantha studied my face carefully. "What are you going to do this time? Because I know that smile. You are cooking something."

I grinned properly this time. "It is a secret. You will know soon enough."

Before Samantha could press further, the door opened and Selene walked in.

We both straightened immediately, clearing our throats and preparing to greet her with our usual friendliness.

But then I noticed the tears streaming down her face.

"Selene?" I stood up immediately and crossed the room to her. "What happened?"

She let out a choked sob, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug.

Samantha jumped off her bed and joined us, rubbing Selene's back gently.

"Why are you crying?" I asked softly, guiding her to sit on my bed.

Selene wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, but the tears kept coming. "It is Darius. I went to his room to check on him after the fight. I was worried about his injuries and I just wanted to make sure he was alright."

"What did he do?" Samantha prompted gently.

"He yelled at me to leave the room." Selene's voice cracked. "I refused because I thought maybe he just needed someone to talk to. So I told him I would stay whether he liked it or not. And when that did not work, I threatened to tell Richard about how he was treating me."

I exchanged a glance with Samantha. That probably had not been the smartest move.

"He pushed me out of the room," Selene continued, fresh tears spilling over. "Literally pushed me into the corridor and locked the door. Dorian tried to stop him, tried to tell him he was being too harsh, but Darius would not listen. He just slammed the door in my face."

"That is horrible," Samantha murmured, squeezing Selene's hand.

I felt a strange twist in my chest. Part of me wanted to defend Darius.

But another part of me recognised that what he did to Selene was cruel and unnecessary.

"He is under a lot of stress," I offered carefully. "The fight was brutal. He probably just needs space."

"I am his fiancée," Selene whispered. "I should be the one he turns to when he is hurt or stressed. But he does not want me. He has never wanted me."

The pain in her voice was raw and real. I tightened my arm around her shoulders.

"It is not about you," Samantha reassured her. "Darius is complicated. And this whole arranged marriage thing is not fair to either of you."

Selene nodded but did not look convinced. We sat with her for a while longer, offering comfort and reassurance until her tears finally stopped.

Eventually, she excused herself to wash her face in the bathroom.

The moment she left the room, my phone pinged.

I grabbed it off the bed and saw Caleb's name on the screen. My breath caught when I opened the message.

He had sent me a picture of himself in the shower. Water streamed down his bare chest and shoulders. His blonde hair was soaked and pushed back from his face, droplets clinging to his skin. He looked absolutely ravishing.

A second message appeared beneath the photo: Wish you were here with me.

I smiled widely, my fingers moving across the keyboard before I could second-guess myself. Just ask me properly then.

His response came almost immediately: a laughing emoji followed by, Come over to my room.

I typed back quickly: On my way.

I grabbed my bag and stood up. Samantha looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"Where are you going now?"

"To spend some quality time with a very handsome boy," I replied with a grin.

Samantha shook her head but smiled. "Be careful."

"Always am."

I was halfway down the corridor when my phone rang. Asteria's name flashed across the screen.

I hesitated for just a second before answering.

"How are you?" Asteria's voice came through sharply.

"I am fine. What do you want?"

"Have you gotten anything useful yet? From either of them?"

I shifted my bag higher on my shoulder. "I am so close. Very close. You will know soon."

"Good." Asteria paused, and I could practically hear her thinking on the other end of the line. "You are close, Raven. Do not hesitate now. Do not let feelings get in the way of what needs to be done."

"I know what I am doing," I replied, keeping my voice steady.

"Do you? Because from what I hear, you are getting awfully cosy with Darius's fiancée and spending an awful lot of time with Caleb."

"That is the plan," I shot back. "Get close to them, earn their fucking trust and find out their secrets."

"Just make sure you remember why you are there," Asteria warned. "Do not forget what Darius did to me."

"I have not forgotten."

"Good. Call me when you have something concrete."

She hung up without waiting for my response.

I lowered the phone and stood still in the empty corridor for a moment. Asteria's words echoed in my head. Do not hesitate now.

She was right. This was what I came here to do. Get revenge for what Darius did to my sister. Hurt him the way he hurt her. Make him pay.

But the image of Darius's face flashed through my mind. The way he had looked at me through the restaurant window when Caleb kissed my cheek.

The absolute devastation in his eyes. The way his entire expression had crumbled before he turned and walked away.

He had looked broken.

And I had been the one to break him.

I shook my head sharply, pushing the thought away. This was the right thing to do.

Darius deserved everything coming to him. He had hurt Asteria. He had used her and discarded her like a piece of shit. He also did same to my biker friend. Now it was his turn to feel that pain.

I started walking again, my footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Caleb's room was in the Alpha dormitory, the same building where Darius lived. The irony was not lost on me.

When I reached Caleb's door, I raised my hand to knock.

But I stopped. Why was I doing this? Was this necessary?

But the Pike Holdings folder flashed in my mind. I had seen it clearly on Caleb's desk during my last visit.

And worse still Caleb had invited me over. He trusted me enough to let me into his space. This was the perfect opportunity.

I could dig deeper into those files and find out exactly what Caleb knew about Pike Holdings and wh
at he was planning.

I needed answers and Caleb's room might hold exactly what I was looking for. I lowered my hand slowly and took a step back from the door.