Chapter 3 - The Midnight Ledger
For three days, Harper Cole existed as a ghost in the machine of Edenbridge. She ate lunch alone on the library terrace. She ignored the sneers, the "accidental" spilled coffees, and the aggressive posturing of Serena’s inner circle.
Julian Thorne, the captain of the fencing team and heir to a media conglomerate, was the only one who dared approach her. Julian was Serena’s ex-boyfriend—a sore subject that Serena still fiercely guarded.
Julian found Harper in the library, reading a thick volume on corporate law.
"You have a death wish, you know," Julian said, leaning against the mahogany table. "Embarrassing Serena in Economics? She's going to ruin you."
Harper didn't look up from her book. "She can try."
"You don't understand how this school works," Julian warned, his tone genuinely concerned. "She has files on everyone. Secrets. If she can't find yours, she'll invent one. She controls the narrative."
Harper finally looked up, her gray eyes locking onto his. "I don't care about the narrative, Julian. I care about the ledger. And Serena's ledger is bleeding red."
Before Julian could ask what she meant, his phone buzzed. It was a school-wide blast from Edenbridge Elite, an anonymous gossip server that everyone knew was run by Serena.
Julian looked at the screen. His eyes widened.
BREAKING: The New Girl's Dirty Secret. Harper Cole is a charity case. Sources confirm she lives in a rundown apartment in the warehouse district. Her mother is a waitress, and her father is serving time for embezzlement. She's here on a pity scholarship. Protect your valuables, Edenbridge.
Attached was a grainy photo of Harper’s Mustang parked outside a dilapidated brick building in the industrial sector.
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Julian looked at Harper, expecting tears or panic.
Instead, Harper looked at the screen, smiled a slow, terrifying smile, and closed her book. "Well," she whispered. "The Queen has made her move. Let's see if she can handle the counter-strike."
