St. Jude Academy was not merely an educational institution. It was a gilded fortress.

Harper was drowning in the panic, but a tiny, rational part of her brain—the part forged by a billionaire father who taught her to survive anything—fought back.

She forced her eyes shut against the strobe lights. She focused on the physical sensation of the wooden armrest. Breathe in. Four seconds. Hold. Breathe out.

She wasn't in the car. She was in a school. And she knew exactly who was doing this.

The anger eclipsed the fear. It was a cold, sharp rage.

Harper ripped her eyes open. She didn't cower. She stood up. Ignoring Julian’s protests, she climbed over the seats, moving with blind determination toward the backstage access door.

She kicked the door open.

Serena spun around, her triumphant smile vanishing.

Harper didn't say a word. She marched across the backstage floor, grabbed Serena by the lapels of her blazer, and slammed her hard against the concrete wall.

"Turn it off," Harper snarled, her gray eyes burning with a terrifying, unhinged intensity.

"Get your hands off me!" Serena shrieked, struggling.

Harper slammed her against the wall again, harder this time. "Turn. It. Off."

Terrified by the sheer violence in Harper's eyes, Serena reached out and slapped the emergency kill switch. The strobe lights died. The horrific audio cut out. The emergency lights in the auditorium flickered on.

Silence rushed back into the building, followed by the murmurs of terrified students.

Harper let go of Serena, who slumped against the wall, gasping for air.

"You thought a panic attack would break me?" Harper whispered, stepping over Serena. "I survived a crash that should have killed me. You are nothing but a spoiled child throwing a tantrum because someone took away your toys. But you crossed a line today, Serena. You didn't just attack me. You terrorized this entire school. And now, I am going to end you."