Chapter 23 — Shadows of Betrayal 🌑💔
Jay's POV
My ears were still ringing from the explosion outside. The banquet hall was in shambles—broken glass littered the floor, chandeliers swung dangerously, and people screamed in confusion and fear.
But through the chaos, my eyes locked on the figure who had caused it all.
Raven.
The once-forgotten face from my past, now standing before me with a cruel smile twisting her lips.
"You thought you could erase me, Jasper Jean Mariano," she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "But shadows always return."
Gasps erupted from my classmates—Aries, Keifer, Angelo, the whole of Section E frozen in disbelief.
I felt my pulse quicken. Not here. Not like this.
"Why now?" I demanded, stepping forward, refusing to let her see the fear clawing at my chest. "What do you want from me?"
Raven's smirk widened. "What's mine. What you stole. Crownveil should have been mine, Jay. But you—" her eyes blazed, "—you took everything."
.
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Keifer's POV
My fists clenched. I couldn't just stand there while Jay faced this witch from her past.
But Jay raised her hand slightly, her silent command. Stay back.
Her eyes—calm, controlled, unshaken—burned with something sharper than fear. Determination.
I swallowed hard. Even now, even surrounded by fire and ruin, she stood like a queen.
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The Threat
Raven snapped her fingers. From the shadows, armed men in black emerged, circling the hall. Guns glinted under the trembling lights.
.
Section E's boys—Edrix, Eren, Denzel, Felix, David—instantly moved, forming a wall between Jay and the intruders.
"Touch her and you'll regret it," Edrix growled, his voice dark.
"Big words for kids," one of the armed men sneered.
Raven laughed. "You think your little band of misfits can protect her? I didn't come here to fight—" her smile turned chilling, "—I came here to destroy."
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Jay's POV
My heart hammered as Raven lifted a USB drive, dangling it like a weapon.
"This," she hissed, "contains everything. Your secrets, your schemes, your vulnerabilities. Once this goes public—Crownveil will crumble. And so will you."
The hall went dead silent.
Aries looked at me, horror written all over his face. "Jay… is she telling the truth?"
I clenched my jaw. "Don't listen to her lies."
But inside, I knew—Raven wasn't bluffing.
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Before I could react, Raven tossed the USB into the flames of a toppled candelabra.
"No one will control Crownveil," she said, her voice cold as ice. "If I can't have it… neither can you."
The flames roared, swallowing the evidence—or the truth.
And as the smoke curled around us, I realized… this was only the beginning.
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✨ End of Chapter 23 — Shadows of Betrayal 🌑
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Did u guys went to school on 1st January?
I went, what about u all?🤧
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Bye bye
Love you all 💕