Chapter 13
Family Feuds
The old guard of both families grow wary of the students' interactions. Whispers of betrayal and loyalty resurface, reminding Hallie and Liam of the dangerous legacy they inherit.
The air in the student lounge was thick, not with the usual scent of stale coffee and cheap perfume, but with something far more potent – a palpable tension that clung to the worn velvet sofas and echoed in the hushed conversations. It was the kind of quiet that precedes a storm, and I, Hallie Ford, felt the prickle of unease crawl up my spine. My meticulously crafted normalcy, the carefully constructed facade of the average college student, felt fragile.
Lexi, bless her oblivious heart, was chattering about Professor Davies' notoriously difficult Shakespeare assignment, her brow furrowed in genuine academic distress. "Honestly, Hallie, I don't know how he expects us to decipher the existential dread in Hamlet in under two thousand words. It feels… impossible."
I offered a weak smile, my gaze flicking towards the doorway. Liam Blackwood. He stood there, framed by the afternoon sun slanting through the tall windows, a dark silhouette against the light. His presence was a gravitational pull, an undeniable force that drew every eye, including mine, whether I willed it or not. He wasn't looking at me, not directly, but his gaze swept the room, an almost imperceptible pause as it landed on my table. A flicker of something – recognition? Curiosity? – crossed his features before he moved on, his entourage of sycophants trailing in his wake.
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