Justhere_toread

Jasmine Woods has always felt invisible at school-but online, she's known as Emia. Despite sharing classrooms with the notorious Ashton Tyler since preschool, Jasmin has quietly observed his reckless charm: dining and dashing, skipping classes, getting into fights, and leaving a trail of broken hearts. His reputation as a serial heartbreaker is well earned.

Yet beneath his damaging persona lies a surprising connection between them. In one fateful moment, old feelings are reignited, and Ashton finds himself drawn to the girl he never expected to see. Now, as he pursues Jasmin, the question remains: can he truly win over someone who has spent years hiding in the shadows?

I wish he never noticed

A notification from Emia. A new post.

@Emia: "You thought the police would scare me? Guess again. You all remember Evan, right? Silverback High's little secret? He and one of your beloved teachers were more than just 'close.' If that teacher doesn't resign in the next two hours, I'll post the pictures. Tick-tock. ⏳ #NoSecrets #TimeToConfess"

Ashton read the words twice, gripping his phone so tightly his knuckles turned white. Emia was going after a teacher now.

Milo swore under his breath. "This… this is bad."

Luke exhaled sharply. "A teacher's career is on the line. And if this is real—if they were actually in a relationship—it's not just a scandal. It's a crime."

Milo ran a hand down his face. "This isn't just about Parker anymore. This is bigger than us."

Ashton clenched his jaw. "And how exactly do we stop it?"

Luke looked at the whiteboard. "We find Emia."

The school day had whined down to the second half when it happened.

It began with the quiet buzz of notifications, a ripple of vibration through every student's desk. Then, one by one, phones were slipped out, screens lit up, and silence filled the room as everyone read the same message.

By the time second period started, the post had reached nearly every student. Desks creaked as students shuffled, phones appearing beneath desks, inside textbooks, and behind backpacks. A few openly stared at their screens, scrolling through comment threads filled with theories.

A collective gasp. Then whispers. Then chaos.

"Wait, Evan? From, like, three years ago?"

Mrs. Buttons, at the front of the room, sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Put your phones away before I start collecting them."

No one moved. The murmuring only grew louder.

A student near the front, Jason, hesitated before blurting, "But, Mrs—it's Emia's new post. It's about a teacher."

Mrs. Buttons stiffened. Her hand twitched as she extended it. "Give me your phone."

Jason reluctantly placed it in her palm. The classroom hushed as she stared at the screen, her eyes scanning the words. Her fingers curled around the device, grip tightening as her face paled. "How could this be..." she murmured, barely above a whisper.

She thrust the phone back at Jason and turned on her heel, rushing out of the classroom, phone in hand. The door swung shut behind her, leaving behind an eerie silence.

It only took seconds for chaos to erupt.

"Wait... was that reaction kinda weird?" one student whispered.

"Do you think it's her?" another asked.

"No way, she's married! It has to be someone else."

"Then why did she run out like that?"

The tension in the room thickened, speculation igniting like dry kindling. Accusations flared and faded in an instant, bouncing from one teacher's name to another.

Jasmine tapped her pen against her lip, eyes flickering over the room. "Oh, to be in love," she murmured, her tone almost wistful.

Meiling leaned over. "Can you believe this?"

Jasmine smiled faintly, tilting her head as she penned the final flourish on her drawing. "No, I can't what teacher would do such a thing" she mused.

Meiling blinked, unsure how to respond, but before she could, another wave of speculation spread through the class.

The countdown had begun. Two hours.

"Love is only a spark away from destruction. Once it catches, it burns everything in its path."

Chapter 21