chapter 2 : invisibility

Ivanka's POV

High school is supposed to be fun, right? All about grades, parties, hookups, and wasting away your teenage years. But for me? It's more than that. This place is a canvas, and I'm going to turn it into my masterpiece—full of blood, crime, and carefully crafted plans.

It's been a week since I stepped foot in this school, and the whole "lay low" plan? Failed the moment I entered Ms. Sophia's class. That woman absolutely hates me, and I'm loving every second of it. It only makes things more exciting. The day after that little game of hate, I showed up in the same outfit I wore the day before—same long skirt, same hoodie, same head covered.

I'm not trying to be the mysterious girl, for fuck's sake. I'm just playing my own game here—staying under the radar. Blending in. You see, I'm a "normal" teenager, I guess—16, almost 17 in a month. But let's be real... I'm anything but normal. Dangerous is more like it. But don't worry, my babies, I'll still play the part of the good girl... for now.

Hahaha, kidding. I was never a good girl, and I never will be.

Suddenly, a shiver runs down my spine. Someone's watching me. Two seats away. I won't look, though. I'm too good at blending in. Maybe the entire class is just curious about me—wondering who I am, where I came from, and how a simple girl like me ended up in this school in the middle of the semester. I'll ignore it.

After enduring a morning full of the most boring classes, I'm finally in the cafeteria. I need coffee. Seriously, what's wrong with American education? Can't imagine it being this easy for the little devils back in my family—they'd ace this in a heartbeat.

I walk into the cafeteria, and my eyes widen. This place? Fancy as hell !omg my eyes it shines BULLSHIT. It's like they tried to create some Harry Potter magic, but Voldemort definitely made his mark. Whatever. I'll just grab my extremely black coffee and pretend I'm in a better mood than I really am.

But then, there it is again. Those damn goosebumps. I try not to look around, but they're still there. They're not like the usual stares. These feel different—more intense. Like someone's trying to undress me with their eyes. Fine. Whatever. Time to look.

I slowly turn, scanning the room like I'm choosing a place to sit. Bingo. There's a table with five people in the corner. I recognize one of them. Lion Alfaro. His family was one of the purebloods. They died in a fire a year ago, leaving him as the only Alfaro left standing. And now he's one of the wealthiest men in Spain. Hotels, mansions, businesses—both legal and illegal. His family ruled alongside the Garcias, but what the hell is he doing here? He's 19 and well-educated enough to not be stuck in high school.

I shift my gaze to the other guy sitting at the table. The one who's been catching my attention all morning. He's got that strong, masculine build. His hair falls over his deep brown eyes. He's also got tattoos on both arms, and those eyes? They're locked on me, furrowed in concentration.

I don't give him any reaction. I just sit somewhere random, my back to him. But I can feel his gaze still burning into me.

If Lion Alfaro is pureblood, then I'm pretty sure I just saw Leo Alexiou with him. And the other guy sitting at the table? Definitely looks like someone I'd want to avoid. He has the same cold stare, like the kind of person who won't hesitate to kill.

I can't help but laugh to myself. This is going to be fun.

So, that's how the first week went. After a couple of days, the entire school seemed to forget about me—except for him. The guy who never stopped following me with his eyes. It started to piss me off. I could figure out his entire life and know exactly who he was, but where's the fun in spoiling the game? No, I'd wait. Soon enough, I'd have both of his eyes in my hands.

But for now, I need to stay calm.

It's Friday night now, and my game begins tonight. After a long, boring day of school, I'm finally sitting in History class with Mr. Alaric. Sometimes he's interesting, but today? Boring as hell. I'm lost in my head, planning my next move.

"Miss Miller, why don't you share your thoughts with us?" Mr. Alaric calls, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Shit. I wasn't listening to a word he said.

"Or perhaps you weren't paying attention to my class?"

Suddenly, a voice close to my ear interrupts. It has the deep accent of a man doing his best Sofia Vergara impression. "Is war necessary for human existence, niña?" (Little girl)

Nina? Did he just call me that? Is he mocking me?

"Not really sure, Mr. Alaric. I don't have a specific answer," I reply, keeping my cool.

But then, the voice behind me speaks again, quieter this time, just for me to hear. "Unsure, I see. A normal little girl."

Fine. Let's play.

I clear my throat. "Actually, I think war is the price of progress. If you want something, you don't whisper about it. You take it. War can be necessary for society to evolve."

"So deaths and destructions also necessary? Then You think the only way for society to evolve is war hmm....interesting what about unity, diplomacy!"he said clearly enjoying this.

I turn around and look him straight in the eyes. "Diplomacy doesn't work on people who only understand force. So why ask for something when you can just take it?" I smile a fake smile.

He just stares at me, but then he does something I've never seen him do to anyone—he smirks.

What the hell? Did I just get a smirk from him?

Mr. Alaric interrupts our staring contest with his annoying laugh. "What an incredible discussion, Miss Miller and Mr. Garcia."

Wait. What?

FUCK MY LIFE

Did he just say Garcia?

I freeze. I've never seen the Garcias except for the Don—he's the only one I've ever seen. No wonder the guy walks like he owns the place. I should've smelled that attitude from a mile away. I need to stay away from him. He's not part of my game. If he enters, he'll ruin everything, and that's not the time for that.

After school, I take a taxi back to my apartment then left to make my first move tonight then back again But as I enter, I sense something's off. The lights are off, and the only light comes from the city's glow outside my window. Suddenly, something touches my foot. What the hell?

I flip the light on and find a box on the floor. Inside? A car toy and a note:

"Hey Iviiii, guess who's herrree? Your fav bitchhh, baby. I came to see my fav cousyyyy. Meet me at midnight 😉"

No address, just a toy car in my hand.

For fuck's sake. What is Veronika doing here?

I haven't even started playing my game yet, and now I've got someone trying to ruin it. Well, we'll see about that.