Chapter Five: The Cost of Defiance

Ava knew the moment she walked out of the student council office that she had crossed a line 

This wasn't just about a scholarship anymore

This was about power 

And in a school like Ravensworth, power dictated survival

She had forced Adriana to acknowledge her as a threat, and that meant retaliation was inevitable. The only question was how 

As she made her way through the halls, she could feel the weight of the students' stares. The rumors were already spreading 

Ava Sinclair had stood up to Adriana Kingsley 

And she was still standing 

For now 

Lily was waiting in their dorm room when Ava arrived. The moment Ava shut the door, Lily exploded 

"Okay, what exactly did you do

Ava tossed her bag onto the bed and sank into her chair. "What do you mean

Lily waved her phone. "Half the school is talking about how you walked into the student council office like a boss and left Adriana speechless

Ava smirked. "Not entirely speechless

Lily groaned. "Ava. Do you have any idea what you just did

"Yes," Ava said simply. "I leveled the playing field

Lily sighed, dropping onto her own bed. "I hope you know what you're doing

Ava didn't answer 

Because the truth was, she wasn't sure 

By the next morning, Adriana had already made her next move 

Ava knew something was wrong the moment she entered the cafeteria 

Conversations hushed. Students whispered behind their hands. A few outright smirked when they saw her 

Lily was right behind her. "Why do I feel like we walked into a trap

Ava scanned the room, searching for the source of the tension. Then she saw it 

A printed-out email, taped to the bulletin board near the entrance 

With her name on it 

Frowning, she pushed through the small crowd and ripped it off 

The moment she started reading, her stomach dropped 

To: Ava Sinclair 

From: Head of Scholarship Boar

Subject: Suspension of Scholarship Benefits 

The letter stated that due to continued behavioral concerns and inappropriate conduct toward student leadership, her scholarship had been temporarily suspended pending further revie

Lily read over her shoulder and cursed. "She actually did it

Ava's hands clenched around the pape

She turned, and sure enough, Adriana was watching from across the cafeteria, sipping her morning tea like she hadn't just upended Ava's future 

Their eyes met

Adriana smiled

A slow, satisfied, I warned you kind of smile

Theo appeared beside Ava, reading the letter with a grim expression. "This isn't good

Ava took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm. "It's not over

Theo sighed. "Ava

"No," she said firmly. "She wants me to break. She wants me to run. I won't

Lily crossed her arms. "So what's the plan

Ava stared at the letter 

"I fight

The first step was damage control 

Ava went straight to the scholarship office, but Mrs. Caldwell wouldn't see her. The assistant at the front desk only gave her a pitying look before handing her another copy of the letter 

"Appeals must be submitted in writing within seven days," the assistant said 

Ava forced a tight smile. "Thanks

She left before she said something that would actually get her expelled 

Lily met her outside. "No luck

"No

Lily hesitated. "If… if the appeal doesn't work, what's your backup plan

Ava exhaled. "I don't have one

Lily frowned. "Then you really need to win this

Ava knew that better than anyone 

That night, Ava did what she did best—she research 

She pored over the student handbook, the scholarship agreement, and any regulations she could find 

By midnight, she had found what she was looking for 

There was a clause in the scholarship contract that stated any suspension of financial aid required substantial evidence of misconduct 

Which meant the board had to provide proof 

And Ava knew they didn't have any 

Adriana might have influence, but she had made a mistake. She had acted too fast, relying on her family's power rather than covering her tracks properly 

And Ava was going to use that against her 

The next day, she walked into the headmaster's office unannounced 

The secretary tried to stop her, but Ava didn't slo

Headmaster Harrington looked up in surprise as she entered. "Miss Sinclair

"I'd like to submit my appeal in person," Ava said, placing a printed copy of her argument on his desk 

He frowned. "That's not standard procedure

She folded her arms. "Neither is suspending a student's scholarship without proper evidence

His eyes narrowed. "You're walking a fine line, Miss Sinclair

"So is Adriana Kingsley," Ava countered. "Her family has interfered in the scholarship process before. I have the records to prove it

For the first time, the headmaster hesitate

She had his attention 

Ava pressed forward. "You can look the other way, or you can do your job and conduct a fair review

A long silence stretched between them 

Then, finally, Harrington sighed and picked up her appeal. "I'll take this under consideration

It wasn't a victory 

But it was a start 

By lunchtime, news had already spread that Ava had taken her fight to the top

Lily beamed. "You're officially a legend

Ava rolled her eyes. "I just want to keep my scholarship

Theo sat down across from them. "You've backed Adriana into a corner. She won't take that lightly

Ava already knew that 

And she was ready 

Or at least, she thought she was 

Because that night, just as she was getting ready for bed, there was a knock at her door 

Lily opened it—and immediately stepped back 

Because standing there, looking perfectly calm and completely deadly, was Adriana Kingsley 

Ava raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realize we did house calls

Adriana smiled, stepping inside. "You've made quite a mess, Sinclair

Ava crossed her arms. "You started it

Adriana tilted her head. "And I always finish what I start

Ava held her ground. "What do you want, Adriana

Adriana sighed dramatically. "Honestly? I underestimated you. I thought you'd be an easy problem to erase. Clearly, I was wrong

Ava smirked. "Glad you're catching up

Adriana's smile turned sharp. "But here's the thing, Sinclair. You might have won this round, but this isn't a game you can win

She stepped closer, voice quiet. "Because no matter what you do, I will always have more money, more connections, and more power. You can't change that

Ava didn't flinch. "Power isn't permanent. And you're scared, or else you wouldn't be here

For the briefest second, something flickered in Adriana's gaze

Then, just as quickly, she smiled again. "Enjoy your little victory while it lasts

She turned and walked out, leaving behind the cold echo of her warning 

Lily exhaled. "Okay. That was terrifying

Ava's hands clenched into fist

Adriana thought this was over 

She was wrong 

Because Ava Sinclair wasn't done fighting 

Not even close.