Chapter Eight: War Has Begun

Ava Sinclair never backed down from a fight.

She had survived worse things than mean girls with too much power. Adriana Kingsley thought she could push Ava out, scare her into submission, but she had no idea who she was dealing with.

Ava was done playing nice.

And she was about to remind everyone—including Nolan Westwood—that she wasn't just some girl who got lucky with a scholarship.

She was a storm waiting to be unleashed.

Retaliation Begins

The morning started like any other, except for one small difference: Ava walked into school prepared.

She had spent half the night cleaning up the disaster in her room, but not before documenting everything. Photos, timestamps, even a quick email to the dorm supervisor about a "possible security breach." She didn't expect them to actually do anything, but she wanted a record of it. A paper trail.

Because when she struck back, she wanted evidence that she had been provoked.

Adriana might have the money and the connections, but Ava had something far more dangerous.

She had nothing to lose.

And that made her unpredictable.

A Message for the Queen

Ava took her time walking through the hallways, feeling the weight of the stares. The whispers were louder now, some filled with curiosity, others with amusement. Everyone was waiting to see what she would do.

Ava didn't disappoint.

She passed by Adriana's locker on her way to first period and, without breaking stride, casually slipped a folded piece of paper into the vents.

It was simple.

Try harder.

That was it.

A direct challenge.

Adriana would find it, and she would know.

The battle wasn't over.

It was just beginning.

The Chessboard Shifts

By lunchtime, the tension had reached a boiling point.

Ava walked into the cafeteria, her tray in hand, and immediately felt the shift in energy. People moved aside as she passed, whispering behind their hands.

She wasn't sure if they were impressed or waiting for her to fail.

Either way, she didn't care.

She spotted Nolan sitting at the same table he always did, surrounded by his usual crowd. But this time, something was different.

He was watching her.

Not just with amusement—there was something else in his gaze now. Something calculating.

Ava didn't slow down. She walked straight past his table without a second glance, heading toward an empty seat near the back of the room.

She had barely sat down when a shadow fell over her.

"Ballsy move, Sinclair."

She looked up to find Nolan standing beside her, hands in his pockets, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Ava took a slow bite of her food before responding. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Nolan chuckled, dropping into the seat across from her. "Oh, I think you do."

She met his gaze, unfazed. "You don't seem upset about it."

"I'm not." He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "I'm impressed."

Ava arched a brow. "Because I'm not cowering in fear?"

"Because you're not predictable."

She studied him for a moment. "That sounds like a compliment."

"It is."

Ava didn't trust compliments from Nolan Westwood.

Before she could respond, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.

A familiar scent of expensive perfume filled the air.

And then—

"Did I miss something?"

Adriana Kingsley stood beside their table, her arms crossed, expression blank. But Ava could feel the rage simmering beneath her perfect exterior.

She had received Ava's note.

And she hated that Ava wasn't scared.

Nolan, to his credit, didn't even flinch. He leaned back in his seat, looking entirely at ease. "Kingsley," he greeted lazily. "Did you need something?"

Adriana's lips twitched, but her eyes never left Ava's.

"Just curious." Her voice was smooth, but the venom was there. "Seems like our little scholarship girl is getting comfortable."

Ava smiled sweetly. "Why? Does that bother you?"

A hush fell over the cafeteria.

Adriana's jaw clenched.

Nolan watched with open amusement, his eyes flicking between them like he was enjoying a personal show.

"I just think it's interesting," Adriana said finally, tilting her head. "That you don't know your place yet."

Ava set her fork down. "And you think you do?"

Adriana's nostrils flared.

She had never been challenged like this before. Not openly. Not without fear.

And that's what scared her the most.

Because Ava wasn't playing the game like everyone else.

Ava was rewriting the rules.

Lines in the Sand

The next few days were a silent war.

Adriana tried to freeze Ava out, but it didn't work.

Ava wasn't part of her world to begin with, so she had nothing to take away.

Instead, Ava started making her own alliances.

She spoke to people Adriana overlooked—students who weren't part of her elite circle but still carried influence. Athletes. Artists. The kids who mattered in different ways.

By the end of the week, people were looking at her differently.

Not as a victim.

Not as an outsider.

But as someone who belonged.

And that was the one thing Adriana couldn't stand.

Because power wasn't about money.

It was about control.

And Ava was slipping right through her fingers.

Nolan's Warning

Late one evening, as Ava walked back to her dorm, a familiar voice called out.

"You're playing with fire, Sinclair."

She turned to find Nolan leaning against the railing, watching her with an unreadable expression.

Ava crossed her arms. "I'm not scared of Adriana."

Nolan pushed off the railing, stepping closer. "Maybe you should be."

She tilted her head. "And what about you? Are you scared of her?"

Something flickered in his eyes. A shadow of something deeper.

But he didn't answer.

Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

Ava hesitated before taking it.

When she opened it, her stomach dropped.

It was a printed-out email.

One with her name on it.

An anonymous tip to the school board.

Claiming she had cheated on her scholarship exams.

Ava felt the blood drain from her face.

She looked up at Nolan, her hands tightening around the paper.

"She's not just playing games anymore," he said quietly. "She's going for blood."

Ava took a slow breath.

Then she squared her shoulders.

"Good."

Nolan blinked. "Good?"

Ava met his gaze, fire burning in her eyes.

"Because now?" she said. "I get to burn her whole empire down."