JANNAT_KAZBOURI

Ariana Ramirez, the only girl in the unruly Class D, finds herself caught in a dangerous game between Alex Sanchez and Mark Panamantara. What started as a plan for revenge soon turns into a web of emotions, jealousy, and unexpected revelations. With the arrival of her cousin Lara, everything takes a new turn. Amidst rivalries, alliances, and confusing feelings, Ariana must face her emotions and decide her own path.

The rings of class D

The plan was simple: get close to Ariana, gain her trust, and then use her to bring Ethan down.

I kept reminding myself of that. Over and over.

I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed, watching her from the corner of my eye. She was laughing at something Luca said, her smirk teasing, eyes shining with that sharpness that made her different from everyone else here.

She was blending in now, adapting. And that should've made things easier.

Instead, it was making things worse.

Because the more time I spent around her, the harder it was to remember why we started this in the first place.

"She's getting comfortable," Tony muttered beside me.

I hummed in response, my gaze still on her. Comfortable wasn't the right word. She wasn't dropping her guard completely. Not yet. But she was trying.

And somehow, that made me want to protect her.

I clenched my jaw and forced my attention away, staring blankly at my desk. This wasn't part of the plan. I didn't care about Ariana Ramirez. She was just a pawn in this game—nothing more.

At least, that's what I told myself.

But then, I made the mistake of looking at her again.

She was leaning slightly toward Diego, her lips curved in amusement as he whispered something to her. The way she looked at him, engaged, interested—

My fingers curled into fists before I even realized it. I didn't like Diego. Not because he was doing anything wrong, but because he wasn't supposed to be close to her. He wasn't supposed to make her laugh like that.

Alex must've noticed, because his fingers were tapping against the desk in that slow, thoughtful way he always did when something wasn't going how he wanted.

I exhaled sharply and ran a hand through my hair. I needed to get my head straight. To focus.

Because if I wasn't careful, I'd forget who the real pawn in this game was.

And I had a sinking feeling it wasn't Ariana.

Chapter 10: Cracks in the Mask