The sun filtered through the arched glass of the Academy's courtyard, warm and deceivingly calm.
But Evelyn didn't feel calm.
She waited beneath the old willow tree near the reflecting pool—a place no one used except on free days. A message had been sent. Polite. Firm.
"Let's speak alone. No masks. No games."
Isabella came.
Of course she did.
She walked across the courtyard with her usual grace, a picture of sweetness in her pale lilac cloak and soft curls. But Evelyn saw it now—really saw it. The calculation behind each step. The steel beneath the silk.
"You summoned me?" Isabella said, voice light.
"I gave you a chance to come clean," Evelyn said, straight to the point. "You didn't take it."
Isabella laughed—a small, pretty sound. "And say what, exactly? That I don't like sharing the spotlight? That I find your presence… inconvenient?"
"You framed me," Evelyn said, stepping forward. "Planted forged evidence. Stirred fear. Played victim. But you made one mistake."
Isabella tilted her head. "Only one?"
"You underestimated how much I remember. About you."
The smile froze. Just for a second.
"I used to think you were just cruel," Evelyn continued. "Now I realize you're desperate. Desperate to be chosen. By our father. By society. And by Alexander."
That last name was deliberate.
The flicker in Isabella's eyes was all the confirmation Evelyn needed.
"You know," Isabella said slowly, "he wouldn't even look at me. No matter how sweet I was. No matter how hard I tried. But you? You barely speak, and he guards you like you're made of gold."
"Because he sees through people like you."
Isabella stepped closer, smile gone now. "He's powerful, Evelyn. But he's not immune to pressure. Or temptation. He's still a man."
"You think he'd fall for you if I weren't around?"
"I know he could. And he might still."
Their gazes clashed—icy fire against venom.
For a moment, it was just the two of them and years of buried resentment.
Then Evelyn said calmly, "If you ever come near me like that again… I won't need Alexander's protection."
Isabella's smile returned—this time sharper.
"We'll see."
She turned and walked away, her cloak fluttering like wings behind her. But Evelyn didn't move. She didn't flinch.
Because for the first time, everything was clear.
Isabella hadn't won anything.
And the real fight?
Had finally begun.