Chapter: Shattered and Rising
The air in the clinic felt heavy, as if Elena could hardly breathe. Her head spun, and the familiar weight of her thoughts pressed against her chest, suffocating her. She sat on the bed, looking at the screen of Andrew’s phone, her eyes blurry with unshed tears. The harsh words on the post burned her from the inside out. There’s no shame left to show the affection of their love in front of the head professor and the whole university. She read it over and over, the sentence stabbing at her chest each time.
Andrew had tried to reassure her, but all Elena could feel was the emptiness of it all. The conspiracy , the cruelty of Mia’s gang, and the sharp sting of the rumors cut deeper than any of them could imagine. She had never wanted attention, never wanted to be noticed for anything other than her talent, but now, she was at the center of this storm and there was no way to escape it.
Gabriel sat on the edge of her bed, his usually calm demeanor cracked. His eyes, normally filled with humor and confidence, were clouded with frustration. He clenched his jaw, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. “This… this isn’t right, Elena. You don’t think too much about this .”
Andrew, standing by the door, his usual composed self, now looked far from it. His face was hard, his eyes cold with anger as he watched Elena. She was broken something he couldn’t stand to see. His protective instincts were in full force now, and there was no stopping the storm that was about to hit.
“Elena,” Andrew said, his voice barely a whisper, but filled with the promise of something darker. “We’re going to make sure they regret this. All of them. Mia and her gang won’t get away with it.”
Elena looked up at him, her eyes hollow. “Why?” Her voice trembled, and it hurt to speak. “Why are they doing this to me? What did I ever do to them?”
Gabriel squeezed her shoulder, his touch gentle, yet firm. “It’s not about you, Elena. It’s about them. They want to tear you down because you’re better than them. They can’t stand that. And Mia? She’s the queen of jealousy, and she won’t stop until she’s destroyed everything good in her path.”
Andrew’s jaw tightened. “And that’s where they made their mistake. No one targets what’s ours and gets away with it.”
Elena’s chest ached as the tears started to fall freely. She was lost in a sea of emotions hurt, confusion, and anger swirling within her. She never asked for any of this. She didn’t want to be a part of this twisted drama. All she wanted was to focus on her studies, her sport, and to make a name for herself.
But now?
Now she felt like a puppet on a string, dangling helplessly as Mia’s minions pulled the strings.
Andrew stepped closer, kneeling beside her. “Look at me, Elena.” His voice was softer now, soothing, but with a fierce edge behind it. “You’ve been fighting for this long, and I know it’s not fair. But I’m not going to let them destroy you. You’re stronger than this.”
Gabriel leaned in, his voice low, full of raw emotion. “And you’re not alone. We won’t let you carry this weight by yourself.”
But Elena just shook her head, her tears falling faster now. “I don’t think I can take it. It hurts so much.”
Gabriel’s heart cracked at her words. He wanted to protect her, to erase the pain, but he knew better than anyone that some wounds couldn’t be healed with just words. He glanced at Andrew, who was looking at him with an expression of shared understanding.
Andrew’s eyes narrowed, and the cold, ruthless edge to his demeanor returned. “It’s time to show the university who they’re dealing with.”
Gabriel’s lips curled into a tight smirk. “It’s time for them to understand that messing with Elena means messing with us.”
Meanwhile, outside the clinic, Mia and her gang were watching the unfolding drama from a distance. The whispers had already started to spread through the student body. Some were laughing, others were watching curiously, but the majority were feeding into the gossip like vultures circling their prey.
Mia’s smirk was wide, her eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction. “She’ll be crushed. This is just the beginning.”
But neither Mia nor her gang realized the true consequences of their actions. The power that Andrew and Gabriel held in this university wasn’t just about status. It was about control. And now, the moment they had pushed Elena too far, they were going to see how dangerous the power could be.
Back in the clinic, Elena had wiped her tears away, her face pale but determined. She didn’t want to be weak, not in front of Andrew and Gabriel. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was crumbling around her.
“Do you need a minute?” Andrew asked softly, but there was a hard edge to his voice that hadn’t been there before. “We can give you some space.”
She shook her head, forcing a weak smile. “I’ll be okay. I don’t want to drag you down.”
Gabriel stood up, his posture straightening as he looked at her. “You’re not dragging us down, Elena. You’re not the problem here. It’s them.” He turned his gaze to the window, his eyes distant, as if calculating something. “And they’ll pay for it.”
Andrew’s phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him from his thoughts. He glanced at it and then back at Elena, his expression hardening. “It’s time.”
Elena didn’t understand, but she saw the look in both of their eyes the same intensity, the same ruthless determination that had always been hidden beneath their charming exteriors.
“Time for what?” Elena asked, her voice shaky.
“Time for us to show them what happens when they mess with the wrong people,” Andrew said, his voice cold and filled with fury.
Gabriel turned back to Elena, his eyes softer now, but still filled with a fire she had never seen before. “We’ve got your back. Always.”
Elena could only watch as they walked out of the clinic, the weight of their promise hanging in the air. The last thing she saw before the door closed was Andrew’s cold, determined face, followed by Gabriel’s unshakeable stance.
Outside the clinic, the storm was just beginning to rise. Mia and her gang stood there, laughing, oblivious to the fact that their victory was short lived. They had no idea who they were messing with. No idea that Andrew and Gabriel, the shining stars of the university, were about to unleash their full power.
As the door slammed shut behind them, a new chapter in the battle had begun. And this time, it wasn’t just about rumors it was about power, and Andrew and Gabriel were about to remind everyone that they had more than enough to take control.
The university was about to learn the hard way.