Kelly and the girls glared at the flashy sports car, resentment clear on their faces. Abigail grumbled, "I can't believe Mr. Whitewood did this. She's barely been back, and he already bought her something like this?" Linara knew they misunderstood but chose not to correct them. "That's no ordinary car. It's a limited-edition Bugatti. Mr. Whitewood sure knows how to spoil her," Carmen added, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Kelly crossed her arms and scowled. "Look at her smug face. I'd love to knock her down a peg." Noticing Linara's sad demeanor, the others hurried to console her. Kelly reassured Linara, "Don't let it bother you. Those who flourish through meanness ultimately end up alone." "She might be flaunting her wealth now, but it won't last forever," Carmen added with a sly grin. Kelly chimed in, "Exactly. Let's see how long her little show lasts." The group walked away, dragging a quiet Linara along with them. Seraphina pulled the sleek Bugatti into the faculty parking lot, a space that was typically off-limits for students. The school guard noticed but decided to ignore it. Someone driving a car like that clearly has connections. Not worth the hassle, he thought. As she walked toward the school building, whispers followed her. Students craned their necks to get a better look at the car, their eyes filled with curiosity and envy. On the third floor, a group of students loitered in the hallway, glancing out periodically. One of them turned and called, "Bernardin, she's here. Get ready!" The group swiftly turned their attention to her; their eyes gleamed with anticipation, and mischief was clearly written on their faces.When Seraphina stepped onto the first stair, a pot of black ink spilled from above. She noticed the movement just in time to step back, but the ink fell too fast. Splat. The ink splashed down, covering her red dress in deep black stains and dripping onto her face. Laughter rang out from the third floor but cut off almost as quickly as it started. "Where'd she go?" Ryder muttered, his eyes scanning the empty staircase. He turned to the group next to him, frustration written all over his face. Daxton and the others looked at each other, just as confused. "Seriously, where is she?" Ryder demanded. The small crowd watching from the corridor seemed equally baffled. "She was literally there a second ago. How could she just disappear?" someone murmured. "Are we imagining things? Was she ever even there?" another voice chimed in.Before the confusion could spiral further, someone pointed out, "She went upstairs." The words had barely landed when a slim figure stepped into view, drawing everyone's attention. Ryder's stomach sank the moment he saw her. Seraphina stood there, calm and composed, as though she hadn't just slipped past them. He clenched his jaw, regret flashing in his eyes. he muttered, "D*mn it! She got away." His anger bubbled up inside him, made worse by Linara's presence nearby, taking it all in. This was not how things were supposed to go. Anger boiling over, Ryder lashed out, kicking Seth hard in the leg. "You useless idiot! You couldn't even handle something as simple as pouring water!" Seth winced, his voice barely above a whisper as he protested, "It wasn't my fault! Daxton didn't tell me in time." Daxton glared at him. "Oh, please. I told you the moment I saw her heading upstairs. You're just slow. "Slow? You should've warned me earlier! Do you have any idea how long it takes for the water to pour?" Seth shot back, his tone rising. Their argument grew louder, grating on Ryder's nerves. He raised his voice, cutting them off. "Enough! Both of you, shut up! At least I had a backup plan. If I hadn't, we'd all be humiliated right now."