The rumor started before lunch.
Lila heard it first in the girls' bathroom, whispered between two Sigma Kappa sisters who didn't bother lowering their voices.
*"I heard she slept with half the football team just to get invited to parties."*
*"Pathetic. No wonder she's always lurking around Jaxon."*
Lila's hands clenched under the icy water of the sink. She wanted to spin around and scream at them. But that would only make it worse.
So she kept her head down and walked out.
The whispers followed her all the way to the quad.
*"That's her? The scholarship girl?"*
*"I heard she stole someone's wallet at the Sigma party."*
*"Someone said she's blackmailing Jaxon Hale."*
Each lie stung, but Lila forced herself not to react. Nina was behind this—she *had* to be. This was punishment for failing the task.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. A text from an unknown number—probably Jaxon.
**Library. Now.**
Lila hesitated. After this morning, being seen with Jaxon again would only add fuel to the fire. But she needed answers.
She ducked into the library's back corner, where the shelves were dusty and the study tables empty. Jaxon was already there, leaning against a wall, his expression unreadable.
"You've heard the rumors," he said.
It wasn't a question.
Lila crossed her arms. "Yeah. Thanks for that, by the way."
Jaxon frowned. "You think *I* started them?"
"You were the one who called me your 'lost puppy' in front of Nina."
"I was trying to *help*."
"By making me look desperate?"
Jaxon pushed off the wall, his voice dropping. "Nina planted those rumors the second she suspected you were working against her. This is what she *does*, Lila. She ruins people."
Lila's throat tightened. "Then why are we still playing her game?"
"Because we're going to flip the script." Jaxon pulled something from his pocket—a folded piece of paper. "Nina's throwing a party tomorrow night. For the Society's inner circle."
Lila stared at the invitation in his hand. "And?"
"And *you're* going."
Her stomach dropped. "No way."
"You won't be alone." Jaxon's gaze locked onto hers. "I'll be there too."
"As what? Your fake girlfriend?" She scoffed. "That's your plan?"
"It gets us in the door." He stepped closer. "Nina keeps her real secrets in her room. If we can get in there, we find proof the Society's been tampering with scholarships. Including yours."
Lila hesitated. The thought of sneaking into Nina's space made her skin crawl. But if there was proof…
"What happens after?" she asked quietly.
Jaxon's jaw tensed. "We take it to the dean."
"And you think that'll work?"
"It will if we have enough."
Lila studied him—the intensity in his eyes, the way his fingers flexed at his sides like he was ready for a fight. There was something he wasn't telling her.
"Why do you care so much?" she asked.
For a second, she thought he might actually answer. Then his mask slid back into place.
"Let's just say Nina and I have history." He held out the invitation. "So? You in?"
Lila took a deep breath—and grabbed the paper.
---
**The Next Night**
The Whitmore mansion was exactly what Lila expected: sleek, modern, and dripping with money.
She stood at the edge of the party, tugging at the hem of her borrowed dress—a tight, emerald-green thing Jaxon had shoved into her hands earlier with a *"Wear this. Nina's into designer labels."*
Music pulsed through the marble halls. Lila recognized faces from campus—the elite, the untouchables. All laughing like they owned the world.
A hand slid around her waist.
"Relax," Jaxon murmured in her ear. "You look like you're about to bolt."
Lila stiffened. "Maybe because this is insane."
Jaxon smirked, his arm warm against her back. "Stick to the plan. Mingle for an hour. Then slip upstairs when no one's looking."
"And what are *you* doing?"
"Keeping Nina busy." His grip tightened slightly. "Speaking of…"
Nina glided toward them, her silver dress catching the light. "Jax. I'm *shocked* you came." Her gaze flicked to Lila. "And brought a plus-one."
Jaxon's smile was all charm. "Wouldn't miss it."
Nina's lips curved. "Funny. You've skipped the last three."
Lila's pulse spiked. *He's been avoiding her.*
Jaxon shrugged. "Had better offers."
Nina's eyes flashed—something dark, dangerous. Then she laughed, tossing her hair. "Well, enjoy the party." She leaned in, her whisper sharp. "And Lila? Watch your step. The stairs can be… *tricky*."
She walked away, leaving ice in Lila's veins.
"She knows," Lila hissed.
Jaxon's expression hardened. "She's guessing. Stick to the plan."
---
### **One Hour Later**
Lila's hands shook as she crept up the grand staircase.
The second floor was quieter, the music muffled. Nina's room was at the end of the hall—Jaxon had described it perfectly. *White door. Gold handle.*
She glanced over her shoulder—no one—then turned the knob.
*Locked.*
Of course it was.
Lila fumbled in her clutch for the bobby pin Jaxon had given her. *"Just wiggle it,"* he'd said, like breaking and entering was no big deal.
She bent the pin, jamming it into the lock.
*Click.*
The door swung open.
Nina's room was immaculate—all white furniture and expensive perfume. Lila hurried to the desk, yanking open drawers.
*Nothing.*
She checked under the bed. Behind the mirror.
*Where would Nina hide something important?*
Her gaze landed on the closet.
Inside, behind a row of designer dresses, was a small safe.
Lila's breath caught. *Bingo.*
She crouched, examining the keypad. Four digits. A birthday?
She tried Nina's—no luck.
The Society's founding year?
*Beep.* The safe clicked open.
Lila pulled out a stack of files. Her heart pounded as she flipped through them—
*Scholarship records. Tuition waivers. Names of students marked "Remove."*
And there, near the top: *Lila Carter.*
Her stomach twisted. *They really did this.*
A floorboard creaked behind her.
Lila spun—
Nina stood in the doorway, her smile venomous.
"Looking for something?"