Chapter Thirty-One – Cracks in the Crown By Wednesday, the shift was undeniable. Lila still strutted through the halls, but the whispers weren’t about Yn anymore — they were about her. People she used to command with a glance now avoided her eyes. Her own friends sat farther away at lunch. And every time she passed a group, she caught fragments of her own words — the ones Yn had exposed — being repeated back in mocking tones. Yn noticed it all from a distance. She didn’t gloat, but she didn’t hide either. For the first time in months, she could walk through the hallway without feeling like she was bracing for impact. But that peace didn’t last. After last period, she found Malachi leaning against her locker, arms crossed. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were locked on her. “We need to talk,” he said. Yn kept her voice even. “About what? How you stood there while she tore me apart? Or how you chose her over me?” Malachi flinched, just barely. “It’s not that simple.” “It’s exactly that simple,” Yn shot back. “You knew what she was doing. You knew what I’d been through. And you still let it happen.” He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. “I didn’t know it was this bad. I thought… I thought you could handle it.” Yn laughed — not because it was funny, but because it was so absurd. “You thought I could handle being humiliated, lied about, and dragged through hell? That’s not strength, Malachi. That’s survival. And I’m done surviving for people who wouldn’t lift a finger for me.” For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Then, quietly: “I made a mistake.” Yn met his gaze, her voice steady. “Yeah. You did. And now you get to live with it.” She stepped past him, feeling his eyes on her as she walked away. But she didn’t look back. Because for the first time, she realized she didn’t need his apology to move forward. And somewhere behind her, Lila’s empire was still crumbling — piece by piece.
