Chapter 20 Unexpected Revtion

Chapter 20 Unexpected Revtion

ARDEN

a

Tessa and I were getting ready for the day, but I could already feel a bwave /bof dread washing over me. For bthe /bpast few days, Rowan had been pestering me about having sex with himb. /b

“Are you going to agree to it?” Tessa asked, raising an eyebrow. I turned to her at an almost bastronomical /bspeed before shaking

my head emphatically.

“It’s absolutely preposterous to even consider. I’m not going to bhave /bsex with Rowan, much less let him knot me. I don’t bthink /bwe need to go that far to elevate our presentation,” I replied firmly.

“Yeah, I understand what you’re saying,” she chuckled lightly, herughter a smallfort. “But honestly, I don’t think he’ll stop anytime soon, so let’s brainstorm so

some alternative ways to enhance our presentation.”

“Oh, band /bspeaking bof /bdistractions, do you bwant /bto go to that party tonightb?/b” Tessa asked, her tone bright and hopeful.

I turned to her, furrowing my brows in confusion. “Party?”

“Hmmm, I heard it’s a weing party for all the freshmenb, /band it’ll be held in one of the Elite Mansions,” she exined, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

I pursed my lips, my mind racing with reluctance. That was thest ce I wanted to be.

“Umm, is it required?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

Tessa paused bfor /ba moment, studying my expression before her eyes lit up bwith /ban idea, coaxing me into considering it.

“Tessa,” I groaned. “I’m really not a party person.

“Neither am I,” Tessa admitted, her tone softening. “But bcan /bwe please just go bthis /bonce? I’ve heard there will be opportunities to earn points.”

I blew air into my cheeks band /bbsank /bonto the bed, contemting. “Is it sleeping with the Alphas and other high–branking /bbmen/bb?/bb” /b

Tessa scratched the back of her neck nervously. “bThat’s /bcertainly a possibility, but I think some teachers will be there too. They might give out points on a whim.”

“I don’t know.” I mutiered,

still unsure.

Tessa pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Is there any way for me to convince you to go!”

My silence served bas /ban answer, and I could see her shoulders slump in defeat. With a resigned bsigh/b, she settled down on her bed and began scrolling through her phone. We still had some time before our first ss, so bthere /bbwas /bno brush /bbjust /byet.

Suddenly. Tessa stood with ba /bbloud gasp/b, diverting my attention bback /bto her. Concern crept into my voice as bI /bbasked/b, “Oh my goodness. What’s bwrong/b?”

“bYou /bdidn’t tell me you tried

Silver Quill!” she beximed/b, her eyes wide bwith /bexcitement.

“Oh,” 1 muttered, remembering back “Yeah, I was pulled in by some bguy/b–bFort/b, I bthink/b.”

“It’s one of the most dificuli clubs to get into!” she eximed. “That’s why the bline /bbisn’t /btoo long–bmost /bpeople know that no matter how bsinart /bthey are, those who get into bSilver /bQuill are practically untouchable.

“They only ept twenty students per year,” she added, nodding with a serious bexpression/b.

I nodded in agreement. “bYeah/b, that’s bwhat /bwe were told during orientation. How did you even find out I tried out, by the

way

bShe /bbwalked /bover to me with a bright smile, showing bme /bher phone, bwhich /bdisyed the announcement page of Echo.

10:43 AM bC /b

Chapter 20 Unexpected Revtion.

#5 Free Coins

As I read through the announcement, my bbrows /bfurrowed slightly buntil /bdisbelief washed over me. I turned to her with utter shock..

“That’s my name,” I gasped.

“Yes!” Tessa eximed, jumping up and pulling me into a hug. “You got into Silver Quill! I can’t believe my roommate is actually a bgenius/b!”

I still struggled to process it. My eyes remained glued to the screen, bhalf/bb–/bexpecting it to change, fearing that my eyes were deceiving me. Yet there it was–my name, right after Alpha Elias.

Another bfamiliar /bname caught my eye–Sienna Graves. Though I bwould /bhave ordinarily felt a tug of resentment at the sight of her name, I was far too happy to allow it to affect me today.

For most of my life, my family had made me feel incapable of aplishing anything. Yet here I stood, epted into one of the most prestigious clubs in Elite.

“I’m so proud of you,” Tessa bsaid/b, her voice filled with genuine admiration bas /bshe patted my shoulder. “Don’t you think this calls for a celebrationb?/b”

I nced at her, a smile now firmly ying on my lips. It felt like I could smile the entire day without tiring.

“A party, perhaps?” she suggested with a yful nudge to my shoulder.

With a small sigh that betrayed my growing enthusiasm, I finally nodded. Tessa erupted in excitement, leaping to her feet, pping her hands in delight.

“bYay/b!” she eximed, her joy infectious. “You bwon’t /bregret it. It’s going to be so much fun!”

bI /bnodded bonce /bbmore/b. In my happiness, however, I momentarily forgot bthat /bthe announcement was visible to the bentire /bstudent body

To bmy /bbdismay/b, it was seen by one bof /bbthe /bpeople I bmost /bwanted to avoid.

I stared at my drawer and sighed. bInside /bwere nothing but old bjeans/bb, /boversized hoodiesb, /band a handful of in shirts that had long bsince /bseen better days.

I had packed in a brush /bbwhen /bI left home–or rather, when I was bunceremoniously /bkicked out. Even then, it’s not like I owned anything bparticrly /bbfancy /b

Tessa bnoticed /bmy predicament pretty bquickly/b.

“Don’t worry,” she bchimed/bb, /bbwalking /bover to my bside /bband /bbdraping /bban /bbarm /bbaround /bmy shoulder. “I have the perfect dress for you. It’s going to be bjust /bright!”

“Is it really okay?” I asked.

She nodded enthusiastically. “Of course it is!” she replied. “I bpacked /bway too many clothes for myself.”

“What would I do without you?” I sighed.

She smiled warmly and gently pushed bme /btoward the bbathroom/b, passing me my btowel/b. “Just take a quick shower so bwe /bcan get going

Inodded band /bentered the bbathroom/b, bturning /bon the heater.

However, the water was cold…. again. bWhat /bdid I expect? That was just bhow /bthings operated in Hades‘ dorm after bdark/bb. /bThe heater only worked reliably in the morning, and after bthat/b, the water felt like it bhad /be bstraight /bfrom the Arctic

Idried off quickly, hating bhow /bthe bcold /bclung to bmy /bspine beven /bafter I wrapped the towel bsecurely /bbaround /bmyself. By the time I stepped back into our shared room. Tessa bwas /balready waiting, holding the dress with an beager /bsunile.

Chapter 20 Unexpected Revtion

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It was bstunning/b–a white dress, silky andpletely bunlike /banything I’d ever worn before. She handed it over with a proud. bgrin/b. “You would look like an angel in this!”

I held it up and blinked. “Uh, there’s like…. a hundred strings on this thing.”

Tessaughed. “Don’t worry! I’ll help you once you get it on.”

Getting it on bwas /bba /bstruggle in itself. The fabric slipped over my skin like water, and the side opened up with a dramatic slit I wasn’t prepared for at all. I stood in front of the mirror, half–dressed and ensnared in a web of strings.

“Tessa,” I called out, feeling helpless. “This thing is attacking me!”

She hurried over, still giggling at my struggle. “Hold still. You’re going to look so pretty!”

Her fingers moved swiftly, pulling the strings across my back and looping them into ce. I felt the fabric tighten gently. fitting snugly around my ribs and waist. She paused behind me for a moment.

“You really are beautiful, you know,” she said.

“Thanks.” I murmured, not ustomed to receivingpliments. “You look beautiful btoo/b.”

Suddenly, I felt her hands stutter in their movements. Her fingers lightly grazed just below my right shoulder de.

It was in that moment that the realization hit me like a train.

When I turned to face her, I saw her staring intently at the mark I had been desperately trying to keep hidden for the past week

“Arden. you’re the virgin?”

b3/3 /b

10:43 AM