Chapter 31 Stepping Up

Chapter 31 Stepping Up

ARDEN

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Does he know? Those bwords /bechoed in the back of my mind as I made my way out of the Silver building. The others hadughed it off when Elias insinuated he had a clue about who the virgin bwas/b. I bhad /bto force myself to smile in response, not wanting to raise any suspicions. Elias didn’t nce at me even once after that, yet I couldn’t help but wonder if he had said it as ba /bpassing. irrelevantment.

I nced back to see Elias swarmed by the other members, who eagerly asked for his number and fawned over bhim/b. With that scene in front of me, I hastened my steps, eager to bput /bas much distance as possible between myself and their gaze. There was no way he could know. Aside from Tessa, no one else had the slightest clue. Kieran had bnever /bshown any interest in me, but I was fairly certain bthat /bJaxon had already informed him of my transformation from bthe /bprude he once knew.

I checked my bphone /band noted that I still had about half an hour before my shift began. It seemed like a good time to grab some snacks from themon cafeteria. As I made my way there, I pushed aside the thoughts of what had transpired during bthe /bSilver Quill meeting, determined to focus instead on something mundane.

However, just as I stepped into the hallways, I was met with yet another unfortunate sight. Jaxon and Sienna, along with my brother and some of the other high–ranked youths from the West, were gathered around Owen. My brother had his arm wrapped around him bin /bban /bunfriendly bmanner/b, dragging him toward the Opulence Cafeteria with an unsettling grip.

I hung back a bit, concealing myself behind a post, and observed their interaction.

“Have you ever been inside before?” Kieran teased, nudging Owen’s side. Owen flinched and tried to pull away, but it bwas /bfutile against my brother’s strength. Jaxon band /bSienna merely watched the scene unfold, unbothered, as they fiddled bwith /beach other’s hands.

“I’m not allowed in there,” Owen muttered. “bCan /byou please let me gob?/b”

“Aww, look at Owen basking /boh–so–nicely for me to let him go,” Kieran chuckled, and theughter from bthe /bothers followed. My brows furrowed in disapproval. There bwas /bnothing funny about this situation. Did btheir /bbpride /bband /bego render them incapable of recognizing the absurdity of their cruelty?

“How about this? I’ll let you in there for free. What do you say, bhuh/b? I’m sure someone like byou /bwould want to see the cafeteria reserved for the likes bof /bus,” Kieran continued his taunts.

“No, thank you,” Owen replied bfirmly/b. “I have somewhere to be”

With

bthat/b, he managed to slip away with surprising speedb, /bbut Kieran didn’t take kindly to his escape. In ban /binstant, he bgrasped /bOwen bagain/bb, /bwrapping bhis /barm around Owen’s neck and pulling his close.

Kieran dragged Owen toward the Opulence Cafeteria, and my hands clenched tightly at my sides. I found myself in a dilemma, torn bbetween /bthe urge to intervene and the daunting breality /bof my brother’s overpowering bpresence/b.

Others walked past the bscene/b, seemingly oblivious to the turmoil unfoldingb, /bbsome /bbeven /bgiggling bwith /bamusement. I feltpelled bto /bintervene. How could I criticize these bystanders while iI /iremained a passive observer at this damn post, too?

Before I fully processed my thoughts, I found myself striding toward the bOpulence /bbCafeteria/bb, /bbmy /bbinitial /bhesitation bgiving /bway to a surge of courage As I entered, the atmosphere of regality enveloped me. bHowever/b, bit /bbwas /bapanied by a sense of bhypocrisy/b. The tables and bchairs/b, a stark contrast to those in the Common bCafeteria/b, resembled pieces plucked bstraight /bbfrom /bbmillion /bdor homes.

At the center of it all were Owen and Kieran, the former radiating bdifort/b.

“You’re already here, so why don’t byou /bentertain us?” Kieran chuckled. Owen pursed bhis /blips, turning slightly away, btrying /bto

hdraw bfrom /bbthe /bmoment.

“You didn’t think you’de here for free, did byou/b?” Kieran btaunted/b. Then, he stood and grabbed a piece of steak, shoving it into Owen’s mouth, which only drew Laughter from the others bseated /bnearby. My heart raced at the vile disy of bullying taking ce before me.

b1/2 /b

10:44 AM ch

Chapter 31 Stepping Up

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I scanned the roomb, /bhoping to find at bleast /bone bperson /bwith a semnce of sanity. While a few were entertained, most cast their eyes downward, appearing afraid of the repercussions of standing bagainst /bKieran and his crew.

“I even provided you a meal,” Kieran chuckled. “Show the hand that feeds you some kindness by performing for us. What are you guys in the mood for? A song? A dance? An act?” he asked, bparading /baround the room, pointing at others as he did.

“Monster.” I muttered under my breath, my hands shaking from an emotion I couldn’t quite identify–fear? Disdain?

“bMake /bhim bact /blike a dog!” Sienna eximed carelessly bwhile /breapplying her lip gloss. The others jumped on board, chiming in with suggestions, their enthusiasm frightening. It felt like ba /bbbetting /bground filled with the most depraved college students imaginable.

“The crowd has spoken,” Kieran announced, his voice rising tomand everyone’s attention. “Act like a dog for us, Owen.”

Owen’s lips were pursed tightly, and from my vantage point, I could almost see a ck cloud gathering over his head. I didn’t pity him; I felt a fierce anger rising within me. No one would want to find themselves in bsuch /ba humiliating predicament, yet escaping it seemed nearly impossible.

Owen remained motionless, casting his gaze downward in silence. Kieran, embarrassed by Owen’sck of response, gripped bhis /bshoulder, causing Owen bto /bbflinch/bb. /b

“Don’t embarrass me now, you brascal/b,” he said through gritted teeth. “I brought you here for a show, and you are going to deliver, whether byou /bblike /bit or not.

“Please let me bgo/b,” Owen pleaded desperately, but his words only sparked amusement among the others.

“bWhat /bwas that?” Kieran teased, leaning in closer. “Say it louder.”

“Please just let me go,” Owen repeated.

Silence fell for a moment, and I could see Kieran’s smirk widening bmaliciously/b. “No,” he replied casually. “Not unless you act like a dog for us first.”

“Do it bnow/b, while I’m still asking nicely. I might even consider reducing bthe /bamount of your debt if you perform well.”

My bbreath /bhitched as I noticed ba /bflicker of bhope /bin Owen’s bexpression/b. He lifted his head slightly, and for a moment, I genuinely believed he nightply. No–I was bcertain /bhe was bgoing /bto go through with it.

But at bthat /bmoment, I stepped forward, my voice ringing clear above the crowd.

“Let him go

b2/2 /b