Chapter 60
When Charlotte climbed to the roof of the school building, she wasn’t surprised to find Landon there. He stood near the edge, where a one–meter–high barrier barely reached his thighs, offering minimal protection. Being up there at this hour was strictly against school rules.
Charlotte hesitated for a moment before stepping closer to him. His back was to her, his posture tense as he stared into the distance.
“Uh…” Her voice caught in her throat as she searched for words.
“I’m sorry I can’t face you; I’m too nervous, Landon explained. “I just want you to know, Isabella, that He took a shaky breath, his words carrying across the silent school grounds. “I like you!“
Charlotte’s expression darkened, her fists clenching at her sides. Her heart pounded, not from the confession but from the sharp sting of betrayal.
“You rejected me because of Isabella” she demanded.
At her words, Landon spun around quickly. The hopeful smile on his face disappeared when he saw who it was flicked past her, searching for someone else–the girl he wished was there instead.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded, accusing than curious. He had chosen this time precisely because he thought one else would be in the building
Charlotte’s lips quivered before she forced out the lie. “My cousin had to leave for something at home, so she sent me instead.”
“Oh, really!” Doubt and disappointment laced his voice.
Charlotte’s nails dug into her palms. “Landon, I’ve been in love with you since I first saw you! I rearranged my entire schedule to join the cheer team! Why her? Isabella doesn’t even appreciate you the way I do!”
Landon’s face lit up with anger.
πα
“Why?” he snapped. “Because she doesn’t act like a jealous, entitled brat! She doesn’t care about your pathetic little drama or your fake popularity! Don’t lie about joining cheer for me–you joined for the status, just like everything else you do! You wanted the attention and the approval of people who are just as fake as you are! And let’s be honest–that’s precisely why you approached me in the first place.”
Landon was one of the most popular students in school. That fact alone was part of what drew Charlotte to him. She always wanted the best for her greedy self, but her feelings for Landon were undeniably real.
Tears streamed down her face as pain and anger consumed her. Charlotte lunged forward, gripping Landon’s jacket tightly.
“That’s not true! Why does Isabella get everything while I’m left with the scraps? Why does she have parents everyone looks up to? Why, Landon Charlotte screamed, her voice breaking as her emotions overwhelmed her.
“Get off me! You’ve lost your mind!” Landon shouted, struggling to pull away from her grip. “I will never like someone as pathetic as you. Do you think I don’t know about your thug friends living in the slums?”
He jerked her hands off his jacket. In the struggle, something shiny fell–a delicate necklace that landed on the concrete with a clink, coming to rest near Charlotte’s shoes,
“Damn it!” Landon cursed, his eyes narrowing in panic. “If this necklace gets damaged, how would I explain having it? This
is such a mess!”
Charlotte clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms as she glared at it. She bent down, picking up the necklace with trembling fingers.
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14:40 Sun, 13 Apr M +
Chapter 60
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“Isabella, you little shit!” Consumed by rage–toward Isabella, the necklace, and the unfairness of it all–Charlotte threw the necklace over the safety barrier. She didn’t care if it was lost for good.
Landon’s instincts took over. He propelled himself upward, stretching toward the necklace as if it were the game’s winning shot. But he moved too quickly, too far.
A scream tore from Landon’s throat as his momentum carried him too far. The sound of his body hitting the ground below
reverberated in the stillness
Charlotte stood frozen, her mind refusing to process what her eyes had witnessed. All she could hear was the deafening rush of the wind and her own ragged breathing
“N–no, no!” she stammered, shaking her head in disbelief. The building was four stories high. She didn’t want to i what lay below.
“Charlotte! We need to call the police!” A voice broke through her clouded thoughts.
She spun around to find Jake standing there, his face ashen in the growing darkness.
irragine
“Ahhh!” A scream escaped her at the sight of him as if she’d seen a ghost–an unexpected witness to her falling apart.
“I saw everything! I understand your anger toward Isabella, but what have you done?” Jake demanded, his voice filled with horror.
“No! It’s not me! I… I swear, it’s Isabella Charlotte’s words came out choked and desperate. She shook her head violently as if trying to erase the reality before her.
“Whatever. We need to call 9-1-11” Jake said, already pulling out his phone.
“Please, no!” Charlotte lunged forward, gripping his arm. “I’ll do everything, Jake. Just please.
The thought of what people would say–her reputation, her standing at school–was unbearable. Worst of all, she imagined the disappointment in his uncle and auntie’s eyes, the only people who had given her a chance at a better life.
“Jake, we have to keep this between us!” Charlotte pleaded, her voice cracking under the weight of her fear. “L. I’ll be your
obedient woman.”
–
He tried to help her stand, but her legs betrayed her as though a thousand–pound weight was pressing her down.
“I never meant for this to happen…” The whisper escaped her lips, along with silent sobs.
“Listen to me!” Jake shouted, his voice sharp and urgent. “We have to leave now! If anyone discovers you’re responsible for Landon’s death, your entire future is finished.”
Charlotte’s frustration boiled over. She tugged at her hair, her mind racing.
This is all Isabella’s fault. Il make you pay for this. I swear, I will make your life a living hell!
Jake took her to one of his family’s apartments, where she huddled in a corner, desperately trying to erase the night’s events from her mind
“W–witat about the security footage? The cameras on the roof deck?” Charlotte whispered, filled with anxiety.
“You don’t have to worry about it,” Jake reassured her. “There’s no surveillance there; nothing worth monitoring”
They carefully crafted their alibis, preparing for any potential fallout.
But just a few days later, the police showed up at the Prescott mansion.
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