CHAPTER 88
**WINTER**
The locker room was empty, but I didn’t move. My ruined clothes hung in shreds, scattered across the floor, a silent testimony to the twisted revenge game Cindy had decided to play. I stood there for what felt like forever, staring at the mess, the energy to even feel angry drained from me. Exhaustion weighed heavy on my shoulders, and with no other option, I grabbed my backpack and walked out in my sweat-drenched gym clothes.
And stopped cold.
Zion was there.
He leaned against the wall like he had all the time in the world, his uniform crisp and perfect, not a single blond hair out of place.
Alone.
His eyes locked on mine, and I could feel his scrutiny, sharp and cutting like he could see every inch of weakness I carried. For a moment, I considered turning back and finding another way out, but I couldn’t. Not now. My pride wouldn’t let me.
Straightening my back, I marched forward, determined to face him head-on. If he thought he could scare me into submission, he had another thing coming.
“Hope you enjoyed the show, Zion,” I said sharply, coming to a stop right in front of him.
His head turned toward me suddenly, like he hadn’t even realized I was there until I spoke.
“And for the record,” I continued, my tone dripping with defiance, “I’m not sorry about the apple anymore. I wish I’d thrown a brick instead.”
His lips barely twitched, and for a moment, I thought he hadn’t heard me. Then his gaze flicked to mine, sharp and brooding, but it lacked its usual amusement.
“Sure. Whatever you say, Snowflake.”
It wasn’t the reaction I expected. No smirk, no biting remark. Just a cold detachment that somehow felt more dangerous than his usual arrogance.
I narrowed my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest.
“What? I figured you'd be all smug after getting back at me in the gym...” I challenged.
“You’re acting even more unhinged than usual.”
His jaw clenched, the muscles ticking as he stared past me, his mind somewhere else.
“You’re pissed about something. What is it? Trouble in paradise with your fan club?”
His gaze snapped back to mine, and for a moment, the storm in his eyes shifted, darker and more turbulent.
“Drop it Snowflake,” he growled, his tone a warning.
I hesitated.
His fists were clenched at his sides, and he seemed coiled tight, like a bomb seconds from detonating.
“Fine,” I bit out,
“But you better tell your fan club to back off. I’m done playing whatever sick game you’ve got going.”
This time, he finally looked at me—really looked at me—but there was no trace of his usual smugness.
“They’ll do what I tell them to,” he said flatly, his voice low, almost distracted.
A surge of anger shot through me.
Before I could respond, he pushed off the wall, stepping closer.
“That was just the preview, Snowflake. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
“Preview! I embarrassed you in front of everyone. I’m sorry okay. But this petty revenge? It’s ridiculous.”
His smirk dropped completely, and before I could react, he was right in front of me, his hands slamming against the wall on either side of my head.
“You think this is about the apple?” he hissed.
“You think I care about that?”
I froze, my breath hitching as his presence closed in around me.
“What do you want from me?” I whispered, trying to sound defiant, but my voice betrayed me, trembling under the weight of his fury.
Zion leaned in, his face inches from mine. His piercing eyes burned into me, their intensity almost too much to bear.
“What I want is for you to stay the fuck away from Ethan,” he growled, his voice dripping with venom.
“E-Ethan?”
“If I see you so much as smile at him or even look in his direction..I’ll make sure you pay for it.”
I blinked.
“Ethan? Are you for real right now? What does he have to do with any of this—”
“Shut the fuck up!” Zion roared, slamming his hand into the wall with enough force to make me flinch. His jaw was clenched, teeth bared in frustration, and I could see the rage burning in his eyes.
"Zion, calm—" I tried to say, but my voice shook, barely above a whisper. Before I could finish, he leaned in even closer, his breath hot against my skin.
“If there’s anything between you two, it ends now,” his voice thick with malice.
“Or I’ll show you exactly where you belong in this family.”
I glared right back at him. “And where’s that, huh?” I snapped.
His lips curl into a cold, merciless smile, the kind that makes my stomach churn. “Right where you belong,” he says, his tone laced with venom.
“At the bottom. With the trash. Because that’s all you are. And if you still don’t get it…”
He pauses, his gaze sweeping over me with a disdain so intense it burns.
“I’ll tear you apart, piece by piece until there’s nothing left of you. Nothing but scraps for the stray dogs to fight over. Understand?”
"You think you can control me? You think you can scare me into submission?” I shoved him back with a burst of defiance.
“Newsflash, Zion, I’m not your fucking puppet, and I’ll talk to whoever I damn well please.”
Zion stared at me for a long moment, his sharp gaze locked on mine like a predator watching its prey.
For a moment, he said nothing, his silence more unnerving than any retort. Then, his eyes narrowed slightly, his head tilting as if weighing my words.
“Are you interested in Ethan?” he asks suddenly, his voice low and loaded with something I can’t quite place.
Ethan again?
“Interested?” I blinked at him, confused. "I barely know him!”
“Good.” He took a step closer, his gaze dark and commanding.
“Make sure it stays that way.”
His words hang in the air, heavy with warning, before he leans in close. So close that I can feel the heat radiating off him, the faint scent of smoke and something sharper lingering in the air between us.
His sharp inhale sends a shiver down my spine, as though he’s committing me to memory, claiming a part of me I never offered.
Then, just as quickly, he pulls back, but not before his hand drops from the wall and tangles in my hair. It’s not painful, but it’s enough—a clear reminder of his control. His touch is rough, possessive, and unnervingly intimate.
“Remember who you belong to,” he murmurs, his voice a dangerous whisper that sends chills down my spine.
“I d-don’t belong to you,” my voice trembling despite the fire behind my words.
He smirks darkly, his fingers tightening just slightly before releasing me.
“Oh, but you do, whether you like it or not. And let me make this crystal clear—Ethan is off-limits,”
He didn’t need to finish the sentence; the unspoken threat hung heavy in the air.
“Do as I say, Snowflake, or I’ll make you regret defying me.”
Before I can process what just happened, before I can say a single word in response, he lets go of my hair and steps back.
Without a glance in my direction, he strides away, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.
I stand there, frozen, my thoughts spinning out of control. What the hell was that?
What’s his problem with Ethan?
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