Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Evelyn's Pov

They called it an accident.

The official report said Alex drowned sometime between midnight and dawn, likely due to “fatigue and intoxication.”

Case closed.

No investigation. No justice.

Just a clean paragraph on a campus bulletin, buried under an announcement about football tryouts.

I stood in front of that bulletin board for almost an hour, reading the lines over and over until the words stopped making sense.

Fatigue. Intoxication.

He didn’t even drink.

By the time I moved into my dorm room, the whispers had already spread.

That’s her.

She’s the dead guy’s girlfriend.

Transferred here because of him.

No one said it to my face, but I could feel it , the curiosity, the pity, the morbid fascination.

I tried to ignore it. I had a purpose now.

Each morning, I went through the motions of attending class. Each night, I pieced together everything I knew about Alex’s last weeks: the friends he’d made, the places he’d gone, the people he’d mentioned.

Mostly, one name kept repeating itself.

Lila Montgomery.

Everyone spoke about her like she was some kind of campus legend , perfect grades, student council president, stunning, generous, kind. The kind of girl who could charm even the professors.

But there was something about that perfection that made my stomach twist.

I kept seeing her face the way it had looked by the lake , that fleeting flicker when she realized who I was.

Recognition. Maybe guilt. Maybe something darker.

“Hey,” a voice snapped me out of my thoughts as I sat alone in the dining hall.

Three girls had stopped at my table. One of them , short, bleached hair, red lipstick , smirked down at me. “You’re the transfer, right? The one whose boyfriend drowned?”

The fork froze halfway to my mouth. I didn’t answer.

The second girl leaned in. “I heard he fell in because he was drunk. Guess love makes people stupid.”

Their laughter sliced through the air.

My chest burned, but I forced myself to stay calm. “You think that’s funny?”

Bleach-hair shrugged. “We’re just saying what everyone’s thinking. He probably couldn’t handle the pressure here. This place eats people alive.”

Before I could respond, another voice cut through the noise , smooth, confident, and colder than ice.

“That’s enough.”

We all turned.

Lila Montgomery stood at the end of the table, her green eyes sharp beneath the soft glow of the dining hall lights. The laughter died instantly.

She didn’t raise her voice, but somehow, everyone obeyed her silence.

“Apologize,” she said simply.

The girls exchanged looks. One of them muttered, “We were just, ”

“Now.”

Bleach-hair swallowed. “Sorry.”

Lila’s gaze flicked to me, her expression melting into something gentle, almost maternal. “Are you okay?”

I nodded stiffly, though my throat felt dry.

She smiled faintly. “Good. Some people don’t know when to keep their mouths shut. Don’t take it personally.”

I murmured a thank you, though my instincts screamed something else entirely.

The bullies scattered. Lila sat across from me, crossing her legs with effortless poise.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” she said. “I thought you might have gone home after… everything.”

“I thought about it,” I admitted. “But Alex loved this place. Leaving felt like giving up on him.”

She studied me for a long moment, then nodded. “You’re strong. He was lucky to have you.”

The words landed strangely. I didn’t know if she meant them.

Then she smiled again, that perfect, glossy kind of smile that hid everything beneath. “Listen, I’m having a small birthday gathering tomorrow night. Nothing fancy, just some close friends. You should come.”

I blinked. “You want me to come?”

“Of course,” she said lightly. “You shouldn’t be alone. Besides, I think Alex would want you to make friends here. Don’t you?”

Her tone was warm, but her eyes , her eyes were watching my reaction too closely.

“I… I’ll think about it,” I said carefully.

“Good.” She stood, brushing invisible lint off her skirt. “I’ll text you the address. It’s at my villa, near the north side of campus.”

Villa.

Of course she lived in a villa.

“See you then, Evelyn.”

And just like that, she was gone.

The rest of the day passed in a blur.

I couldn’t focus in class. I couldn’t sleep that night. My mind kept replaying her voice , He was lucky to have you.

Lucky.

Like it was past tense, and she’d already moved on.

When my phone buzzed just before midnight, I nearly dropped it.

Unknown number: Hey Evelyn, it’s Lila. 7 p.m. tomorrow. Dress nice. You’ll like my friends

A winking emoji.

I stared at the message until my eyes ached.

Every rational part of me said not to go. But the other part, the one clawing for answers , said I had to.

If Lila was connected to Alex’s death, this party might be my only chance to find out how.

The next evening, I stood in front of a massive glass-fronted house just beyond the edge of campus. Laughter and music floated from inside, lights spilling through the tall windows.

I clutched the small gift bag I’d bought , a candle, generic and polite , and took a deep breath before knocking.

The door swung open almost instantly.

“Evelyn! You came!”

Lila’s smile was dazzling. She wore a silk dress the color of champagne, her hair swept up like she’d stepped straight out of a magazine.

“You look perfect,” she said, looping her arm through mine before I could respond. “Come on, everyone’s dying to meet you.”

The word dying sent a chill down my spine.

The living room looked like a page from a lifestyle blog , velvet couches, crystal glasses, the faint scent of expensive perfume. Students filled the space, laughing, drinking, posing for selfies.

Lila guided me toward a group near the piano. “Everyone, this is Evelyn. She just transferred here.”

Eyes turned toward me , some friendly, some curious, a few whispering.

“Evelyn,” Lila continued, “this is Daniel.”

I turned , and froze.

The man leaning casually against the piano was striking. Tall, with tousled dark hair and eyes that seemed to take in everything. There was something about his posture , confident but detached , that made the room bend around him.

He gave me a small nod. “Hey.”

“Daniel’s my boyfriend,” Lila said, sliding closer to him with a touch that was just a little too possessive. “He’s in business management.”

“Nice to meet you,” I managed.

He smiled faintly, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Likewise.”

For a moment, his gaze flicked to Lila , then back to me. There was a spark there, sharp and searching, as if he was trying to read me.

I looked away first.

The night unfolded like a play I hadn’t rehearsed for.

Lila floated from guest to guest, her laughter ringing like silver bells. Every time she passed me, she’d flash that perfect smile, checking that I was still watching.

People whispered about her , how she’d been raised by one of the richest families in the city, how she’d practically run the student council since freshman year.

And yet, no one really knew her.

I stayed near the corner, observing. Every detail mattered , every tone, every glance.

At one point, I caught Daniel alone near the drinks table, pouring himself whiskey.

“Not your kind of crowd?” he asked without looking up.

I hesitated. “You could say that.”

He handed me a glass of water. “She means well,” he said, voice low. “But Lila likes to keep people where she can see them.”

Something in his tone made me turn sharply. “What do you mean?”

Before he could answer, Lila appeared behind him, resting a hand on his arm. “Daniel, love, come dance with me.”

Her eyes flicked to me , soft on the surface, sharp beneath. “Evelyn, you’ll join us soon, right?”

I forced a smile. “Maybe after another drink.”

“Good girl.”

She dragged him away, her laugh echoing through the room.

But Daniel’s glance lingered over her shoulder, his expression unreadable.

By midnight, the party began to fade. Half the guests had left. The air smelled of wine and perfume.

Lila walked me to the door, her smile still perfect. “I’m glad you came,” she said softly. “It means a lot.”

“Thanks for inviting me.”

“Oh, and Evelyn?” She tilted her head. “You’re braver than I thought. Coming here, facing everyone after what happened…”

She leaned in, her breath brushing my ear. “Sometimes it’s better not to dig into the past. You might not like what you find.”

My pulse stuttered. “Is that a warning?”

She smiled sweetly. “Just advice.”

Then she shut the door.

The walk back to my dorm was a blur of shadows and wind. Her words replayed in my head, over and over, twisting tighter each time.

Better not to dig into the past.

But that’s exactly what I was going to do.

If she thought she could scare me, she was wrong.

Because for the first time since Alex died, I wasn’t just grieving , I was angry.

And anger, I realized, was far more useful than tears.

As I crossed the empty quad, I glanced back toward the villa. In the window, a silhouette stood watching.

I couldn’t be sure, but I’d swear it was Lila.

And she was smiling.