𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄. : 𝐓𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐀

-𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒

.𖥔 ݁ ˖   ✦    ‧₊˚ ⋅

Three days had passed since the first challenge, and I had already started noticing the way Alejandro operated. He was slick, I'd give him that, but there was something about him that always seemed a little too polished, too rehearsed.

Every morning, I'd watch him work his way through the group. Lindsay was still blushing whenever he complimented her, and Bridgette kept giggling like she didn't know better. But I had seen this before—the slow burn of his charm, the way he set his traps with just the right amount of attention, only to pull back before anyone got too suspicious.

Lashawna was watching him too. "Girl, that boy is trouble," she said one afternoon, as we sat on the dock after a particularly grueling day. "He's playing all of them. I bet he's got half the team wrapped around his little finger."

I nodded, keeping my eyes on Alejandro, who was across the camp talking to Heather. "I know. But he hasn't tried anything serious with me yet."

Lashawna smirked, nudging me with her elbow. "That's because he knows you're not like the others. You've got that rich girl energy. He's used to girls falling at his feet, but you? You're the challenge."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe. Or maybe he's just saving me for last."

We shared a knowing look, and I leaned back, watching the sun start to dip below the horizon. There was no doubt in my mind Alejandro was going to come after me eventually. But when he did, I'd be ready. I wasn't here to play his game—I was here to win.

By the third day, the competition was heating up. New faces had joined the game—Sierra, a hyper fan who seemed to know everything about everyone, and Alejandro, who continued to stir the pot without breaking a sweat. Sierra was... intense, to say the least. She spent the first few hours following us around, spouting random facts about all of the contestants, including me.

"Did you know that Cody sleeps with no socks in bed?" Sierra had asked, eyes wide as she listed off every little detail about his life.

I gave her a sweet smile but internally, I was rolling my eyes. This girl needs to find a hobby, I thought. I wasn't about to let her fan-girling get in the way of the game.

Meanwhile, Alejandro was already plotting. I could see it in the way he moved, carefully choosing his targets. One minute he was all smiles with Bridgette, the next he was subtly undermining Duncan's confidence with a few well-placed words. He was already manipulating the game, and the worst part? No one even seemed to notice.

Except for me.

After lunch, we were split into teams again for another challenge—this time, it was a scavenger hunt through the camp. The object? Some random trophy Chris had "hidden" somewhere near the camp. And, of course, Alejandro managed to position himself right near me as we all began to scatter.