Many whispered that Lenora Hawthorne was nothing more than an unassuming girl-a shadow among the ambitious and cunning. But those who truly knew her understood the truth: Lenora was no innocent. She had forged her path in darkness, her allegiance bo...
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Mattheo's POV
I BROUGHT MY HAND UP TO THE PENDANT LAYING AGAINST MY CHEST, bound to her—a connection to keep tabs on her. To control her.
But as I did, I realized it had lost its warmth. Even if she took it off, I would still feel the heat radiating from it.
Something wasn't right.
I made my way to her dormitory, already feeling the irritation boiling beneath my skin. When I arrived, her friends were there, faces twisted in worry. They knew something was wrong too.
"What did you do?" Gina's voice was sharp, her finger jabbing at my chest before she grabbed my shirt, slamming me against the wall. "You did this, didn't you?"
"I didn't do shit, Nott. Get your hands off me before I remove them myself." My voice was calm, but my glare was cold enough to freeze fire.
"Gina, what are you doing?" Astoria's eyes were wide, darting nervously between us.
"He did this! I know it." Gina shoved me harder into the wall, her anger making her reckless. I caught her wrists in a harsh grip, squeezing just enough to make her wince.
"Did she take her necklace off?" I demanded, my voice hard.
They stared at me, confused and cautious. Idiots.
"Answer me! Did she take off her necklace?" I crossed my arms over my chest, making it clear I wasn't in the mood for games.
"No. Last I saw, she had it on. Merlin, since when did you give a shit?" Gina spat, her eyes blazing with accusation.
"I don't give a shit. Just fucking tell me, when was the last time you saw her?"
Astoria hesitated, glancing at Gina before finally speaking. "Last night, after dinner. She said she was tired and went to bed early. We haven't seen her since."
I clenched my jaw, my eyes narrowing. "And none of you thought to check on her? Useless."
Gina's face twisted in fury. "Who the hell do you think you are? Why do you even care where she is?"
I scoffed. "I don't care. But if she's missing, it becomes my problem. And I don't like problems." I pushed past them, ignoring the way Gina's shoulders tensed. "Move. Standing here arguing with you wastes my time."
Astoria stepped aside quickly, her gaze flicking nervously to Gina. I didn't bother to look back as I scanned the room, taking in every detail. The pendant was still cold. Still empty.
She was gone. Really gone.
Damn it, Lenora. Where did you run off to? And who was stupid enough to take you?
