Untouchable

0.43

Ivy’s POV

The room is dead silent after Adrian’s recording stops. The weight of Lynne’s betrayal sits heavy on my chest, but I force myself to stay focused.

“We have to do something,” Kayla says, her voice tight with anger. “We can’t just let her get away with this.”

Adrian nods. “Agreed. But we need to be smart. If we go after her too soon, she’ll spin it in her favor.”

Alistair smirks. “I say we humiliate her the same way she planned to do to Ivy.”

Nathaniel, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, finally speaks. “We expose her. Publicly.”

Lily frowns. “That’s risky. She could turn it around on Ivy.”

Sebastian shakes his head. “Not if we have undeniable proof.” He glances at Adrian. “You have more recordings, don’t you?”

Adrian nods. “Plenty.”

A plan starts to take shape. The goal isn’t just to take Lynne down—it’s to make sure Kennedy falls with her.

“Lynne and Kennedy thrive on deception,” I say, voice steady despite the anger simmering beneath the surface. “Let’s turn it against them.”

Kayla grins. “I love where this is going.”

The plan is simple but effective. We’ll gather the school—through a carefully crafted rumor that something big is about to go down. And then, when the crowd is big enough, we’ll let the truth spill out.

And they won’t see it coming.

—

The student lounge is packed. Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire as students cluster together, waiting for whatever chaos is about to unfold.

Lynne and Kennedy stand near the center, looking suspicious but not yet alarmed.

Perfect.

Alistair steps forward, looking as effortlessly smug as ever. “Funny thing about lies,” he says, voice carrying over the room. “They have a way of unraveling at the worst possible moment.”

Kennedy’s posture stiffens. “What are you talking about?”

Adrian, standing beside him, pulls out his phone. “Why don’t we let your own words answer that?”

He presses play.

Lynne’s voice fills the air.

“She thinks we’re actually friends. It’s pathetic. She’s already lost half the school’s respect just by being around them. Now all I have to do is push her a little further.”

The room goes dead silent.

Then gasps ripple through the crowd.

Lynne’s face drains of color.

“What the hell—” she starts, but Adrian plays the next recording.

This time, it’s Kennedy’s voice.

“The only reason those guys even noticed her was because I left. I’m taking back what’s mine. Ivy was never supposed to be part of this.”

The reaction is instant. Shock, betrayal, murmurs of disbelief.

Kennedy takes a step back, shaking her head. “This—it’s fake. They’re trying to frame us!”

Nathaniel laughs darkly. “Really? Because we have a lot more where that came from.”

Lily steps forward, arms crossed. “Face it. You’re done.”

Lynne, ever the strategist, straightens her shoulders. “So what if I said those things? Ivy’s been manipulating all of you too.”

Adrian tilts his head, amusement flickering across his face. “Oh? Would you like us to keep playing more?”

Kennedy freezes.

Lynne, however, hasn’t said a word. She just stands there, fists clenched, calculating her next move.

That’s when Alistair delivers the final blow.

“You know what the best part is?” He smirks, looking between the two of them. “You two have been working together, tearing each other down behind the scenes, and yet… you’re family.”

A ripple of confusion spreads through the crowd.

Nathaniel steps in smoothly, voice calm but razor-sharp. “That’s right. Lynne and Kennedy? They’re stepsisters.”

Gasps echo around the room.

Kayla places a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. Lily’s eyebrows shoot up. Even I feel a small jolt, despite already knowing the truth.

Kennedy looks like she’s been slapped. “You what?” she hisses, rounding on Lynne. “You told them?”

Lynne scoffs. “It was bound to come out eventually.”

Kennedy’s face turns red with fury. “I trusted you—”

“You used me,” Lynne cuts her off, voice cold. “Just like you use everyone.”

Kennedy’s eyes narrow. “And you didn’t?”

The crowd watches, stunned, as the two of them implode in real time.

Sebastian leans in beside me, muttering, “This is better than any drama series I’ve ever seen.”

I let out a slow breath. It’s over.

Lynne and Kennedy have been exposed. Their lies, their schemes—everything is out in the open for the whole school to see.

And judging by the way people are looking at them, their reign of manipulation is officially over.