The moment she walked away, I didn’t follow. I just stood there, watching her back disappear into the corridor. There was something final about the way she left—sharp, deliberate, like she was cutting off whatever had been between us.

My phone buzzed. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. Dante never called; he only sent messages. Always short, always precise. I unlocked the screen, and there it was:

Dante: Kill her.

Dante: You’ve had enough time.

Dante: If you don’t, I will. And I’ll make sure she knows it was you who betrayed her.

I stared at the last line for a long time. The threat wasn’t...