Chapter 67: All That Glitters
Belford College was buzzing.
From the dorm lounges to the library steps, the only name on anyone’s lips was Craig Lesnar. The upcoming birthday party had taken on a life of its own—glamorous, unforgettable, and wildly extravagant.
Whispers of live performances, a champagne wall, even imported velvet furniture had turned the campus into a frenzied hive of curiosity and envy.
Students were scrambling for invites like it was The Oscars.
Phoebe couldn’t stop talking about it. "I heard they had to build a temporary stage extension just to fit the performers. Chart-topping Artists, guys. Do you know how insane that is?"
Megan chimed in, wide-eyed. "Someone said they brought in a glass sculptor. A sculptor. For ice."
Merlina just nodded, lips tight. Her name hadn’t come up once in any of those rumors. Except in her own head.
But Craig Lesnar ?
His name was everywhere. His voice, his smile, his damn smirk—like echoes trapped in the halls, haunting her. Even the flyers had his initials embossed in gold. It was like the whole school had been swallowed by a glittering hurricane of Craig.
And Merlina was suffocating.
She’d spent the last few days burying herself in schoolwork, avoiding his messages like they were landmines. She hadn’t responded to a single one. Not the ’Can we talk?’ Not the ’I just want to understand.’ Not even the final one she never admitted stung the most— ’I guess I was wrong.’