Aiden stood leaning against the stone wall near the front school gate, his hands tucked casually into his pockets. The school day had come to an end, and students were flooding out of the building in groups, their laughter and chatter filling the air. Aiden’s eyes scanned the crowd, searching for only one person—Mabella. It had become their daily routine to meet here after class, a moment they both cherished.
When he finally spotted her weaving her way through the throng of students, his heart lifted. Her soft brown hair caught the afternoon sunlight, and her usual timid smile was aimed right at him. Aiden straightened up, his own grin widening as she approached.
"Mabella!" he called out, his voice brimming with warmth.
"Aiden," she greeted, her voice soft, almost hesitant, as she came to a stop a few feet away from him.
The sound of his name from her lips always made his heart skip a beat. There was something so delicate about her, so pure, that he couldn’t help but be drawn to her. "Yes, my Snuggle Bug?" he teased, leaning slightly closer, hoping to coax a deeper blush from her.
But instead of her usual bashful smile, Mabella's expression faltered, and Aiden noticed the flicker of something else in her eyes—something he couldn't quite place. Her hesitation put a tiny crack in the lighthearted atmosphere between them.
"Aiden…" she began softly, her voice reluctant. "I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can spend time with you after school today."
Aiden’s smile dimmed, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Why not?" he asked, a hint of disappointment seeping into his tone. "Do you have something else planned?"
Mabella lowered her gaze, fidgeting with the strap of her bag as if struggling with her answer. "Yeah… I have private tuition after this," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aiden sighed, the excitement of seeing her quickly fading. Spending time with Mabella was the highlight of his day, and the thought of not being able to enjoy their usual after-school moments together left him feeling deflated. "I guess that can’t be helped…" he murmured, his smile slipping away, replaced with a sad expression.
Seeing the disappointment in his eyes stirred a pang of guilt inside Mabella, but it also fueled something else—something darker. She tilted her head slightly, watching him closely as she took a slow, deliberate step closer.
Feeling the weight of her decision, Mabella made her move. Her cheeks flushed with feigned shyness as she leaned in and pressed a quick, soft kiss against his cheek. It was a small gesture, meant to soothe him, but as her lips brushed his skin, her eyes glinted with something far more calculated than simple affection.
"I-I’ll spend more time with you later," she stammered, her voice full of the usual sweetness he was used to, but there was a flicker of something else in her eyes—something Aiden didn’t notice. Without waiting for his reply, Mabella pulled away quickly, her heart pounding, but not from nerves. She turned on her heel and walked away with hurried steps, her face flushed with false embarrassment.
Aiden stood frozen, his hand instinctively reaching up to touch the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him. His heart swelled with warmth, the disappointment from earlier melting away into happiness. A small, boyish smile crept onto his lips as he watched her retreating figure disappear into the crowd. Slowly, he turned and began his walk home, his thoughts filled with nothing but the memory of her kiss.
But the moment Aiden was out of sight, Mabella’s demeanor shifted entirely. The timid, shy girl that everyone knew her to be evaporated, and in her place was someone colder, someone far more calculating. The soft blush that had colored her cheeks faded, and her expression hardened into something dark and unfeeling.
Her sweet smile, so easily offered to Aiden moments ago, vanished. Her lips pressed into a thin, unforgiving line, and her eyes narrowed as she glanced over her shoulder, making sure Aiden was truly gone.
Once she was certain he was out of sight, Mabella’s steps slowed, her entire posture changing. No longer the shy, flustered girl, she now moved with purpose, her body radiating a chilling intensity. She walked with an eerie calmness, her movements sharp and controlled. The innocent exterior that had served her so well was nothing more than a mask—a mask that she had learned to wear perfectly.
Gone was the soft-spoken Mabella, replaced by someone much more dangerous. Her mind was racing, but it wasn’t filled with thoughts of guilt or regret. No. Her mind was consumed with darker intentions. She had an entirely different plan for the afternoon, and it didn’t involve private tuition.
She had a target.
The woman who dared to send Aiden a love letter.
Mabella’s lips curled slightly, but it wasn’t a smile. It was something more sinister—something filled with cold, calculating malice. How dare someone else think they could have Aiden’s attention? How dare some girl think she had the right to admire her Aiden?
Her Aiden.
The thought of someone else even thinking they could get close to him filled Mabella with a quiet, simmering rage. She didn’t just feel jealous—she felt possessive. Her mind raced with possibilities. She didn’t know who the girl was yet, but she would find out. And when she did, Mabella would make sure that girl knew her place.
You don’t touch what belongs to me.
Her footsteps echoed through the hallway as she re-entered the school, the crowd of students parting around her, completely oblivious to the darkness that had settled inside her. On the outside, she appeared calm, almost serene. But inside, her thoughts were ruthless.
There was no hesitation in her resolve. Whoever this girl was, she had crossed a line. Mabella would handle this situation quietly, efficiently, and without mercy. She was done playing the role of the sweet, innocent girl who let things slide. No one would interfere with her relationship. Not now, not ever.
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag as she moved through the school with predatory grace. Her mind was already racing through potential scenarios, imagining the confrontation that awaited. She would find this girl, and she would make sure there was no confusion about who Aiden belonged to.
She would end this threat before it ever became one.
The cold expression on her face remained as she made her way deeper into the school, her heart no longer racing with love or affection for Aiden. Now, it pounded with a different kind of thrill—the thrill of control, of asserting her dominance.
Mabella wasn’t the innocent, nerdy girl everyone thought she was. She had a side no one had seen before, and today, that side was going to emerge.
Whoever this girl was, she would regret ever thinking she could steal Aiden away.