The sunlight hit his face, but it didn’t warm him.
Yesterday’s events lingered.
The smear campaign had gone national.
And now, Lee was involved.
He sat up, stretching, his mind already racing.
Phase Three, he thought. They’re moving faster than expected.
He grabbed his phone.
No messages.
Good.
He didn’t need distractions.
Walking through the main gate, Sid noticed how everyone’s eyes followed him.
Some with curiosity.
Some with pity.
Some with barely disguised glee.
Su appeared beside him, looking calm on the surface.
Her hand brushed his accidentally as they walked.
Sid felt a strange pull — but ignored it.
Focus, he reminded himself.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He gave her a small nod.
“Everything’s under control,” he said, tone flat.
She studied him for a second, then smiled faintly.
“Good. Because I don’t want you fighting this alone.”
He glanced at her.
He didn’t answer.
Because he knew she didn’t understand yet.
By 10 a.m., Sid was summoned to a special board meeting.
The principal, vice principal, and three other officials sat behind the long table.
Sid stood, calm, hands behind his back.
“Mr. Sid,” the principal began, “serious allegations have been raised concerning your family.”
Sid’s eyes scanned the documents on the table.
Manipulated. Fabricated. Predictable.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“I understand,” he said quietly.
“You have twenty-four hours to provide evidence disproving these claims,” another board member added.
“Or face expulsion,” the principal finished.
Sid nodded.
Nothing in his expression betrayed emotion.
Not fear. Not anger.
Only calculation.
After the meeting, Sid returned to his dorm, pacing.
He was working through the problem in his head when a soft knock sounded.
“Sid?”
Su stood at the door, her expression tense.
“They’re targeting you,” she said softly.
“Yes,” he admitted.
“Because of me,” she whispered.
Sid paused.
“Yes.”
Her lips trembled slightly.
“They’re trying to make you leave,” she said.
He shrugged.
“I won’t.”
She stepped closer.
“You shouldn’t have to deal with this alone.”
“I’m not alone,” he said.
Her eyes searched his.
“I wish it were different,” she muttered.
Something in her voice made his chest tighten.
He didn’t say anything.
Lunch break.
Sid walked through the courtyard.
Three senior students blocked his path.
“Looks like the bakery boy can’t escape,” one sneered.
Sid stopped.
“Move,” he said calmly.
The first student lunged. Sid sidestepped, using the student’s momentum to shove him into a bench.
The second swung a backpack at him. He caught it mid-air, tossed it aside, and grabbed the student’s arm, twisting him to the ground.
The third charged.
Sid’s movements were precise. Controlled. Efficient.
All three ended up groaning on the floor.
“You’re done,” he said quietly.
Footsteps.
Su appeared.
Her eyes widened, then narrowed slightly.
“You said you wouldn’t do anything reckless,” she whispered.
“I didn’t,” he said.
“You could’ve been suspended.”
“They attacked first,” he replied.
Her gaze softened.
“They’re attacking you because of me,” she said again.
Sid didn’t respond immediately.
He realized she wasn’t wrong.
And for the first time, the game shifted.
That evening, Sid returned to his dorm.
Laptop open. Multiple screens. IPs, logs, server traces.
Someone inside the school network had escalated the smear.
A notification popped up.
Unknown number.
Sid answered.
“Mr. Sid,” a calm voice said. “This is Mr. Lee.”
Sid’s expression didn’t change.
“I see your efforts are… impressive,” Lee continued. “But you’ve overstepped.”
“And if I refuse to step back?” Sid asked.
“Then your family bakery will not survive the month,” Lee said smoothly.
The line went dead.
Sid closed his eyes for a moment.
He opened a secure folder — documents capable of taking down Lee’s empire.
His hand hovered over them.
Not hesitation.
Calculation.
But something stirred — a thought he didn’t allow himself to voice.
This will affect her.
A knock on the door.
Su.
“Sid… are you okay?”
He looked at her, really looked.
Her eyes were wide, but steady.
“Everything’s fine,” he said.
Her gaze lingered on him.
“You’ve been holding so much on your own,” she whispered.
He didn’t answer.
Instead, he stepped aside, letting her in.
For a moment, they just stood there.
No plans. No strategies.
Her hand brushed his.
He didn’t pull away.
Not because of manipulation.
Not because of strategy.
Something else. Something dangerous.
By midnight, Sid had traced the new leak.
Phase Three was more than a smear.
Someone was going after his reputation and assets simultaneously.
Lee’s son, the fiancé, was orchestrating it.
Sid’s mind raced through contingencies.
He could retaliate. He could strike.
But each move carried risk — especially for Su.
He leaned back in his chair, hands clasped.
Outside, the campus was quiet.
Too quiet.
And somewhere, unseen, the storm was gathering.
The next morning, Sid found a package at his door.
No return address.
Inside:
-
A single black envelope.
-
A card with a blood-red seal.
-
A note, in precise handwriting:
“Your next step will decide everything. Fail, and everything you care about will burn.”
Sid stared at the envelope.
A slow smile crept onto his face.
He didn’t know what the next move was.
But he did know one thing:
He wouldn’t lose. Not yet.
Outside, Su waited.
She didn’t speak.
But her eyes… her eyes said everything.
And in that silence, Sid realized — the game had just begun.