Ridgefall's Prom Gala was finally here.
The grand ballroom of Imperial Crest Hotel sparkled with crystal chandeliers, shimmering lights bouncing off the marble floor as violinists played soft tunes in the corner. Billionaire heirs, daughters of ministers, tech prodigies, and student leaders walked through the red carpet in designer suits and custom gowns. For once, students weren't defined by GPA or projects, but by status, secrets, and style.
Ochieng, clad in a sharp, midnight-black tuxedo with a silver emblem on the collar—one that secretly belonged to his late father's underground fraternity—stepped out of his car and into the chaos of cameras and whispers.
But his mind wasn't on the glamour.
It was on Clara.
Because Clara had returned.
And she wasn't alone.
---
Clara Mendez, 22, now known as the "Crowned Devil of Tokyo Tech", wore a deep sapphire slit dress that glistened like a dream. Her raven hair flowed effortlessly, and her beauty had matured into something ethereal—deadly. She was the ex-lover, the abandoned past, and the unspoken mystery that haunted Ochieng's heart.
Beside her was Kaiden Ryuu, 25, CEO of Kira-Edge Technologies, Japan's rising trillionaire heir. Calm. Calculated. Lethal. With silver-gray eyes and the quiet grace of a killer, he shook hands like a gentleman but thought like a warlord.
"Ridgefall Prom," Kaiden said, sipping his drink. "A perfect place to bury the past or ignite war."
Clara smiled, locking eyes with Ochieng across the room. "I never bury."
---
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ballroom, Seraphina sat in stunned silence. Her dress was a pearl-white masterpiece, but her glow dimmed when she saw Clara.
And when she saw Ochieng's reaction.
Zahra sat beside her, smirking. "Jealousy burns deeper than betrayal, doesn't it?"
Seraphina stood up, barely holding it together.
But Zahra wasn't done. "Clara knows something about his father's disappearance. And Kaiden? He doesn't play fair."
---
Elora Damaso, watching from the balcony above, wasn't here for the Prom. She was here on a mission. Her father, a political fugitive, had once worked under Ochieng's mysterious grandfather, who vanished with billions of dollars and intel on world leaders.
She wasn't sure if she wanted revenge or answers. But either way, Ridgefall was the epicenter.
---
Suddenly, the ballroom lights flickered.
A voice echoed from the speakers.
"Welcome to a night you'll never forget."
A masked host appeared on the stage—no one knew who he was.
"This is not just Prom. It's the Game of Secrets. Every hour, a secret will be revealed. Some small, some… destructive. Let's begin."
The first screen lit up.
"Student Zahra el-Malik paid Ridgefall University $100,000 to fail Seraphina during her second semester."
Gasps. Silence. Then chaos.
Seraphina froze.
Zahra laughed.
Ochieng's eyes narrowed.
But Kaiden leaned toward Clara.
"Should we let the next secret slip?"
Clara nodded. "Let's remind Ochieng… who trained him."
Because Clara hadn't come to seduce.
She had come to destroy.
---
Outside, the paparazzi captured the glitter.
Inside, hearts shattered.
Secrets broke out like fireflies.
And the night was just beginning.