Jo-Anna expected tears. Maybe fury. Anything would have been better than the void she received. Fear would have been a victory.

Yet, Jhenna gave her nothing.

Still looking down, Jhenna kept her gaze fixed on her desk. She didn’t flinch. She didn’t shift her rhythm. She was as still as stone, letting Jo-Anna’s presence wash over her like meaningless smoke.

A sudden, sharp burst of laughter snapped the tension in the air.

“Wow… she’s either brave… or incredibly stupid,” Yura, one of Jo-Anna’s crew, muttered.

Jo-Anna’s fingers dug into Jhenna’s shoulder, the pressure building with a silent, simmering rage.

“I’m talking to you,” Jo-Anna hissed, her voice a contained venom.

Nothing.

Then, slowly, Jhenna raised her head. Not in fear. Not even in defiance. Her expression was simply… mild. When their gazes locked, Jhenna’s eyes were calm, cold, and utterly unreadable.

For the first time in her life, Jo-Anna felt something unfamiliar. Something deeply uncomfortable. Jhenna wasn't looking at her; she was looking through her, as if Jo-Anna was a minor inconvenience blocking the view.

Then came Jhenna's voice—soft, yet cutting through the silence like a blade.

“Are you done?”

The classroom froze. The air seemed to leave the room.

Jo-Anna’s face grew tight, her features contorting as she struggled to maintain her grip on her pride. “What did you just say?”

In Haneul High, Jo-Anna was the law. No one dared to breathe without her permission, yet this scholarship girl had just dismissed her like a servant. If she didn't crush Jhenna right now, her authority would be shattered forever.

But Jhenna didn’t bother to repeat herself.

Instead, she reached into her bag and pulled out a notebook. With slow, deliberate movements, she smoothed down the blank pages, ignoring the girl looming over her.

“Conversation over," Jhenna said, her eyes fixed on the paper. "You’re dismissed.”

A heavy hush fell over the room, followed by the frantic sound of whispers. Jhenna knew she was playing with fire. One word from Jo-Anna’s wealthy parents could end her scholarship in a heartbeat. But Jhenna had watched enough dramas to know the first rule of survival: They only hunt the weak.

Even if her heart was screaming at her to bow down, her brain refused to listen. She wanted to push the limit. She wanted to see what happened when the prey bit back.

Jo-Anna smiled—a cold, hollow grin. “Oh… I see,” she whispered, leaning closer until her breath hit Jhenna’s ear. “You don’t understand how things work here. I’ll have to teach you.”

Jo-Anna's smile vanished, her eyes darkening into something vicious. She leaned down, her breath smelling of expensive mint and malice, whispering right into Jhenna's ear.

"You think silence makes you safe? In this school, the 'Invisible' are the ones we break first. Check your locker, Scholarship. I left you a welcome gift."

Jo-Anna walked away, the silk of her ribbon fluttering like a warning flag. Jhenna didn't move, but her fingers tightened under the desk until her knuckles turned white. The game hadn't just started. The trap was already set.

By midafternoon, the gossip had exploded.

“The scholarship girl is arrogant.”

“She disrespected the Queen.”

“She thinks she’s one of us.”

Jhenna caught every word as she walked through the halls. She didn't look back. Rumors were currency, and today, Jhenna’s value had just skyrocketed. She finally mattered.

LUNCH PERIOD

The cafeteria was a battlefield of hierarchy. At Haneul High, your worth wasn't measured by your grades, but by where you sat.

Jhenna stood at the edge of the room, tray untouched, her eyes scanning the landscape like a general. And then, she saw him.

Kang Min-Jae.

Seated at the center table, he was untouchable. Unbothered. He was surrounded by people, yet he looked entirely alone. Everyone watched him, but no one—not even Jo-Anna—dared to approach him without a reason.

Interesting.

Jhenna tilted her head, observing. She knew that in a place like this, she needed a "Stronghold"—a shield to protect her while she dismantled Jo-Anna’s throne. She remembered the series Bitch X Rich; a target like Min-Jae wouldn't be easy to catch. He was a tool for later, not now.

Across the room, Jhenna’s eyes met his.

Most people looked away when Min-Jae glanced at them. Jhenna didn't. For one long, silent breath, they held each other's gaze. No smiles. No expressions. Just a wordless recognition.

Then, Min-Jae was the one to look away first.

A faint, ghost-like grin crept across Jhenna’s mouth.

“Good,” she whispered to herself.

The difficult ones always held the most value.

From her table, Jo-Anna watched the exchange, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her fork. Her eyes darted from Jhenna to Min-Jae, and her fury reached a breaking point.

This was no longer about a scholarship girl being rude. This was war.

AUTHOR's NOTE:

Welcome to the end of chapter two!!!

To have made it this far means you also want to explore the world of jhenna Adeyemi, and of course there's much to explore. 

Pleasee keep reading.

Vote and comment it will help encourage and help the book to reach more readers or maybe a film industry one day . 

Please note : this is the original story written by ifeoluwa Cynthia (me).

Thank you and let's explore the next chapters together .