Chapter 76 Confess
Chapter 76 Confess
ARDEN
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The gymnasium was so loud it felt like the floor trembled with every cheer. It was the grand finale of the Academy Wars.
Only five academies remained. The rest had been weeded out over the past few days. Now, the final round had begun–the Death Match.
The five schools sat on different podiums, each of us armed with a blank white board and markers in hand. The rules were simple: answer quickly and answer correctly. Get it wrong, and you’re out. No lifelines. No second chances.
I glanced to my left. Elias had his brows furrowed, arms crossed as he awaited the next question. Across the room, representatives from the other schools fidgeted.
The moderator stepped up to the mic. “Next question. In pack dynamics, what is the most effective method to strengthen a bond between alphas and betas in high–pressure missions?”
Pens flew across the boards.
I didn’t even have to think.
Shared vulnerability.
I scribbled it across the board in clean, confident letters just as the buzzer rang.
Correct.
Three teams were eliminated. Only two remained: ours and one from the Northern Crescent Academy.
I knew I should’ve felt nervous.
But all I could think about was that empty seat in the stands.
Cade still wasn’t here.
For three whole days, he hadn’t shown up at school and hadn’t contacted me either. Was I foolish for wishing to see him among those watching in the stands?
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Chapter 76 Confess
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“Next question,” the moderator continued. “Solve the following. A supply convoy travels from Point A to Point B at a speed of 60 km/h. Midway, it stops for 20 minutes, then continues at a reduced speed of 40 km/h. What’s the total travel time if the total distance is 180 kilometers?”
This wasn’t an overly difficult question to answer. However, we only had 30 seconds on the timer, and that wasn’t enough for some to even write out all the variables.
I could hear the next team panicking, frantically writing at the same time. Elias, too, was scribbling on the provided scratch paper. Some students had pulled out calculators while others simply waited for the answers.
I studied the question closely and recognized that I wouldn’t finish solving it on time if I wrote out everything.
Half of 180 is 90.
At 60 km/h, that’s an hour and a half.
Then a 20–minute stop.
The next 90 kilometers at 40 km/h…
Two hours and fifteen minutes.
Add it all.
Three hours and 65 minutes. Wait-
I corrected myself at the last possible second. Four hours and five minutes.
My hand trembled as I wrote it down.
Elias turned to me with wide eyes. He was only halfway through, but the buzzer had already
rang.
I quickly raised the board high into the air. North Crescent couldn’t finish it in time.
“ELITE ORDER ACADEMY TAKES THE VICTORY!”
The crowd erupted around us.
Elias lifted his arms in triumph. Tessa and Owen screamed from the stands. The cheers
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thundered against the walls, echoing wildly.
But I just stood there.
My fingers tightened around the marker, and my heart–my heart wasn’t in this.
Cade still hadn’t shown up.
Even with all this, even with the win… I couldn’t feel the pride I longed for.
Not with Mr. Winters clapping slowly in the crowd, his eyes fixed on me like a hawk circling its prey.
Not with this sick feeling in my gut that something larger was unfolding–something just out of reach.
The ceremony blurred past in a whirlwind of flashing lights. School reporters swarmed us. A golden trophy was placed into our hands. Cameras clicked, students cheered, my name echoed from somewhere in the distance.
We walked backstage while the other students celebrated in the front hall. My feet moved on instinct, the trophy cold and heavy in my grasp.
As I stepped into the dim hallway, I felt someone gently grab my wrist.
“Arden.”
I turned to look at Elias.
He looked… serious. Not smugly brilliant, as he usually did. Just quiet and thoughtful.
“You really are intelligent,” he began. “I couldn’t even answer that last question with the time we had.”
I stared at him, unable to register his words. My thoughts were still consumed by Cade.
But then something shifted.
Elias‘ hand found mine.
Before I could fully grasp what was happening, before I could react, I felt his lips against
mine.
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Chapter 76 Confess
My eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat, but even then, I felt… nothing.
Elias‘ lips were warm, soft even–but they didn’t feel right.
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They didn’t make my heart stutter. They didn’t make my mind go silent the way Cade’s presence did, even from a distance.
I gently pulled back, placing my hand against Elias‘ chest. It wasn’t a harsh movement, but it was firm.
“What?” he asked, a crease forming between his brows.
“Don’t,” I replied softly, striving to keep my voice steady. “Please, don’t do that again.”
He stared at me, stunned. “This is the first time I mustered the courage to do this,” he muttered. “And you’re pushing me away.”
I didn’t want to hurt him. Elias wasn’t a bad person. In fact, he had been kind to me on more than one occasion. But he wasn’t the one for me.
“Elias,” I began, exhaling as I met his gaze. “Do you even like me?”
I sensed he was in the same predicament as Rowan.
He looked thrown off. “Of course I do. Why else would I-”
“Really like me,” I clarified. “Or do you like that I’m smart? That I would look good next to you as the clever girl by your side?”
“Because that is what’s expected of you.”
His expression fell, a flash of guilt passing through his eyes.
“I’m not a title,” I said quietly. “And you shouldn’t reduce yourself to just being a genius either.”
His mouth opened and then shut again.
“You should wait for your mate, Elias,” I continued, speaking softer now. “You’re a smart person. I hope you find someone who can truly unfreeze your heart. Someone who makes you want to take real risks–not just the ones that look good on paper.”
The silence between us grew taut. Elias looked away, his expression pained.
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I turned without waiting for a response. The lights backstage flickered as I stepped out into the hall, leaving the noise of celebration behind me.
And then everything clicked.
It was always Cade.
Even when I hated him, I liked him. Even when he was distant, cruel, or haunted by someone else. Even with Honey.
I didn’t care.
No–maybe that wasn’t entirely true. I did care. It hurt, and it made me feel like I was walking toward a fire with no protection.
But I wanted to walk toward him anyway. Because this wasn’t just about me.
Whatever Cade was going through, he had no one. No one but himself. I couldn’t let that happen–not when I understood what it felt like to be alone in this place.
Even if it broke me in the end, I had to help him.
I broke into a run.
The cold air kissed my skin as I pushed past the school gates and into the streets. I didn’t even know if he’d be there.
“Arden!”
I nearly collided with a tall figure who reached out to grab my arm.
Jaxon.
His hand curled around my wrist instinctively. “Where are you going?”
“Let
“Are
go of me,” I said, breathless, trying to pull away.
you still mad at me for everything? Sienna’s out of the picture now-
“Let go.”
His grip loosened, surprised by the steel in my voice. I didn’t wait for him to respond. I broke free and continued running, the wind howling past my ears, drowning everything else out.
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I didn’t stop until I reached the building where he lived.
I was about to rush inside when I bumped into none other than Cade himself.
My eyes widened.
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He looked disheveled. Pale. There were dark circles under his eyes, but somehow… he smiled.
“Is it over?” he asked, his voice gentle.
I nodded. “Yeah. We won.”
He looked disappointed. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I should have been there to see it.”
That was all it took.
I broke.
Tears spilled from my eyes before I could stop them, and my chest tightened with everything I had tried to hold back since he left.
Cade’s smile faltered. He stepped closer, brows furrowed in concern. “Arden? What’s wrong? Who hurt you?”
The worry in his voice undid me further. I looked up at him, my heart thudding in my ears.
It didn’t matter anymore.
I had to say it.
I had to say it before the fear swallowed me once again.
I looked into his eyes and whispered, “I like you, Cade.”
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