<b>Chapter </b><b>283 </b>
Xylia stayed silent.
She actually knew way back that Tessa was no angel. Back when they were with the Schultz family, Tessa <b>was </b>always scheming against her, sometimes right to her face, sometimes behind the scenes.
If someone had told her before that Tessa would go so far–hurting others and even herself for the sake of power in an official position–she’d have been totally shocked. But now? It just felt normal.
Back when Tessa pushed Connor and Maddox to pin the hit–and–run on Xylia, her only goal was to keep Xylia out of the lead dancer finals.
Tessa was downright vicious–she never left anybody a way to save themselves. ‘With someone like her, Xylia thought, ‘there’s nothing left that could surprise me.’
Grace gently grabbed Xylia’s hand, her expression a mix of worry and hesitation. “Xylia<b>, </b>can you drop by the jail and see Tessa for me? I need you to pass a message to her.”
Xylia paused for a couple seconds, then said, “Grace, what exactly do you want me to tell her?”
Grace visibly rxed when she saw Xylia agree, but at the same time, she couldn’t help feeling guilty for having to ask her for this favor. “Thank you, Xylia.”
They’d just arrived in Jupiton, and Joshua’s car was still parked at the Garcia family’s ce.
The two of them took a cab to the police station.
Joshua frowned and said to Xylia, “Honestly, I don’t think you should go see Tessa.”
Xylia turned to Joshua, a small smile ying on her lips.
“I think it’s about time I saw her when she’s at her lowest.”
Joshua shook his head. “Honestly, just setting eyes on someone like her makes me feel gross. If Grace hadn’t asked, you wouldn’t even bother with her.”
Xylia yfully scratched Joshua’s palm, her smile not fading one bit.
“Grace didn’t really beg me,” Xylia replied, letting out a soft sigh. “She’s the type who genuinely cares for every student, invests so much heart in all of us. With Tessa ending up like this–not showing much on the outside, but inside, Grace’s heart must be shattered.”
Joshua couldn’t bear seeing Xylia act all strong. He just wrapped her up in his arms.
He muttered, “Grace could always wait till she’s feeling better and go see Tessa herself.”
Hearing Joshua grumble right by her ear, Xylia justughed. “Rx, it’s just a visit to Tessa. Think of it as me
<b>6:58 </b>Fri<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>
taking a little victoryp.”
For a moment, Joshua felt a wild urge to lock Xylia away in his own world, never letting anyone else even <b>get </b>
close.
In his heart, he wanted her to be entirely his, and for him topletely belong to her.
It was like, from now on, nothing and no one existed but the two of them–their entire world was just each other.
He tightened his arms around her, pulling her even closer.
Half an hourter.
Xylia entered the visitation room by herself.
Tessa, dressed in prison clothes, sat down across from her.
She’d been in jail for a while now, and it showed. She looked thin, worn out, andpletely defeated- nothing like the confident lead dancer she used to be.
Xylia had figured Tessa would totally lose it and go off the rails the moment they met.
But Tessa barely spared her a nce–just cold and dismissive–then wordlessly picked up the phone on the table.
“I’ve been stuck in here a while,” Tessa started, her voice low and almost hollow, like she’d already given up on life. “I thought the first person to visit me would be my parents, maybe Ziggy, or even Connor. Never once did it cross my mind that it’d be you.”
Not moved in the slightest–the smirk on her lips was dripping with mockery.
Xylia just stared at her, totally indifferent. Not a shred of sympathy for Tessa–this was the ending she’d always deserved.
“I didn’te here because I wanted to,” Xylia said, her tone t. “If Grace hadn’t asked me to deliver a message, I wouldn’t have even given you another nce.”
As she spoke, her eyes shed briefly with impatience.
To Tessa, that attitude screamed superiority–Xylia acting like she was sitting on a pedestal, looking down on her.
But now, Tessa no longer had the right to be arrogant like before.
“Grace?” Tessa sneered, her voice thick with contempt.
“Grace?” Tessa pressed, a mocking look on her face. “What, already forgot how you were teaming up with your groupies in Norhill to throw shade at her? Now you act like it never even happened?”
Tessa red at Xylia, obviously annoyed at her attitude.
<b>6:59 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>
Xylia didn’t even bother acknowledging her reaction–she couldn’t care less.
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“Grace asked me to <b>pass </b>on a message,” Xylia said coolly. “She’s mentored tons of students and always thought she could judge people right. Turns out she was wrong about you. So from now on, don’t bother calling her your teacher–the connection’s cut.”
With that, Tessa finally snapped. “No way! You’re making this up to mess with me!”
She mmed her hand on the table, her voice turning shrill.
All this time locked up, Tessa kept getting ditched–again and again, everyone turned their backs on her.
She kept wishing her parents would swoop in and save her, hoping Ziggy woulde, maybe even Connor- anyone, really.
But inside that cold, windowless cell, she kept waiting and waiting… and all she got was silence.
Little by little, her hope just dried up and she finally got it–nobody wasing for her. She was truly on her
own now<b>. </b>
Now, hearing that even Grace was severing all ties with her, it felt like the final blow–thest straw crushing her heart, leaving Tessa gasping for air, almost unable to breathe beneath the weight of it all.
“Xylia, you nasty bitch! If you’re just here to watch me fall, go ahead and say it! How dare you make up crap about Grace ever caring about me? You’re such a shameless loser, an absolute joke!” Tessa spat out, her voice trembling with fury.
Tessa was shouting into the phone, her emotions spiraling out of control.
Xylia stared calmly through the ss at Tessa, unbothered and cold. Tessa’s once–gorgeous face was wrecked -every trace of beauty ground away by her fury, twisted up into a mask of rage as she howled at the world.
She looked less like a fallen star and more like a monster, torn straight out of the darkness–screaming, rabid, losing all control.
Xylia’s mind drifted back to those months she’d spent in prison, remembering how the people who tormented her felt just like this—dark beasts ripped out from the void, sinking their teeth into her soul, gnawing at her every nerve without mercy.
Among those monsters, Tessa stood out. And so did Connor and his son, Maddox.
“Message delivered. What you do now is up to you,” Xylia said, her tone cool and detached.
She set the phone down with calm finality.
The sound of Tessa’s furious screams was sealed off by the ss.
Without another nce at Tessa, Xylia turned and strode out of the visitation room.
Joshua was waiting outside for Xylia. As soon as he spotted her, he practically sprinted to her side, like he couldn’t wait a second longer.
<b>6:59 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>
Joshua asked eagerly, “All done?”
Xylia shed a smile, looking totally chill–clearly, whatever had just happened inside hadn’t touched her mood at all.
“All done. Let’s get out of here,” she said breezily
Joshua reached out and softly ran his hand through Xylia’s hair, then took her hand so they could walk out together.
They didn’t go back to the hospital. They just called Grace to let her know everything was taken <b>care </b>of.
They’d only just arrived in Jupiton, so they still had to get themselves sorted out.
Xylia didn’t have a home of her own in Jupiton anymore.
So Joshua brought her straight to the Garcia family’s estate.
This luxurious European–style mansion sat halfway up the hillside, looking almost untouched by time. Even if no one was living there, staff kept everything immacte all year round.
The Sadler family’s ce had that timeless style courtyard vibe–full of traditional elegance–while the Garcia estate was all about modern design and high–end luxury.
‘Why do I feel so uneasy?‘ Xylia thought, ncing up at the fancy mansion looming ahead, her nerves buzzing.
Right before they stepped through the gates, she reached out and gripped Joshua’s hand tight.
“Are you sure it’s alright for me to crash here?” she blurted out, a little flustered. “Maybe I should just book a hotel instead?<b>” </b>
Joshua nced down at her, his dark eyes shadowed with emotions she couldn’t quite decipher.
He leaned in, his breath brushing softly against her neck.
“Babe, I’ve already spent the night at your ce. For us, crashing at my ce is perfectly normal,” he said, voice soft.
“That’s totally different!” Xylia said, her voice tinged with nervousness.
It’s not like Xylia was being pickyst time Joshua crashed at her ce, he was drunk out of his mind. But now, with his parents gone and her just moving in with him? It felt way too weird, almost like she was stepping over a line.
<b>6:59 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>