After Death, Love Unveiled (Elara and Lysander)

Lysander thought he was keeping it together, but Elara could feel something was off in his voice, even through the phone.

Sensing his quiet, Elara gently nudged him. "Lysander, I know you like to deal with things on your own, but aren't we in this together now? You've done so much for me, let me be there for you, too," She knew without his constant help, she'd never have achieved what she had. She wasn't about to take his support for granted -especially since she knew he didn't give a damn about money.

The idea of them being a team brought a small, tired smile to Lysander's lips. "Alright," he said, almost as if he was convincing himself more than her.

The next morning, as Elara walked into school, Maia stormed into the classroom, her face like a storm cloud. The tension was thick, and all eyes snapped to the front.

"Elara Kensington, stand up, Maia demanded, her voice sharp as a blade, eyes locked onto her like a hawk eyeing its prey.

Confused but not wanting to make a scene, Elara stood up, her heart pounding in her chest.

"You've been accused of cheating on the midterm. What do you have to say for yourself?" Maia's words were clipped, and there was no room for argument in her tone.

Elara's gaze darted around the room, and sure enough, there was Lizzie sitting next to Daphne, practically glowing with smug satisfaction.

Elara took a breath, staying calm. "And what evidence do you have to support this accusation?"

Maia's frown deepened. "Your grades have been average at best, and suddenly you've had a huge improvement. It's suspicious. We've decided you'll need to retake the exam. Do you have any objections?" "Damn right, I do! Elara shot back without hesitation.

Lizzie couldn't resist jumping in, her voice dripping with fake innocence. "See? I told you she cheated! I mean, if you didn't. what's the big deal with retaking in

Elara turned to Lizzie, a slow smile creeping across her face. "Wow, Lizzie, accusing me without any proof? That's bold. But here's the thing-if you're gonna make accusations, you better back them up. Otherwise, it's just bullshit. If we played by your rules, I'd be retaking every test because of some jealous idiot How's that fair?"

Her words hung in the air, leaving Asher absolutely stunned.

The Elara he knew was soft-spoken, always unsure when it came to defending herself. This sharp-tongued, confident girl standing in front of him? It was like she had completely transformed, and he didn't know what to make of it.

He thought he had her figured out, knew her better than anyone. But now, he was seeing a whole new side of her, and it was blowing his mind.

Faced with Elara's sharp, logical rebuttal, Maia let out a long sigh. "Look, I get why some people might doubt you. This retest is mainly to clear your name. You don't want folks whispering behind your back, do you?"

Elara could feel her insistence and underlying suspicion. With a faint smile, she replied, "Sure, I can take the test again. But these accusations are a joke. We're classmates, and honestly, I don't see what Lizzie has to gain from this. And if I end up scoring even higher, what's stopping her from making up more bullshit? If she's gonna throw accusations around withour proof, she should face the consequences. How about we expel her if I'm proven innocent?"

"Expel her?" Maia's face showed hesitation. Tsn't that a bit too much?"

After all. Lizzie had always outperformed Elara academically, so it was hard for the teacher to stay completely unbiased.

Elara's expression hardened. "Her groundless accusations have already trashed my reputation. If I couldn't handle the stress and did something extreme... who's gonna take responsibility for that?"

At the mention of "something extreme, the mood in the room shifted. Everyone's expressions turned serious.

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Elara turned directly to Lizzie, her gaze cold. "What's the matter? Weren't you so sure I cheated? Why the sudden hesitation.

now?"

"Why would I back down?" Lizzie snapped, clearly riled up by Elara's words. She turned to the teacher, her tone indignant. I'm willing to put everything on the line for this. Everyone knows Elara's academic history. I'm convinced she cheated!" Seeing Elara pause for a moment, Lizzie assumed she had her cornered.

"And if it turns out she did cheat," Lizzie continued, "then she should be expelled. I'm not staying in the same school as a

cheater!"

*Deal Elara shot back before the teacher could even respond.

Maia, realizing how out of control the situation had gotten, quickly stepped in. "Elara, meet me in my office after class," she said, her voice firm, before leaving the classroom.

Lizzie glanced over at Elara, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Asher, who had been quietly watching from the sidelines, stepped in with a warning. "Elara, you sure about this? If you're caught cheating and get kicked out, it's gonna be a huge blow. If I were you, I'd just come clean to the teacher. This is just a small monthly exam-if you admit it now, I could probably help smooth things over. Hell, you saw me run that six-mile lap for you. I could let it go."

Elara turned to Asher, her expression filled with disdain. He'd been cold toward her lately, but now he was suddenly acting all concerned. 'Hypocrite, she cursed silently.

She gave him a sarcastic smile. "Oh, so now you care? You really think I cheated, huh? Instead of wasting your breath on me, why don't you go play hero to your girlfriend's best friend, Lizzie?"

Even though Lizzie was the one stirring up trouble, Daphne wasn't completely innocent either. She always stayed on the sidelines, acting like she wasn't involved, but Elara knew better.

She could clearly remember all the passive-aggressive digs Daphne threw at her during her issues with Asher.

Asher, trying to offer what he thought was helpful advice, felt his patience snap at Elara's attitude. His face darkened immediately. I'm just trying to help you, can't you see that? Why can't you tell when someone's giving you good advice?" "Good advice?" Elara raised an eyebrow, her voice mocking. "What, you tired of waiting tables already? Regretting it and hoping to crawl back to an easy life?" The mention of his "easy life" hit Asher like a slap. His expression turned stormy, though he kept his mouth shut.

The truth was, his new job had been grueling-balancing work with school and his duties in the student council had him burning the candle at both ends. He was up late every night, and the meager paycheck barely covered his living expenses. Elara had always spoiled him before, and

the most was how different she'd become he was realizing just how hard it was to go back to scraping by. But what hurt

At first, he thought she was just playing hard to get, trying to make him chase her. But now, she was acting like she didn't even give a damn about him anymore.

She used to follow him around no matter how shitty he treated her. And now, she couldn't care less. He was at a loss.

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