CHAPTER FIVE. Strange acquaintances

Karissa walked in silence, her boots clicking against the pavement as Vienna trailed beside her. The air was thick with whispers, but Karissa didn't care. The Watcher's revelation had rocked the school, but it didnt mean anything to her. Vienna, on the other hand, had been glancing over her shoulder every few seconds, paranoid, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag.

Karissa pushed open the door to her dorm, stepping inside. She had barely crossed the threshold when she stopped, her spine going rigid.

"Someone has been in here."

Vienna nearly bumped into her. "What?"

Karissa's dark eyes scanned the room with the precision of a blade. "They've already checked my room," she said, voice devoid of emotion. there's a slight shift in the way my books are placed, the drawer isn't fully shut. It's making my head hurt."

Vienna stared at her. "You—what?"

Karissa didn't answer. She walked further in, deliberately not touching anything. If the detectives had been here, she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing she had noticed. Instead, she turned on her heel and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Vienna asked, still looking at her like she had grown a second head.

"Class."

Without another word, Karissa left.

By the time she reached the main halls, people were looking at her. Watching. Whispering. She caught snippets of conversations as she passed.

"That's her. The one they pulled in." "I heard she didn't even blink when they interrogated her." "What if she did it?"

Karissa didn't react. Let them talk. Words couldn't touch her.

She cut across campus through the gardens, avoiding the heavier foot traffic. The cool autumn air brushed against her skin, crisp and clean—

Then a hand grabbed her arm.

Before she could react, she was yanked to the side, her back hitting the rough stone of a building structure. A solid frame pressed close, pinning her in place.

Karissa's breath was steady, her heartbeat not even spiking as she looked up into unfamiliar eyes. Dark, sharp, unreadable.

A stranger.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked, voice as cold as steel.

The grip on her arm was firm but not bruising, like he was holding her there more out of necessity than aggression. Karissa's dark eyes flickered up to meet his, unwavering, sharp. He was tall, built in a way that suggested he carried himself with confidence. Not arrogance—calculation.

"Emmet," he said simply.

The name meant nothing to her.

"Congratulations," she deadpanned. "Now let me go."

His jaw twitched. "You were in the interrogation room."

Karissa smirked slightly. "And you're observant. Great. Again—let me go."

He didn't. "You don't know who I am."

"No," she said. "And I don't care."

At that, something like amusement flashed across his face, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. "I was there too," he said, voice lowering. "Principal's office. Same detectives. They don't have anything on me, but they want to."

Karissa watched him carefully now. He wasn't acting like the others—whispering behind her back, looking at her like she was a ticking bomb. He was trying to connect something, trying to understand her in a way that felt deliberate.

"And?" she asked, tilting her head.

"And," Emmet said, finally letting go of her arm, "we're both in the same position. No solid evidence, but no alibi either. That makes us easy targets."

Karissa rolled her wrist, as if brushing off the lingering feel of his touch. "Speak for yourself," she muttered. "They don't scare me."

Emmet scoffed, leaning in just slightly. "Then you're either lying, or you don't understand how this works. You think the Watcher pulling strings is bad? The detectives are worse. They need a name. A suspect. A clean-cut narrative to sell. And right now? We're the easiest to frame."

Karissa exhaled slowly, weighing his words. He wasn't wrong. She had already seen the way Detective Reed had pushed, the way Detective Allen had lingered, watching for any micro-expression, any falter. And now her room had been searched.

She didn't trust Emmet. But she didn't dismiss him either. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

"Because I know the law better ," he said simply. "And I know you're not afraid of them. But you should be."

Karissa narrowed her eyes. "And what, you're offering to help me?"

A pause. Then, Emmet smirked. "I'm offering to make sure neither of us get screwed over."

A sharp chime cut through the tension, followed by another. Both Karissa and Emmet's phones vibrated at the same time.

Their eyes met for a split second before, almost in unison, they pulled out their phones. A new notification lit up the screens, the words bold and chilling.

The Watcher: MAIN SUSPECTS: KARISSA HILL & EMMET MORRIS. The detectives don't know who did it. But I do. And I think you two should start running.

Karissa's lips twitched slightly, her eyes narrowing just enough to show she wasn't fazed. Emmet, however, clenched his phone a little too tightly, the vein in his wrist standing out.

"So, we're popular now," he muttered, eyes scanning the screen. His tone was casual, but the edge in his voice betrayed the crack in his cool demeanor.

Karissa glanced at him, unimpressed. "It was bound to happen. You can't play in the big leagues and expect to stay invisible."

Emmet let out a soft laugh, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You know," he said, stepping closer, "you're taking this really well for someone who's just been accused of murder."

Karissa arched an eyebrow, her gaze shifting to meet his with just a hint of challenge. "And you're not?" she shot back.

Emmet smirked, folding his arms across his chest. " I don't panic."

"Neither do I," Karissa said, her voice like ice. She wasn't sure why, but the moment she spoke, she felt the weight of his words settle differently in her stomach.

He studied her for a moment, then glanced down at his phone again. "You know what the Watcher's doing, right? They're trying to push us together. They're playing a game."

"Guess we're playing right into it," Karissa replied, her lips curling slightly. "But why should we care? They're just an anonymous creep with a grudge."

"Maybe," Emmet said, his gaze never leaving her, "but they know everything."

Karissa didn't react, just gave a small shrug as she pocketed her phone. "So what's your plan, Emmet? Since you know everything?"

Emmet's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "I don't have one. But I know you do."

She looked at him, sizing him up. "Maybe I do. But why should I tell you?"

"Because you're standing here talking to me, aren't you?" Emmet said with a knowing smirk. "You want answers just as badly as I do."

Karissa's lips twitched, amused despite herself. "Maybe I'm just curious why you think you have all the answers."

"Maybe because I don't trust anyone else to do it," Emmet shot back, stepping a little closer. "You might not care about being framed, but I'm not about to sit back and let that happen."

Karissa tilted her head, feeling the tension between them stretch taut. "I can handle it. I don't need your help."

"You don't want my help," Emmet said, leaning in slightly, his voice low. "But you're going to need it. Because whether you like it or not, we're both targets now."

Karissa's eyes met his, dark and unwavering. "You think so?"

"I know so," he replied, his gaze never faltering. "And I'm not going to sit around while they make us the scapegoats."

Karissa didn't say anything for a long beat, then flicked her gaze to the crowd of students passing by, eyes darting nervously at the sudden tension in the air. "You know, for someone who doesn't panic, you're sure full of questions."

Emmet chuckled, the sound a little too low, too intimate. "And for someone who's always in control, you sure like to pretend you don't care."

Karissa stepped back, breaking the invisible line between them, but not without shooting him a glance that could freeze water. "I'm not pretending," she said coolly. "I really don't care."

Emmet raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you still talking to me?"

Karissa stared at the message for a moment, her fingers curling around the phone as the reality of their situation set in.

"Looks like the Watcher's enjoying this," Emmet said, watching her closely. "But hey, you're still not freaking out. Guess I should be impressed."

"Why? You want me to panic?" Karissa's voice was laced with sarcasm, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Emmet was watching her, waiting for her to break.

"Oh no Mr. Detective please dont frame me I swear im innocent" She says putting both hands on his chest. And then scoffed. "Thats what you want me to do?"

"Not at all," Emmet said, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I just want to see how long you can keep that cool act up."

Karissa smirked, her eyes narrowing. "You're gonna be waiting a while."

Emmet chuckled, a soft, dangerous sound. "We'll see about that."

Then, before she could reply, he turned and walked off.

Karissa stood still for a moment, her mind spinning, and then—without another word—she headed in the opposite direction, wondering just how much longer she could keep pretending she didn't care.

Ashley had been lying low, staying out of the drama that had unfolded in the past few days. But as always, secrets had a way of catching up with him. He wasn't one for attention, but Vienna's mess had pulled him into the spotlight whether he liked it or not.

He wasn't afraid of the Watcher. He'd spent too many years dealing with people who thought they could manipulate him to let some faceless entity shake him. But when Vienna's name was dragged through the mud, and his own ties to her started becoming more obvious, he knew things were about to get complicated.

Ashley's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing down at the message from Vienna.

Vienna: Can you meet me after class? It's urgent.

Ashley didn't need to think twice. He typed back a quick reply.

Ashley: I'm on my way. You okay?

Vienna: We need to talk. It's about the Watcher.

Ashley frowned. The Watcher. That name had been in his mind for days now, twisting his thoughts into knots. Who were they? What did they want with Vienna?

His phone buzzed again. This time, it was from a number he didn't recognize. He hesitated before opening the message.

Unknown Number: The Watcher knows about your connection to Vienna. Don't try to protect her. It won't end well for you.

Ashley stared at the screen, his heartbeat picking up. He knew better than to take threats lightly, but something about this felt... different. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he was certain the Watcher had more power than just sending creepy messages.

He shoved the phone back into his pocket and made his way across campus, his mind racing. Vienna needed him, and he wasn't about to let some anonymous message stop him from getting to her.

By the time he reached the quiet corner near the back of the library, Vienna was already there, waiting for him, her posture stiff, eyes scanning the area nervously.

"Ashley," she said, her voice strained. "Thanks for coming."

Ashley nodded, taking a step closer. "What's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Vienna looked around once more before leaning in closer. "I don't know who's behind it, but the Watcher—they know too much. And they're after me. I need you to help me figure out how to stop this."

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Stop it? You think this is something we can control?"

Vienna's eyes flashed with determination. "I have to control it. They know things about me—things I can't let out. If they release those photos..."

Ashley's stomach sank. He'd heard rumors, but hearing her confirm them left a bitter taste in his mouth. "So you're saying the Watcher knows about that?"

Vienna nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. "They're threatening to expose everything. And they're playing with us. They want us to fall apart."

Ashley clenched his jaw. He hated feeling like a pawn. "I'll help you, Vienna. But we need to figure out who this Watcher really is first. And we need to stop them before they make things worse."

Vienna's eyes softened, but there was still fear in them. "You'll really help me? Even after all of this?"

"Even after all of this," Ashley said, stepping closer. "I'm not going to let them use you as a target. We'll figure this out."

Vienna stared at him for a long moment, as if looking for any sign that he was lying. But then, she reached out, gripping his arm in a rare moment of vulnerability. "Thank you."

Ashley felt a pang in his chest. She didn't do vulnerability. But something about Vienna's sincerity broke through.

She exhaled sharply. "The Watcher never stops do they?"

"No," Ashley said, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "And I don't think they're going to anytime soon."

Vienna straightened, her shoulders squared. "We need to get ahead of this. If the Watcher knows all this, we need to find out who they are—before they expose everything."

Ashley nodded, a plan already forming in his mind. "Let's start with the basics. Who has access to everything? Who's close to us but still in the shadows?"

EJONA SPEAKS !!

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