Claimed by the Villainess’s Brother

Chapter 21

The student lounge was buzzing with a low hum of conversation and laughter, a background noise that grated on my nerves. I sat at a table, clutching my pen a little too tightly, watching my group members who were more interested in their phones than in the project at hand.

I loathed assigned groupings.

If it were up to me, I’d work alone every time, knowing I could get things done faster and better. Being forced into these so-called collaborative efforts always felt like a trap. One where I could end up carrying the weight while everyone else coasted along.

I hadn’t wanted to come here in the first place. The noise, the distractions made it impossible to focus, but my classmates had insisted, promising they’d focus once we sat down. I shouldn’t have listened. My frustration was only building with every wasted minute.

Tapping my pen impatiently against the table, I broke the silence. “Alright, let’s get started. We need to divide the tasks and make sure everyone’s pulling their weight.”

Jake, who, unfortunately, was one of my group members, rolled his eyes. “Seriously, why are you so worked up? We can just divvy up the work later.”

“No,” I said firmly. “We need to plan this out now. If we leave it until the last minute, it’ll be a disaster. I don’t want to be stuck doing everything while you guys slack off.”

Sarah, who hadn’t looked up from her phone, let out a scoff. “We don’t need a lecture on responsibility, Coline. We’re all capable of handling this.”

“That’s not the point,” I insisted. “If we don’t coordinate now, it’ll be a mess.”

Mark, who had been lounging lazily in his chair, leaned forward with a smirk. "If you’re that impatient, why don’t you just do the project yourself? Seems like you’re the only one who cares.”

My jaw tightened. “If you think I’m just going to let you dump the work on me like Elena’s group is doing to her, you’re mistaken.”

“You think you can boss us around?” Lisa, our fifth member, crossed her arms with a smug look on her face, “Newsflash, Coline, you’re not in the same position you were before.”

I could feel my patience wearing thin, her smugness like nails on a chalkboard.

I leaned forward, narrowing my eyes at her. “And what position is that, exactly?”

Lisa glanced over my shoulder, her gaze drifting up to the Overlook, where the elite students gathered, watching the rest of us like they were kings and queens surveying their kingdom. Then she smirked, turning back to me with a condescending look.

"You were one of them. The elites. You used to be untouchable, hanging around Luna, acting like you were better than the rest of us. But now? Now you’re just another nobody trying to scrape by.”

Sarah snickered beside her, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, you thought you could stay at the top forever, but guess what? They tossed you aside. Now you’re no different from the rest of us.”

I rolled my eyes. Where do they even get their information?

“I didn’t get tossed,” I corrected. “I left.”

“If you say so,” Sarah smirked.

"Face it," Lisa continued, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "You’re not one of them anymore, and no one’s going to back you up. So stop pretending like you’re in charge here. You don’t have any power left.”

“Yeah,” Sarah chimed in with a shrill laugh, “You’re basically nothing now.”

"You know, Coline, maybe they have a point,” Jack inserted, flashing me a grin he thought was charming. “We could be nobodies together, if you’re up for it.”

The implication in his voice was clear, and it made my stomach churn.

Before I could respond, Mark burst into a derisive laugh. “Seriously, Jake? You’re trying to flirt with her now? That’s rich.”

Jake shrugged, unfazed. “Hey, I’m just trying to lighten the mood. Nothing wrong with a little camaraderie, if you know what I mean.”

“But with little Miss Uptight over here?” Mark shot back, snickering.

“Oh, I have my ways of getting her to relax,” Jake said with a smirk. “If she’ll let me.”

They erupted into laughter, and I felt a mixture of contempt and frustration. I wasn’t about to let them get under my skin, though. I turned my attention back to Lisa, trying to ignore their taunts.

“So, you really won’t do the project?” I asked, my voice icy.

Lisa’s smirk widened. “Really. Like, what can you do if we don’t do our parts?”

“Careful,” Hana, our last group member, spoke up nervously, glancing between Lisa and me. “She’s still the class president.”

Mark leaned back with a lazy shrug. “What’s she going to do? Report us to the teacher? That’s a real laugh.”

Their snickers echoed around the table, fueling the cold fury rising within me. Only Hana refrained from laughing, her eyes flickering with anxiety. She had a reason not to laugh. She’d been my classmate for years, unlike the others. She knew better.

As the mocking laughter continued, I remained calm, a small smirk playing on my lips.

“Let’s see,” I muttered thoughtfully, tapping my chin. “What can I do against you morons?”

The laughter died and they stared at me.

“What did you just call us?” Sarah demanded.

I ignored her. I leaned back in my chair and began counting off on my fingers, my voice casual yet cold.

“One: Jake,” I started, meeting his gaze directly. “I can make sure your little ‘extracurricular activities’ get reported. You know, the ones you think no one knows about? The administration would love to hear about them.”

His smirk faltered, and he quickly looked away.

“Two: Sarah.” I shifted my gaze to her. “I could easily spread the word about your plagiarism. Those assignments you copied last semester? I kept records. It wouldn’t be hard to share that with a few key people.”

Sarah's face paled, and she swallowed nervously.

“Three: Mark.” My eyes flicked to him. “Your reputation for being the class clown wouldn’t be so funny if people found out about that little family issue you’ve been trying so hard to keep under wraps. Imagine how quickly that could spread.”

Confident posture deflated, Mark stared at the table, avoiding my gaze.

“And four: Lisa.” I let my voice drop lower, more menacing. “You think Luna’s the only one who can ruin social lives around here? I still have enough pull to make sure you’re isolated by the end of the week. You won’t even see it coming.”

Lisa’s anger vanished, replaced by wide eyes filled with fear.

I finished counting and leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table, my voice calm but laced with warning. “So, unless you all want your dirty laundry aired, I suggest you start pulling your weight. I may not be in Luna’s favor anymore, but don’t underestimate what I can still do.”

They all exchanged nervous glances. Hana remained silent, her gaze fixed on her notebook, but the others shifted uncomfortably in their seats, clearly realizing they’d underestimated me.

“I’m not asking for your cooperation,” I continued. “I’m demanding it. Either we work together and get this project done right, or I’ll make sure you all regret it.”

Sarah’s face went even more pale. “Alright, alright. We’ll work together. Just… don’t go overboard.”

“Good,” I said, my tone softening just a fraction as I watched them reluctantly pick up their pens. “Now get to work.”

A slow, deliberate clapping echoed from behind me.

I turned, my anger flaring up again when I saw Luna standing there, a smug smile playing on her lips.

"Bravo," Luna said, her voice dripping with mock admiration. "Nicely said, Coline.”

My group members, who had just been cowed into submission, visibly deflated even further at the sight of her. Heads bowed, they tried to make themselves as small as possible, clearly hoping Luna wouldn’t pay them any attention. But she didn’t even spare them a glance. Her eyes were locked on me.

“We need to talk,” Luna commanded. “Now.”

And without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked to the direction of the Overlook, expecting me to follow her immediately.