My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 94: Crimson Fury

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3rd Person POV

Vanessa stormed down the hallway like a flame cutting through ice, she was wild, furious, and impossible to ignore. Her glossy red hair whipped behind her as she marched, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. Students instinctively pressed themselves against the lockers as she passed, all too familiar with that look on her face...the tight jaw, the wild eyes that promised someone was about to regret crossing her.

"Vanessa, wait up!" Kris called out, breathless, jogging a few steps behind with Shannon beside her. "You’re seriously scaring me right now, what are you—"

But Vanessa didn’t even look back. She shoved the bathroom door open so hard it slammed against the tiled wall, making a loud crack. Inside, two freshmen were fixing their lip gloss, and another was adjusting her cheer bow. They froze mid-giggle, their reflections in the mirror wide-eyed.

"Out." Vanessa’s voice was low but sharp, like a whip cracking.

One of the girls blinked, confused. "W-what?"

Vanessa turned toward them, her blue eyes blazing. "Did I fucking stutter? I said get the hell out!"

The girls scrambled, grabbing their bags and nearly tripping over each other in their rush to leave. One of them muttered a quick "s–sorry" as she fled, but Vanessa didn’t hear it, her pulse thudded loud in her ears. When the door swung shut again, the silence felt heavy.

Kris lingered by the sinks, frowning. "Vanessa, you need to chill. You’re acting batshit crazy."

Vanessa whipped around, her eyes blazing. "Don’t tell me to calm down!" Her voice echoed off the tiled walls. "Every time I’m angry, you act like I’m being dramatic! Maybe this time I actually have a reason!"

Kris flinched but stood her ground. "I’m just saying that maybe shouting at everyone isn’t the answer."

"Then leave!" Vanessa spat, pacing the bathroom like a caged animal. Her hands trembled as she ran them through her hair, breathing heavily. "God, I can’t believe this. I can’t believe this shit!"

Shannon, quietly sitting on the counter, crossed her legs and sighed. "Let her burn it out," she said softly to Kris. "She’s better off exploding here than in front of everyone else."

Vanessa stopped pacing long enough to shoot her a glare. "You think this is funny?" she snapped.

Shannon raised an eyebrow. "Does it look like I’m laughing? You’ve been fuming since gym, Van. Maybe you should actually say what’s bugging you instead of scaring the freshmen."

Vanessa let out a bitter laugh, pacing again with her arms crossed tightly. "It’s him, Shannon. It’s always him."

Kris blinked. "Noah?"

"Who else?" Vanessa spat, venom dripping from her voice. "He’s strutting around school like he’s untouchable, like he forgot who runs this place. First, Adrien stops talking to me, then he starts defending him. And now everyone’s acting like he’s some kind of saint."

She paused, leaning against the counter, her reflection scowling back at her. "I swear, he’s doing this on purpose. Making me look like some jealous psycho. Making me like I’m jealous over a fucking guy!"

Shannon tilted her head, watching her with quiet curiosity. "Maybe it’s because you’re acting like one?"

"Shut the fuck up," Vanessa muttered, turning away from the mirror as heat rushed to her cheeks. "I’m not jealous. I’m just not going to let some wannabe nerd take everything that used to be mine."

Kris sighed softly, exchanging a worried look with Shannon. "You know you can’t control what Adrien does or doesn’t do, right? Maybe it’s not about you."

Vanessa’s jaw tightened as she stared at her reflection, perfect makeup, flawless skin, the picture of control. But inside, she felt anything but. Her hands gripped the edge of the counter, knuckles white.

"It’s always about me," she whispered, narrowing her eyes. "And if Noah Valentine thinks he can just waltz in and take everything I’ve built..." She let out a humorless laugh, cold and sharp. "Then he’s in for a rude awakening."

The bathroom fell silent again, the air thick with tension. Shannon and Kris exchanged worried glances, but neither dared to speak. Vanessa stood before the mirror, breathing hard, her expression hardening into something fierce and determined.

And for the first time, there was more than just anger in her eyes; there was resolve. Kris hesitated before speaking, her tone cautious as if handling glass. "Vanessa, you’re overthinking this. Adrien doesn’t like him. He’s not even gay! I mean, maybe he’s just... being nice or something. You know how people are after a big fight, they mellow out for a bit."

Vanessa’s reflection glared back at her, her blue eyes cold and sharp. "Being nice?" she echoed with dark laughter. "You call defending that faggot in front of everyone being nice?"

Shannon slid off the counter and leaned against the sink, crossing her arms. "Come on, Van. Think about it. Adrien and Noah? That makes no sense. He’s been teasing him since freshman year. He doesn’t like Noah at all—that’s just impossible."

Vanessa turned sharply, her hair whipping over her shoulder. "Then what is it, Shannon? You saw how he looked at him today. You noticed how he stood there while Noah talked down to me. Since when does Adrien Fell let anyone talk to me like that?"

Kris exchanged a glance with Shannon before stepping forward cautiously. "Vanessa," she started slowly, "maybe you should just accept that Adrien’s... different now. Maybe he’s just tired of the drama, or maybe—"

"Maybe what?" Vanessa snapped, her voice rising dangerously.

Kris swallowed hard, her courage faltering but still trying to reason. "M–maybe he just doesn’t like you anymore."

Maybe he never did.

The words hung in the air like a gunshot.

For a moment, the bathroom was utterly still. Vanessa blinked, her expression unreadable, and then, without warning—she shoved Kris hard. The girl stumbled backward, her sneakers squeaking against the tile before hitting the floor with a gasp.

"Don’t you dare say that to me, dumb bitch!" Vanessa screamed, her voice shaking with rage. "You think I’m stupid? You think I don’t get how things work? Adrien loves me! He’s just a bit confused about his feelings right now, he always comes back!"

"Vanessa, chill!" Shannon moved closer, but Vanessa stepped back, her breathing ragged as tears pricked her eyes.

"I’m not fucking stupid!" she yelled, glaring at Kris, who was still on the floor, stunned. "I know what that bitch is doing! He thinks he’s better than everyone now that he’s with Ethan, that he’s finally gotten some attention. He’s just trying to humiliate me, to make me look pathetic!"

"Vanessa—" Shannon tried again, but Vanessa wasn’t listening.

Her hands shook, her chest rising and falling quickly as she paced in front of the mirrors. "That pathetic guy probably thinks he’s won, walking around all innocent and quiet like he’s not doing anything wrong. But I see it. I know his type."

Kris pushed herself off the ground, her voice small and shaky. "Vanessa, please, you’re taking this too far. You’re freaking me out."

Vanessa stopped pacing and turned, her blue eyes glistening with unshed tears, her wild red hair framing her face like a halo. For a brief moment, she looked fragile...like she might break under her own emotions. Then her expression hardened again.

"Noah’s not going to take him from me," she said coldly, her voice low but filled with venom. "No one is."

Shannon and Kris stood there, unsure of what to say, as Vanessa stared at her own reflection, the perfect mask that was starting to crack at the edges.

Outside the bathroom, the sounds of laughter echoed down the hall, but inside, it was silent. Vanessa’s breathing steadied, her jaw set with newfound determination.

Noah Valentine had no idea what she had just started.