The air in the empty classroom was suffocating. Ava could barely register the scene unfolding before her. Ethan’s grip on her arm felt like fire, burning into her skin. The blood on his knuckles made her vision blur, dragging her back to memories she had buried deep—memories of helplessness, of pain.

Her breath hitched, and her body went cold.

And then—

BAM!

Ethan’s body was sent flying across the room, his back slamming against a desk so hard that the furniture screeched against the floor.

Jae stood in front of her now, his fist clenched, his entire body vibrating with pure, unfiltered rage. His chest heaved, his eyes burning with a darkness Ava had never seen before.

“You just made the biggest mistake of your life,” Jae growled, stepping forward.

Ethan coughed, wiping blood from his lip. He had the audacity to smirk. “Oh? And what are you gonna do about it?”

Jae didn’t bother answering.

Instead, he grabbed Ethan by the collar and punched him so hard his head snapped to the side. The sound of bone meeting bone echoed in the classroom, followed by a groan of pain.

“You think you can put your filthy hands on her?” Jae hissed, slamming him against the desk again. “You think you can touch what’s mine?”

Ava flinched at his words, but she was too frozen, too trapped in her own mind to speak.

Ethan spat out blood, chuckling weakly. “She’s not yours.”

Jae’s eyes darkened. “Wrong answer.”

He drove his knee into Ethan’s stomach, making the guy double over in agony. Then, without a second of hesitation, he grabbed Ethan’s hair, slammed his face against the desk, and let him collapse to the floor.

Ethan groaned, curling into himself.

Jae crouched beside him, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look up. “Touch her again, and I swear, you won’t be able to walk out of this school alive.”

Ethan coughed, eyes flickering toward Ava, who still hadn’t moved.

Jae noticed.

His jaw clenched, his rage momentarily replaced with concern. He turned away from Ethan, moving to Ava. She was standing stiff, eyes locked onto the blood on the floor.

Jae’s expression softened immediately.

“Ava?” he said gently, stepping closer.

She didn’t respond.

Jae didn’t hesitate. He cupped her face, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb. “It’s okay. Look at me.”

She didn’t move.

Jae tipped her chin up, forcing her eyes to meet his. “Ava, it’s over. I’m here. I’ve got you.”

Her breathing was erratic.

Jae sighed, his forehead pressing against hers. “You’re safe now.”

Still, she didn’t speak.

So he did the only thing he could think of.

He kissed her forehead.

Once. Twice. Three times. Each press of his lips softer than the last.

The warmth of it brought Ava back, little by little. Her hands, which had been clenched at her sides, moved slightly—grabbing onto his sleeve.

Jae exhaled in relief, wrapping his arms around her.

In that moment, Ethan didn’t exist. The classroom didn’t exist. It was just them.

And Jae wasn’t letting her go.