Chapter 4 Eden, A Pushover? The voice was loud, dripping with attitude, and clearly meant for Eden. Eden wasn't dumb-she knew exactly who the target was. She mentally rewound the last few seconds. 'Yup, barely stood here for three seconds.' Then she turned to see who was mouthing off. Sauntering toward her was a girl who looked like she thought she ran the school. Her uniform was scrawled with random graffiti, her face slathered in makeup way too heavy for a high schooler, and her hands were jammed in her pockets like she was one second from lighting up a cigarette. Total bad-girl wannabe. Behind her trailed another girl, older, who muttered, "Nina, take it easy." But one could tell she was secretly loving the drama. Nina snorted. "Sienna, check it out. New girl, obviously. Doesn't know how things work around here. Gotta school her quick, let her know who's boss. Save us the trouble later." Sienna stayed quiet, eyeing Eden with a slight frown. 'Whoa, that face,' Sienna thought. 'Gorgeous, unforgettable. But... why does she seem kinda familiar?' Didn't matter. To Sienna, what mattered was making sure everyone knew who called the shots in this class. Nina kept running her mouth. "Missed the big welcome party, didn't you? Newbie, huh? No clue where you're from, but just so you know, Sienna here? Total legend back at Rainview Junior High. Her name's got weight." She smirked, leaning in. "So, if you've got any sense, you'll give a shout-out to me and Sienna, play nice, and maybe you'll survive. Got it?" The scene at the door was pulling a crowd. Whispers started flying. "Sienna's at it again?" "Yup, same old. I went to middle school with her-she's always been about her little posse." "Don't forget Nina. I saw her shaking down kids for 'lunch money' last semester." "Shh, keep it down, or you'll be next." "School just started, and she's already starting crap?" "Yeah, but who's that girl? She's new... and, like, stunning." "Poor thing. Those two are trouble. That skinny girl's gonna get crushed." Eden's sharp ears caught every word. Nina, seeing her stay quiet, figured she was scared stiff. She tilted her chin up and reached out to shove Eden's shoulder. "Hey, I'm talking to you. You deaf or- Ow!" Nina's hand never made it. Quick as a flash, Eden grabbed her wrist. The crowd barely blinked before Nina yelped. "Damn, girl, let go! You're gonna break my arm!" Nina's face went pale as she yanked her arm back, her other hand swinging wildly to break free. But Eden tightened her grip just enough, hoisting Nina's arm up to dodge her flailing. "Ow-ow! That hurts!" Nina gasped, wincing like she was caught in a vice. No matter how hard she pulled, Eden's hold didn't budge an inch. "Whoa, did you see that? She's fast." "Oh, she's screwed now. Nina's all about her ego. This girl's toast." "But, like... that was kinda badass, right?" Nina, still holding Lisa's wrist, flicked her eyes to Sienna, who looked like she'd just bitten into a sour grape. A sly half-smile curved Eden's lips. "Sienna, huh?" Those calm, amber eyes locked onto Sienna's, and for a second, Sienna froze. 'Just some random new girl,' she told herself. 'So why's she giving me the creeps? No way. Had to be my imagination.' But with Nina getting owned, Sienna's rep was taking a hit. If she didn't speak up soon, she'd look weak in front of everyone. Before Sienna could get a word out, Eden let out a soft chuckle that made everyone turn her way. With a casual flick of her wrist, she sent Nina stumbling back, crashing into the door with a thud. "Sienna Morris," Eden said, her voice cool but with a mocking edge, "still out here ganging up on people, huh? Same old, same old." Nina, rubbing her wrist and groaning, snapped her head up, giving Eden a second look. Sienna's face froze. She squinted, trying to place her. "Wait... you..." A fuzzy memory started to clear, but it wasn't quite clicking. "You... you're Eden? Eden Wright?" Her voice wavered, unsure. "But... didn't you, like, vanish ten years ago?" she added. Ten years ago, Eden was just six. Now, at sixteen, it wasn't shocking that Sienna couldn't quite pin her down. "Wright? As in the Wright family? From Drea City's big five?" "Duh, she said Eden! Who else could it be? Everyone knows about Eden going missing and Celia's car crash. It was all anyone talked about in high society. Even as kids, we heard our parents yapping about it!" "So, she's really that Eden?" "No idea, but she looks a lot like Celia's old pics online..." As the whispers buzzed, Sienna finally put it together. She studied Eden, a flicker of fear crossing her face at the "Wright" name. Then, like she'd remembered something juicy, she smirked. "So what if you're Eden? "You know the deal, right? Your dad's moved on, got a new wife. You've got a perfect little stepsister who's been raised as a real Wright for nine years. "Word is, she's killing it-straight A's, the whole deal. And you? You're just the kid who got left in the dust. "Ten years ago, you might've been a big deal. But now? What's a nobody like you got to show off?" She crossed her arms, grinning. "Say sorry now, and maybe I'll let it slide." Her mind flashed back to a fancy Wright family party ten years ago. The adults were all schmoozing, so she'd wandered into the garden, bored out of her skull. She spotted a dog, gave it a pat, and it chomped her arm. Hard. She'd screamed, told the bodyguards to handle it, but Eden had stepped in, saying no way and calling her out for being careless. Humiliated, Sienna's dad made her apologize to Eden, bite mark and all, just because of the Wrights' clout. Back then, she'd sworn that if the Wrights ever went down-or if her family ever hit it big-she'd get even. Sure, the Wrights were still loaded, but Eden? She was old news. Sienna believed no way Raymond still cared about some kid who'd been gone for a decade. She came from a rich family but got switched with the maid's daughter years ago. The fake heiress found out and started causing trouble, even trying to take the man she loved. Just as the real heiress...