Chapter 10 Early the next morning , Luciana slung her canvas backpack over one shoulder and stepped out of her apartment . The second she looked up , she spotted a crowd gathered near the bottom of the stairs . Yasmine Wagner and Helga Novett were at the center , surrounded by neighbors . They chattered away as they tried to explain something . Yasmine raised her voice and shouted , " Y'all don't worry , our neighborhood's still safe . That Hunter Greene guy ? He's drunk all the time and never works . He probably just tripped and fell . " Someone in the crowd pushed back . " No way . Word is he's got a huge gash in the back of his head and was out cold . How could a simple fall end up like that ? " Helga piped in , " Well , he was wasted . Maybe he fell backward and hit his head on a rock or something ? " Another voice questioned , " Seriously ? And just by coincidence , the surveillance cameras around here all glitched out last night ? That's way too sketchy . " Luciana stepped through the crowd to sneak a peek . Everyone had naturally formed a circle around a dried , dark - red bloodstain in the middle of the pavement . Luciana tugged Helga aside . " Ma'am , what happened ? " " Oh hey , sweetheart , you're here ? " Helga frowned , her face all twisted up with concern . " It's that drunk guy , Hunter - the one who was always following you around . He got himself plastered again last night and fell . He busted the back of his head wide open . They just carried him away a little while ago . " Luciana mumbled , " Oh … but last night , he … " Helga acted like she hadn't even heard Luciana and went right on talking . " Word is , the cops finally got their hands on enough evidence to nail him for all the shady stuff he's been pulling . He's not getting out anytime soon . Three to five years at least . " A woman standing nearby cut in , " I was the first one to find him this morning . Trust me , that was no accident . His head looked like someone had whacked himn , hard . Now that the cops have dirt on him , it's looking more and more like someone got even . " Yasmine tried to reassure everyone . " Well , if it was revenge , then that's just a bad guy getting what he deserves . Either way , our neighborhood's still perfectly safe , so don't worry , folks . Nothing to see here . Go on , head home ! " Luciana still felt uneasy , but honestly , it was a relief that Hunter had been taken away . At least now , she could come home after late shifts without constantly looking over her shoulder . She didn't have time to linger ; she was already running late for class . So , she adjusted her backpack and headed out . As she passed the entrance to the medical school, Luciana spotted something up ahead - Vivian was standing there , blocking the path of a pretty woman with a fierce look in her eyes . She was clearly ready for a confrontation . They were face - to - face , both clearly fired up and practically shouting . The other woman - pretty and sharp - looking - looked pissed and annoyed . Her brows were pinched tight like she wanted to argue but wasn't sure how to handle Vivian's outburst . Vivian had her hands planted firmly on her hips , leaning forward as she yelled at the woman , completely ignoring the curious stares from students passing by . " Wendy , you have zero shame ! Who the hell sends disgusting texts to someone else's boyfriend in broad daylight ? Why not just strip naked and throw yourself onto Nigel's bed ? " Wendy bit her lip , clearly flustered . " We're not married . He's single , I'm single . What I text him is none of your business . " Vivian let out a dry , incredulous laugh . " Do you hear yourself ? Is that what passes for logic these days ? After all the years of schooling , all you picked up was how to be a tramp ? " Wendy's eyes flared wide . " Excuse me ? " Vivian stood her ground , unfazed . " Go ahead , scream louder - let the whole world know you went after someone else's boyfriend ! I didn't realize the bar for getting into this university had dropped so low . Just by standing there , you're dragging the whole place down . " The crowd kept getting bigger , and soon , the place was buzzing . People were talking , non - stop , everyone throwing in their two cents . It was one rumor after another . Luciana rushed forward and grabbed Vivian's arm . " Vivian , stop . People are recording this . " Vivian shrugged her off . " Go ahead and film , I don't care ! It's not my fault . She's the fake one acting trashy ! " Just then , Monica came walking around the comer . Chapter 10 She gave Vivian a quick , condescending glance , then said politely , " Hey , we're all students here . There's no need to go off on each other like that . Even if Wendy did do something wrong , did it ever cross your mind how it looks when you're out here dragging her and yelling at her in front of everyone ? " Vivian rolled her eyes hard . Her voice sharpened like a blade as she said , " I don't give a damn how I look . Wendy's the one who crossed the line . Why the hell should I stay quiet ? I oughta rip her lying mouth right off her face ! " That was it for Wendy . She stormed forward and grabbed Vivian by the collar . " Watch your mouth ! " Vivian was never the type to back down from anything or anyone , and now that Wendy had made the first move , there was no way she was just going to sit there and take it . She reached out , grabbed Wendy by the hair , and yanked hard . Wendy let out a sharp , pained scream . " I'll beat the crap out of you , you shameless bitch ! " In a flash , the two of them were tangled up in a full - on catfight . Students from the medical school swarmed around them in layers , some filming while others texted and called friends from other departments to come watch the show . Luciana's heart jumped . She shoved through the crowd , desperate to break up the fight . " Vivian ! Stop ! Everyone's watching ! " Just as she was trying to break up the fight , out of nowhere , a massive force slammed into Luciana from behind . It was like a tidal wave came crashing straight into her small frame . Luciana lost control of her body in an instant . With a startled cry , she was thrown forward . She tried to catch herself but stumbled and hit the ground hard . Luck ty , her reflexes kicked in , and her elbow caught the fall just in time . If not , the back of her skull would've slammed straight into the paven.ent . Her ponytail came loose , and the elastic snapped somewhere in the chaos . Off to the side , the fight raged on . Vrian landed a slap that echoed , and Wendy howled . " Vivian , knock it off ! " " You laid a hand on me first ! Why should I stop ? " Around them , students kept watching like it was a free show . " Aren't those two the belles of the design department ? Why are they fighting someone from the medical school ? " " Get it on video! Post it on the campus forum ! " Luciana pushed herself up , only to feel a sharp jolt shoot through her arm . Shit . Did she just dislocate her elbow ? Before she could gather herself , someone gently scooped up her long hair from behind , gathering it into a low ponytail . The heat of fingers brushing her neck made her gasp . Thiago was standing behind her . He tied her hair back neatly , then gave it a light tug , gently guiding her backward until her shoulder blades were up against his broad chest . He glanced at the still - brawling women and said coolly , " Damn , this is wild . It feels like a damn gladiator match . Keep going and you'll both be suspended by tomorrow . " Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!