The sun had barely risen when the group gathered at Connor’s house. The air was thick with tension, each of them steeling themselves for what lay ahead. Connor paced the living room, his mind already racing through the possible outcomes of what they were about to do.

"Rex, what did you find out?" Connor asked, breaking the silence.

Rex, who had been typing away on his laptop, looked up. “Well, I traced the number and found it came from a girl named Sara Rumley’s phone.”

Wren, sitting on the edge of the couch, frowned. “I don’t know her.”

Riley, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, spoke up. “She was one of the girls staring at you in class the other day.”

Wren’s face lit up with recognition. “Oh… I didn’t realize that.”

Stormi, who had been quietly observing, nodded. “That explains why they were whispering.”

Connor’s gaze shifted back to Rex. “Anything else?”

Rex nodded, his expression serious. “I have her address. Do you want me to go shake her up?”

Wren shook her head vehemently. “No. Don’t stoop to their level.”

Stormi, her voice laced with concern, suggested, “We should just call the police.”

Connor’s jaw tightened. “They won’t do anything. Let me handle it.”

Wren, her voice firm despite the fear in her eyes, declared, “I want to go with you.”

Connor turned to her, his protective instincts kicking in. “No, it’s best you stay here.”

Wren met his gaze, unwavering. “Don’t treat me like a child. I’m going.”

Connor sighed, realizing there was no changing her mind. “Fine, but you let me do the talking.”

“Okay,” Wren agreed, her resolve unshaken.

Riley pushed off the wall, glancing at Connor. “Should we come along too, bro?”

Connor shook his head. “No, we don’t need that many people.”

Riley nodded. “Okay.”

Connor took a deep breath, his voice steady. “Let’s head out and take care of this.”

The trio—Connor, Wren, and Rex—left the house with a sense of purpose, their footsteps echoing on the quiet morning streets as they approached Sara Rumley’s house. The tension between them was palpable, the weight of what they were about to face pressing down on them.

When they reached the house, Rex walked up to the door and knocked. They waited in silence, the minutes stretching into what felt like hours. Finally, the door creaked open.

A young girl, probably no older than Wren, peeked out. “Can I help you?”

Rex flashed a polite smile. “Yes, miss. I’m here to meet with Mr. Rumley. Is he in for our appointment?”

The girl hesitated, glancing back into the house. “Umm… Daddy isn’t home right now.”

Rex nodded, feigning disappointment. “Well, do you know when he’ll be back?”

The girl seemed to relax slightly. “Maybe shortly. Do you want to come in and wait?”

Rex exchanged a quick glance with Connor, giving him a subtle hand signal that he was going inside. “Yes, thank you.”

Connor and Wren waited at the back of the house, the servants’ door unlocked just as Rex had predicted. After what felt like an eternity, Connor’s phone buzzed with a message: Sara is home alone.

The plan was set in motion. Connor took Wren’s hand, squeezing it briefly before they slipped inside. The house was eerily quiet as they made their way toward the living room, where they found Rex and Sara sitting on opposite sides of the room. Wren instinctively moved behind Connor, her breath catching in her throat.

Sara’s head snapped up as they entered, her face twisting in anger. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Why are you in my house?”

Connor’s cold gaze bore into her, but he didn’t speak. Wren stepped out from behind him, her heart pounding.

Sara’s eyes widened in shock. “You! How did you get in here?”

Wren’s voice was steady, though laced with the pain and anger she had been holding back. “We came to get revenge.”

Sara scoffed, though her bravado seemed to falter under Wren’s intense stare. “Revenge? For what?”

“For what you did,” Wren replied, her voice trembling slightly but growing stronger with each word. “You tried to blackmail me with those pictures. Pictures of the worst night of my life.”

Sara’s eyes flickered with something—fear, perhaps—but she quickly masked it with a sneer. “So what? You think you can just walk in here and scare me?”

Connor stepped forward, his presence looming over Sara like a dark cloud. “We’re not here to scare you, Sara. We’re here to end this.”

Sara’s defiance wavered as she realized the gravity of the situation. Rex moved closer, his gaze locked on her. “We know everything, Sara. And we can make this go away… or we can make it a lot worse for you.”

Panic flashed across Sara’s face, and for a moment, the confident façade she had tried to maintain crumbled. She looked between them, her bravado slipping away entirely.

“What do you want?” she finally asked, her voice shaking.

Wren stepped forward, her voice filled with a quiet strength. “I want you to delete those pictures. And I want you to stay out of my life.”

Sara opened her mouth to protest, but Connor cut her off. “If you ever try something like this again, we won’t be so forgiving. Do you understand?”

Sara nodded quickly, her eyes wide with fear.

Rex pulled out his phone, holding it up as he issued a final warning. “We have enough to ruin you, Sara. Don’t make us use it.”