Across the bar, the new girl laughed—effortless, radiant, stealing every glance without even trying.

She narrowed her eyes, stirring the straw in her drink with slow, deliberate swirls. Across the bar, the new girl laughed—effortless, radiant, stealing every glance without even trying. The crown was no longer hers. The queen had fallen, replaced by someone popular, confident, intelligent, and maddeningly modest. But this wasn’t over. She leaned closer to her friend, her voice low and sharp, a promise more than a whisper. “Just wait.”