Locked by the Campus Queen, Heiress in Disguise

Third Person's POV

Complete pandemonium reigned in the room as people scrambled around in a disorganized frenzy. The air was thick with panic, and it felt like the floor might give way beneath them.

Seeing Nadine looking flustered, Francis rushed to help her up.

"Why don’t you just get up for now?" he said, attempting to sound calm, though the edge of panic in his voice was undeniable.

Nadine's eyes welled up with fake tears, and she shook her head, putting on an innocent act. "Is it because I did something wrong and upset the Grandmatriarch? If so, I’ll kneel right here and beg for her forgiveness."

Francis sighed, torn between comfort and confusion. But just as he reached out to console her, he froze. His hand, which had been reaching for her, came down covered in white fur. His whole demeanor shifted in an instant.

He went rigid, like he had just seen a ghost.

Buttercup’s fur.

He instantly recognized it, and his breath hitched. His eyes darted to the blood trail on the floor, and panic set in as he followed it. When his gaze landed on the trash can, his heart skipped a beat.

Without thinking, he flipped it over.

Buttercup’s lifeless, headless body rolled out with a dull thud, hitting the floor with a sickening sound.

Francis’s whole body trembled. He bent down, hands shaking, as he picked up Buttercup’s body, cradling it as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

"What the hell happened?" His voice cracked with disbelief and rage.

Nadine stood still, her face a mask of innocence.

"What’s wrong, babe?" she asked, but there was a slight crack in her voice, a subtle admission of guilt that she couldn’t hide.

In a flash, Francis buried his face in Buttercup’s lifeless body, tears streaming down his cheeks like he had lost his closest family member.

"No! Buttercup, who did this to you?" His sobs filled the room, raw and painful.

Nadine, less than sympathetic, shakily stood up. "It’s just an animal. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

Francis’s head snapped up, his eyes wild with fear and sorrow. "An animal? This is more important than my life!" he bellowed, his voice breaking.

The force of his anger sent a chill through the entire room.

Nadine flinched, her confused expression shifting to fear. She didn’t understand why this cat meant so much to him. In her panic, she tried to shift the blame.

"It was my stupid classmate!" she wailed, dropping to her knees with a thud. Her face twisted with shame and fear. "I'm sorry, Francis! It was her fault! She didn’t know any better and hurt Buttercup!"

Francis clenched his fists, teeth grinding together, his face flushed with fury.

“Where is she?!” he roared, his voice dripping with murderous intent. “I’ll kill her!”

Nadine, clearly relieved that Francis’s anger was no longer directed at her, eagerly pointed toward the backyard. “I locked her in the backyard. I’ll bring her in right now.”

...