Oops Wrong Girl to Bully (Angelina) by Xena Kessler novel Chapter 7

Chapter 7 *

Angelina’s POV

I stared at Ethan’s phone screen, the silver raven glowing against the darkness.

It’s a language learning app,” I said. “For German.”

Leo squinted at the screen. That doesn’t look like Duolingo.

It’s not. It’s more advanced. I kept my voice casual. For people who actually want to become fluent.”

Since when do you speak German?‘ Ethan’s tone was careful. Not suspicious. Just curious.

‘I don’t. Yet.” I started typing in German. My fingers moved fast across the keyboard. “I’m learning. Been using it for a while.”

Leo leaned closer, trying to read the screen. “What does that say?”

“It’s a practice conversation,” I said. “About ordering food at a restaurant.

What I’d actually typed: Ich lebe noch. Habe das Yachtunglück überlebt. Gehe vorsichtig vor. Brauche Geld für Operationen.

I’m still alive. Survived the yacht incident. Proceeding with caution. Need unds for operations.

1 lut send.

The message disappeared into the black screen immediately.

Leo was still staring. “That raven thing is creepy as hell.”

“It’s just the app’s logo. I shrugged. “They’re trying to be edgy. You know how these companies are.”

Ethan hadn’t moved. His eyes were on my face, not the screen.

“You’ve been learning German?” he asked quietly

“Year.”

Why?

Good question.

“I saw this documentary,” I said. “About Berlin. It looked cool. Thought it might be fun to learn the language.”

He studied me for another second. Then nodded.

“That’s actually pretty smart,” he said. “Learning languages opens doors. Especially if you want to travel someday.”

His voice carried a hint of something. Regret, maybe. Or longing.

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15:57 Fri Feb 13 G D D.

Chapter 7

Lentembered what Kia‘ memories had shown me thin had been rand third in his entire city during high school. Got accepted to the state

with a partial schis

But méter gone

Fast started working at the

shop the week after graduation. Never Mom and Dad he d turned down college.

Because the family coded more than be needed a degree.

The phone based.

notification appeared on the black screen. Just a single line of German rext,

Verstanden. Alle haben sich Sorgen gemacht. Wie viel brauchst du?

Understood. Everyone’s been worried. How much do you need?

Kingfisher My Beta One of the thirteen members of the Raven Court

Laval to the bone Smart, Efficient.

I typed buck: Zenn Millionen. Gebe in zwei Tagen Fontonummer.

Ten ulison Will provide account number in two days.

Lec witled “Damn, you type fast”

“Lots of prattice

The response came in seconds.

Wird sofort arrangert Werde andere diskret informieren.

Will arrange immediately: Will inform others discreetly

Perfect

I closed the browser. Handed Ethan his phone back.

But before I did.) quickly added something. A few lines of code buried the phone’s security settings. Multi–layer firewall IP scrambler. The kind of protection that would make it nearly impossible for anyone to tie that conversation back to the device

Ethan took the phute, sipping it back into his pocket. “You know, I do understand a word of German,” he said. “Never even took a language

class in high school. Went straight to work after graduation

There was no bitterness in his voice. Just a statement of fact

But it hurt to beat.

You were third in your whole city,” I said quietly.

III

J

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15 57 F, Feb. 13 G D D.

Chapter 7

His head snapped toward me. How do you know that?”

Mom told me. A long time ago.

Ethan jaw tightened. That was a long time ago.”

You could we gone to college.”

Yeah, well. He shrugged “Family needed me more.”

Leo shifted uncomfortably. “Can we not do this? It’s depressing.”

Leo’s right, Ethan said. He reached over and ruffled my hair again. Besides, I like working at the shop. Fixing cars is honest work.”

I looked at him. Really looked at him.

Twenty–five years old. Grease under his fingernails. Tired eyes. He d given up everything for this family.

And he was standing here, smiling at me like it didn’t matter.

Thanks,” I said. My voice came out softer than I meant it to.

For what?”

“For being here

62%

Something flickered across his face, Surprise, maybe. Or warmth.

“You’re my sister,” he said simply. “Where else would I be?”

I spent the rest of the night in that hospital bed eating.

Mom and Dad brought fruit. Apples, oranges, grapes. To nourish your body, Mom said, arranging them carefully on the bedside table,

Ethan showed up around eight with a huge bag of snacks, Clips, candy bars, cookies. Thought you might get hungry,” he said, even though I knew he ate the cheapest sandwich every day at the shop to save money

And at midnight, Les snuck out of the hospital and came back with taket. Burgers, fries, a chocolate milkshake.

“Don’t tell Mum, he whispered, grinning. She d kill me for feeding you k food,

I ate everything.

Not because I was hungry. But because each bite felt like loves

A family that cared if I ate enough fruit. Brothers who’d spend money the didn’t have just to make me smile.

It was overwhelming. And terrifying

Because now I had something to lose.

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15.57 Fri, Feb 13 GDD

Chapter 7*

Saturday noon. The sum was brutal

Ten and I walked home together, sticking to the shaded side of the streherever we could find it.

Ethan had left early for the auto shop Saturday was their busiest day.

Mom and Dad were already at work. So they’d sent Lea to pick me up.

“You sure you’re okay to walk? Leo asked for the third time. “We could call a cab.”

Tm fine

“You jumped out a window two days ago.”

Tafell

Whatever He shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets. Still weird that ure not hurt.”

I didn’t answer

We walked in silence for a while. The neighborhood was quiet, Old house with peeling paint. Cracked sidewalks. Chain–link fences.

Not the worst ares But definitely not the best.

“Hey, Len said suddenly You hungry?”

“I just ate breakfast at the hospital.”

Yeah, but like, Real food Not hospital crap. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through something. There’s this steakhouse like ten minutes from here: We could grab lunch

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