Rise of the Banished She-Wolf (Evelyn) novel Chapter 47

**Where Falling Leaves Whisper Stories Written In Silence by Ryn Jace Reed**

**Chapter 47**

Evelyn

The sun had barely risen the morning after my dinner with Devon, and the unsettling phone call regarding the shareholders’ meeting still lingered in my mind like a bad dream. As I stepped into the school, a wave of anxiety washed over me, tightening my chest.

However, as soon as I crossed the threshold, I felt something shift in the atmosphere. The glances directed my way were charged with an unfamiliar energy—smiles that seemed almost too bright, waves that felt overly enthusiastic. What had prompted such a sudden change in the way people perceived me?

The fluorescent lights above hummed softly, their sterile glow illuminating the polished floors. The usual murmur of chatter now felt oddly focused, as if the very walls were conspiring to whisper my name. My footsteps echoed louder than I remembered, each sound a reminder that I was no longer a shadow slipping unnoticed through the halls.

“Hey, Evelyn! That algorithm you coded last semester was brilliant. Could you maybe show me how you did it sometime?” a voice called out. It was someone from my programming class—someone who had never acknowledged my existence before. Suddenly, they were treating me like an old friend, as if we had shared countless laughs over coding assignments.

Before I could respond, another student approached, her enthusiasm palpable. “Evelyn! Congratulations on becoming club chair. I voted for you. I’ve always thought your coding skills were amazing.”

Was it really that simple? Just a title that transformed me from invisible to celebrated? It was astonishing how a little bit of power could shift perceptions so drastically.

I forced a smile, aware of the irony. Just a few days ago, this same girl had laughed along with Kate’s friends when I was accused of plagiarism. “Thanks,” I replied, my tone flat as I continued toward the courtyard where Lily was waiting for me.

Inside, my chest tightened with a conflicting mix of pride and caution. This sudden attention felt like a double-edged sword—validation on one side, and suspicion on the other. How long would it be before the whispers turned back into daggers aimed at my back?

“Look who it is—the Computer Club Princess herself!” Lily teased, her voice bright as I sank onto the bench beside her. Her golden-brown hair was pulled into a messy bun, and she wore a vibrant yellow sweater that seemed to radiate her sunny disposition.

I rolled my eyes, unable to hide my irritation. “Please, don’t call me that.”

“But it’s so fitting!” she laughed, gesturing toward a group of students who were not-so-subtly glancing our way. “You’ve got an entire royal court of admirers now.”

“They’re just a bunch of fake assholes,” I muttered, pulling out my laptop and opening it with a snap. “A few days ago, half of them were probably gossiping about me behind my back.”

Lily shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee, her expression nonchalant. “That’s college politics for you. People align themselves with whoever has power.”

“That’s exactly my point. It’s pathetic,” I replied, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

“Speaking of pathetic…” Lily’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper as she nodded toward the entrance of the campus café. “Look who just walked in.”

Kate stood at the doorway, flanked by her usual entourage. Her perfectly styled brown curls bounced as she laughed at something one of her friends said, but even from a distance, I could sense the tension radiating from her like heat from a furnace.

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