𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

Iliana blinks, stepping back as flashes of light pulse through her mind. She got take out every single person standing on the campus green with a wave of her hand and not even bat an eye.

But she hasn't seen her fullest potential yet. She knows what she is capable of. The real question is when will she reach her final breaking point and let it all out.

Andre nods to Marie for her to go ahead and he steps closer to Iliana. Marie hurries over to Cate who's bent over, catching her breath as she leans against the Godolkin University map.

"Jesus, Cate." Marie looks at her concerned. Cate raises up, eyes fully bloodshot. "Cate, you have to stop this." She tells erratic blonde. "They want Iliana and I to kill you."

"Is that what you're gonna do?" Cate tilts her head.

"No." Marie answers quickly. She's upset with Cate, of course, and can't even begin to imagine the pain and betrayal Iliana is going through because of her, but she can't bring herself to kill somebody... not since her... Marie swallows. "But Iliana will." She warns- no, promises her. She saw the look in Iliana's eyes. At Shetty's, moments ago...

"Cate, shit." Maverick approaches. "I got this call from Vought about kill—"

"Stop her." Cate orders, immediately places her hand on his invisible body.

"You got it." Maverick complies, taking off his glasses and hat.

"Oh, shit." Marie mutters.

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

"Iliana, Iliana." Andre places a hand on her elbow as she blinks rapidly, her eyes phasing in and out of shades of gold. "Goldie, look at me." He snaps, pulling her to face him.

She inhales sharply, her vision focusing on him. "What?"

"Look, I'm sorry." Andre shakes his head, blinking harshly as he looks down for a moment, feeling like a ticking time bomb could go off at any moment and he had to get this out before the world collapsed in flames. It's what he should have said when they were in Cate's mind, or when they came out of it... "I'm so fucking sorry. I-" He lets out a noise of struggle, his mind piercing in pain.

"Do you love her?" Iliana rushes out, overbearingly and without a second thought. She had to know.

"What?" Andre looks at her.

"Do you love her?" Iliana repeats slowly.

"No. Yes. Not in that way." He answers, tripping over his words. "I love Luke, and fuck I miss him. And I love you. Since our first day on this campus I knew you would be my best fucking friend. And that matters more to me than anything."

"Does it?"

"It does." He nods strongly. "I fucked up. And I'm sorry."

I know a part of him loves her. I did. God, all the years we've spent together. Laughs. Lunches. Movie nights. FaceTime's. With both of them. Cate and Andre. Cate didn't love Luke. It was all a facade. And she didn't love me. And probably doesn't love Andre.

But Luke would forgive Andre. But Luke's not here.

"Most of the time I was more angry at you than myself." Jordan's words replay in the back of Iliana's mind. And they were right... for the most part. She was angry that Andre did that to Luke, and to herself. The betrayal stung because Cate had already done the worst, yet Andre's actions hurt almost just as much. Because he was all she had left. He was the one person she never thought would hurt Luke, or fuck Cate behind her back while she was grieving.

But Andre was hurting too. He was grieving, too.

"Gold-"

Panicked screeches draw their attention to the group of board members behind them as Jordan runs up to them.

"We need to get everybody back inside right now." Their feminine voice directs right before a fire explodes inside, shattering the glass doors causing the board to scream.

Iliana turns back to Andre, tilting her head.

"Go." He says.

"Andre—" She starts.

"Go. It's okay."

He was the only one who helped find Sam. And get him back. Cate mind-fucked him too... she betrayed him too. She erased his memories, too.

"It's not." Iliana's eyes flicker to the ground as she licks her lips. Chapped. Cracked. Peeling lips. Moments ago they were kissing Jordan's and felt soft, plump. "It's not okay. None of this okay!" Her voice stresses, raising an octave or two. She glances back up at Andre.

"It will be." Andre tells her.

"Get to the helicopter." They hear Jordan shout.

"Go." Andre insists to Iliana. "Now."

"Tell me you loved him." Iliana swallows, voice cracking as she does.

"No, it's fucking grounded!" Bourke panics.

"It's fucking enclosed. Gert in. Do you want to stay here?" Jordan retorts.

"No!" Bourke screams.

"Go!" Jordan yells back.

"Loved who?" Andre eyes scan the campus before landing back on her.

Iliana raises her chin. "Tell me you loved Luke just as much as I did." She screws her eyes shut for a moment. She needed to hear it. The one person who went through everything these past several days. She needed to hear that it wasn't all a lie.

"I loved Luke enough to stop Cate." He assures me. "Please, Goldie, tell me you trust me."

Iliana breathes in through her nose. "I do." She says softly, her chest feeling lighter. "I trust you, Magnet." Andre sighs, a suffocating weight lifting from his shoulders. "You get one chance." She warns him. "To talk to her." He nods before they separate and he runs after Cate.

"Cate? Cate? Hey, hey, hey." He reaches out to grab her before she spins around and he quickly stops. "How are you pushing so much?" He asks.

She huffs. "What side are you on, Andre?"

"Goldie's." He says confidently, nodding. "Always. I just want to get us out of this shit." He tells her.

"Yeah, that's your real superpower, isn't it?" Cate scoffs at him. "Acting like you're doing something when really you're doing nothing." She snaps at him. "And Iliana has to do everything for you."

"Iliana deserves better than the both us." Andre states, chuckling lightly. "Her friendship means more to me than anything we ever had. And I'm done hurting her. So just, lets just stop this shit. Or she's gonna."

Cate stares at him, solemn defeat etching itself on her face. "Yeah." She sighs, holding out her hand. "Okay." Andre's eyes twitches as his face falls. Iliana was right. But she trusted him to try. He blinks hazily, glancing back up at Cate. "Okay." She repeats, knowing she's caught and Andre's no longer gonna fall for anything she has to say. He chose Iliana. And he always will.

Sam comes full force beside Andre, slamming into him, and sends him flying backward.

"Cate!" Andre hollers at her as Sam soars down in front of Andre with a punch, missing him and hitting the ground. "Iliana!" Andre crawls backwards. "Dude, stop. We love Luke." Sam picks him up and throws him before Andre jumps to his feet, and is immediately met with Sam's fist before Sam tackles him back down to the ground. Andre holds up both arms to protect his face. "He was like my brother." Sam grabs him by the throat before raking his fist across Andre's face again before Andre gets in a punch, successfully getting Sam off of him for a moment.

As Andre makes it back to his feet Sam walks over and punches his face again, doubling Andre over. "What would Iliana say?" He asks Sam before Sam punches him in the gut. "She wouldn't-" Andre's cut off as Sam wraps his hand around his throat and begins to squeeze. Andre grunts for air, looking over Sam's shoulder to find a dead campus police and his electric baton beside the body. Andre lifts his arm, holding out the palm of his hand, his fingers twitching, struggling for air as the baton makes it to his hand as electricity crackles as Andre shoved it into Sam's back.

Sam groans, the veins in his neck popping out as his grip loosens and he finally falls to his knees. Weak from choking and using his powers, Andre collapses the opposite way.

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

OHHH WE ARE SOOO BACKKK!!! Hellooo everyoneee & welcome back to Golden Facadeee!! It actually has not been as long as it has been ending up these past couple months lmao, yayyy!! And I thought what better day (night) to update than the 1 year & 5 month anniversary of this bookkkk andddd... THE DAY AFTER THE S2 TRAILER & RELEASE DATE ANNOUCEMENTTT?!!! HELLO?!!?!?

OHHH WE ARE SOOO FUCKING BACKKKK BABYYYY!! STFUUU RNNNN BC I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOREVER OMFGGGG!!! The trailer was INSANE!! If y'all haven't watched it's on instagram & youtube ofc!! I've already watched it SO many times & can't stop thinking about it!!

Marie looks sooo good, MORE DEREK SCREEN TIME YAYYY, Andre mentionnn & plottt yesss (the trailer & poster felt so empty without him omg, but I'm so glad that we're not just forgetting him or ignoring it/brushing past it, like it's gonna be a plot point) AND OKAY Y'ALL CALL ME ILIANA RIORDAN BC I AM ACTUALLY SO DOWN BAD FOR JORDAN THAT I THINK JORDAN'S MALE VERSION AKA DEREK LOOKS SOOO HOT WITH THAT HAIRCUT STILL... OKAYYY I'M SORRYYYY... I AM EATING IT UPPP... THEY LOOK SO FUCKING GOODDD!!

Anywayssss, on to this chapter lmao. I know there wasn't AS much Iliana, but I feel like Andre & Cate's conversation about her was very important, & I just love that Andre one upped Sam haha. Also, yes I did change Marie's scene with Cate & didn't have Andre with her bc I wanted him & Iliana to talk firsttt & awhhww, our fav duo is finally reunited & okay *cue all the tears* I think it was very important for Iliana to have her clarity & the moment of oh shit Andre was manipulated & lied to & memory wiped too & that rlly put a lot in persepective for herrr </3

Alsooo, Ilordan crumbsss but Iliana worried about her man/womannn, ughhh>>> and okay I love that small part where Jordan yells at the actor teacher guy to get on the plane lmao, like pls yell at me like that hehe.

I hope y'all enjoyed this chapterrr (we're gonna ignore that it's after midnighttt) & also acknowledge that this is actually the exact date last year when I finally started writing & updating this book again after updating all of Jan. last year & then not touching it again til the summerrr!! I can't believe I've been actively (for the most part okay lol) working on this book consistently(ish) for a year now & now I'm almost finished!!

I hope all that made sense lmao, & pls don't forget to comment your thoughts, questions, & reactionsss!! They are SO motivating to meee, & until next timeee!! Mwah!!!