Chapter 12

Itzy took a deep breath, considering defying her orders, and clenched her fists, trying to muster up the courage to speak up. However, before she could utter a word, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"What's happening here?" the voice inquired.

Itzy's chest heaved rapidly in fear when he heard the voice behind him. It was just a voice, but she immediately knew who it was.

Itzy took a deep breath as she turned around and saw the four large figures behind her. It was her bodyguards, Jace, Ryker, Linus, and Laszlo. But instead of feeling relieved, Itzy felt nervous. Her bodyguards didn't know that she was being bullied, and you already knew the reason behind that.

As her bodyguards made their way towards her, Itzy noticed the bullies staring at them. She could sense the gaze of the bullies fixated on them. It was apparent from the way they stared at the four men that they were plotting something.

Jace looked at her with concern and asked, "Are you alright?"

Itzy forced a smile, feeling uneasy, "Yes, I'm fine." She could feel her hands trembling, and she clenched them tightly to hide it. Her heart raced as she wondered what the bullies might do next.

She knew she needed to share what had been happening, but the words caught in her throat. Ryker noticed her hesitation and spoke up, concern etched on his face. "Is there something you need to tell us, Ma'am—I mean, Miss? Are these girls bothering you?"

Itzy shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. She needed to be strong, but it was difficult when the fear and humiliation were so overwhelming.

Jace's gaze swept over the group of bullies who were still standing there, watching them. He held himself with a quiet confidence that demanded attention. "What's going on here?" His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

"Did you just come here to ask that?" Ileen asked. "The way you talk to Itzy, it's as if you already know each other."

Itzy's chest pounded even more when she heard Ileen's statement. She didn't want them to know that she really knew Jace, Ryker, Linus, and Laszlo because they might harm her even more. That's why, before the four men could answer, she immediately spoke.

Itzy's heart pounded harder, knowing that she had to be careful with her words. "Maybe they're just concerned about me," she replied, her voice trembling slightly.

Jaxie snorted. "Concerned? Who are you for them to pay attention to you? Did you flirt with them like you did with Ajax?"

Itzy frowned as Jaxie accused her of something she didn't do. "I didn't flirt with anyone, Jaxie," she defended herself.

Ryker interrupted, sensing the tension. "Alright, let's focus. What's really going on here?"

Linus joined in, his expression turning serious. "And why is she wet?" he asked, his frown deepening.

Loxley stepped forward, wearing a smirk on her face. "We were just having a little fun, nothing serious," she said nonchalantly.

Jace's expression remained neutral, but Itzy could see the tension in his body. He knew Loxley and her friends were notorious troublemakers, and he didn't trust them.

"Fun?" Jace repeated, his voice laced with coldness. "Is that what you call bullying someone? Making them feel ashamed and embarrassed in front of their peers?"

Itzy promptly looked at Jace, who was staring at Loxley intently, waiting for her answer. She also glanced at Jace's three companions, but quickly looked away when she realized they were staring back at her.

Feeling nervous, ashamed, and afraid, Itzy wondered if the four of them truly knew about what was happening to her at school, or if they were just making an educated guess.

Loxley shrugged. "It's not like we hurt her or anything. Just a little harmless teasing."

Itzy could feel her face burning with anger and embarrassment. How dare they try to downplay what they had done to her? She was humiliated in front of everyone, and they thought it was a joke?

Laszlo stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "Teasing someone isn't harmless if it hurts them. You should know better than that."

Itzy watched in amazement as Jace stood up to Loxley and her friends, but she still didn't want them to know the truth. She hadn't planned to tell them everything.

Jaxie formed a flirty smile and moved toward Ryker. "Why are you guys mad? We were just playing around. If you don't trust us, you should ask her, right, Itzy?"

They all looked at her, waiting for her answer. Itzy bowed her head and played with her fingers. After a while, she nodded to confirm what Jaxie said.

"See?" Jaxie turned to Ryker with a big smile. "We were just having fun."

"Do you want to join us?" Ileen said, clinging to Laszlo's arm.

Laszlo pushed her away. "We have no intention of joining you."

They were in the middle of a heated argument, and Itzy was scanning for an opening to escape. Her plan was to slip away unnoticed while her three bullies were preoccupied. However, before she could make her move, Jace caught her by the arm and stopped her.

"Where are you off to?" he inquired, drawing everyone's attention back to Itzy.

Loxley sauntered over to Itzy and draped an arm over her shoulder. "Trying to run away, are we?" she jeered. Jaxie and Ileen chortled, but their laughter only served to irritate the four bodyguards.

"Don't even think about it," Jaxie sneered, rolling her eyes. She then turned to Jace and inquired, "It's a good thing she was seen immediately by...may I know your name?" Obviously, they still hadn't gotten their names.

Ileen nudged Jaxie and quipped, "Smooth move," but Jace paid them no attention.

Instead, he took hold of Itzy's hand and motioned for the other bodyguards to follow. Jace's actions caught Loxley's group and other bystanders off-guard. The fact that the four new transfer students had come to Itzy's defense was shocking to many, as Itzy was widely regarded as an outcast at the school.

When they were far enough from the cafeteria, Itzy withdrew her hand from Jace's grasp and turned to face the four bodyguards who had just intervened. With a glare, she spoke sharply, "The next time you see something, don't interfere. You don't know what's going on."

Jace, who had helped Itzy escape the cafeteria, spoke up, "Aren't you happy that we saved you from that crowd? Don't you owe me a favor?"

Itzy's expression darkened. "I owe you? Who asked you to do that? And saved me? Like they said, we were just playing! We were having fun! I lost, and they threw water at me," she lied. However, her four bodyguards weren't convinced by her words.

Laszlo asked, "Were you expecting us to believe what you said? Just a week ago, we caught you covered in bruises and scars that almost killed you, and today, this happened. Were you really expecting us to believe that you were just playing?"

"It is the truth!" Itzy's voice rose in response.

"You know what's really true," Linus said, his tone carrying a meaningful weight.

Itzy gritted her teeth and replied, "Just don't interfere with my business next time," before abruptly leaving the guys behind.