Layla was numb. As she lay on her bed, her eyes glued to the ceiling, she knew he was right.

He had stopped his father from killing her for destroying one of his greatest investments for reasons she would never know.

She clenched her fists in disgust. Another Wentworth she was indebted to.

The sound of her phone ringing interrupted her and for an anxious moment, she wondered whether it was Jeremy or someone else on her team.

Fortunately, it was just Rose.

"Hey, you ready for dinner? We're going to be late," she said.

They were walking to the dining hall when Layla turned to her.
"How did you get my number?"

Rose shrugged. "I took your phone in class."

Layla shook her head, a little amused. "So why is dinner such a big thing at this school?"

"Tradition, I guess. You just have to eat with your class and it's not optional like lunch."

"What would happen if you just switched tables?" Layla asked.

"Security would intervene."

Layla stared at her. "So you've been eating with the rest of the programme for years?"

The thought of Jayke and Rose at the same table was a little unsettling. The thought of her and Greyson at the same table was even worse.

Rose shrugged. "Well, Kyle came later which was good since we became friends. And then Jayke and Xavier. Which was a little weird since Xavier's the cleverest one out of all of us and he should have been enrolled to the programme first. Anyway, we're here."

As soon as she stepped foot inside the hall, the whispers began.

"Oh my God, it's really her."
"Why is she here?"
"Isn't she supposed to be touring?"
"Do you think she'd give us tickets?"

There wasn't much of a student body so word had spread of her abrupt enrolment like wildfire. She had lost count of the double takes other students did when they saw her.

"Come on, our table's over here," Rose said gesturing.

Layla's heart sank a little as she realised it was at the centre of the hall. This was why she had wanted to arrive early. The mutterings grew louder as she walked.

"Imagine being friends with her."

"Well I am friends with her," another voice said triumphantly.

Layla turned to see a mop of red hair and grinned at Zoe who waved enthusiastically.

"Can you believe she just did that? We don't acknowledge them."

Layla took a seat at the table and raised an eyebrow at Catherine who was glaring at her.

"Get over yourself Catherine," Kyle muttered as he took a menu.

Thankfully, Catherine was interrupted from saying anything when Jordan arrived.

"Hey," he said, falling into a seat heavily.

He was followed by Greyson and Jayke who sat next to him.

Kyle turned to Jordan to speak. He was probably going to say something about where they were yesterday because Greyson cleared his throat pointedly and he fell silent.

Layla got the hint. Clearly she was still an outsider and they weren't going to say anything when she was around.

She looked from the other tables in the dining hall, which were alight with conversion, to their table which held nothing but pin-drop silence.

She was just starting to miss the friends she had made at lunch when her eyes fell on Jayke's hand and her stomach dropped.

Flinching, she flew backwards away from him, knocking over a large platter. Fortunately, it didn't fall to the floor. Unfortunately, the contents made its way onto Catherine who was seated opposite Layla. She let out a large shriek, jumping to her feet and knocking over her salad bowl, most of which landed on Jordon.

If the rest of the students hadn't been paying attention before, they certainly were now. A passing waitress slipped on a piece of celery, the contents of the jug she was holding creating a lucrative waterfall across the once spotless table.

Layla winced slightly as Catherine looked at her and pure hate flashed in her bright blue eyes.

"Well that was..." Kyle trailed off as he stared at the mess.
"A disaster?" Adriana chipped in helpfully.

They all turned to look at Layla who found sudden interest in the ceiling.

Catherine left to change but not before promising that she would make Layla's life a living hell.

"She's a tad dramatic, don't you think?" Layla said, turning to Rose.

Rose shrugged. "She's a model. What model doesn't make a big deal out of everything?"

"Aren't you a- point taken," Layla muttered.

Xavier strolled away, a slight smile on his face. Jayke and Greyson had disappeared and Jordan lingered before he too left. Layla knew he wanted to speak to her but it was neither the time nor place.

"You know, I'm surprised nobody's bothered to record any of this," Layla said, glancing around at the rest of the students.

"Phones aren't allowed in the building," Mason said as he fell in step beside her. "What do you think they're here for?" he added, gesturing to the security guards.

Now that he had pointed it out, Layla realised how many security guards there actually were in the building.

Though they might have been there to keep sight of unruly students or to discipline anyone breaking curfew, she had a sneaking suspicion as to whether their roles entailed something more.

Layla shuddered. She had never really mixed well with security.

"Layla!"

Layla turned to Kyle, wincing at the boisterous sound coming from the bell tower, signalling the end of dinner. "Yes?"

"I asked you whether you were coming to the game tomorrow," Kyle said.

"What game?" Layla frowned.

"The football game," Kyle said slowly. "The one we're playing in?"

"Oh," Layla said, as she turned to Rose who was looking between them strangely. "Are you going?"

"Yeah, she is," Kyle cut in before Rose could speak.

"I might drop by," Layla said.

Kyle looked at her with slight disappointment in his brown eyes. With his good looks and playful charm, it was clear that he had probably never been rejected before.

"Kyle's Captain of the football team," Mason put in helpfully.

"I'm swooning," Layla said jokingly.

Adriana and the football team left to go to practice, leaving Layla and Rose to go to the lounge alone.

"I'm surprised you're going- are you okay?" Rose asked with concern.

Layla nodded as she stuck her hands in her pockets in an attempt to stop them shaking.
"I think I'm going to have an early night. I'm a little tired."

Sighing with relief once she got to her room, Layla sank to the floor, her mind ablaze with questions.

She had finally recognised Jayke from the ring on his finger. The ring that had been worn by the Caporegimes at the Training Ground- the ones who were in control of everyone else. In short, they made their lives a living hell.

They made her life a living hell.

But how was it possible that he had moved up in rank so quickly? He had been a student like her.

And she had almost cost him his life in the ring.

This was what she had been afraid of.
The fragments of her past were starting to resurface once again.

Layla's head was spinning as she tried to make sense of it all. This was what hurt her the most. Remembering. 

She had left him there to die. She was sure of it.

Her fists clenched as she thought back.
She was given the punishment of lotta di morte- a literal death match that had only one rule: the opponent could not step out of the ring alive.

She had cheated, of course. There was no way she could have won if she hadn't, though it hadn't been much of a victory.

She couldn't do it. Much to the chagrin of her Maestro and the crowd watching, she let him live. And it had cost her. The scars that were tattooed on her body were enough proof of the aftermath.

And now he was one of them.