Chapter 268: You have to be more careful

The day felt like it had been stretched out for centuries, each minute dragging with an oppressive weight that I couldn't shake. I had been on edge all morning. In class, I was barely able to concentrate on the modeling exercises, and my mind was anywhere but on the runway.

I fumbled through routines that I should've known by heart, my movements stiff and unnatural. It didn't help that every time I glanced around, I felt the unnerving sensation of being watched, as though eyes were lingering on me from every shadowed corner.

Chloe, of course, noticed. She had this innate ability to sense when something was wrong with me, even when I tried to hide it. During a short break, she pulled me aside, her expression tight with concern.

"Elena," she began, her voice low but insistent. "You're acting weird. You've been jittery all day. What's going on? Is it... Carmen?" Her eyes softened at the mention of Carmen's name.