BENEATH THE CREST: A CHARTERHOUSE NOVEL

Jayden headed down the stairs, his usual slow walk turning into more of a purposeful stride. He scanned the crowded cafeteria, his blue eyes cutting through all the chattering heads until he spotted Louisa's table. She was still huddled with her friends, all whispering like it was top secret. You could practically feel the awkward vibes coming off their little group.

He walked over to their table, and you could tell everyone around them was doing a double-take. It's not every day Jayden King Walton actually ventures down to the main floor, let alone to the scholarship kids' zone.

He stopped a few feet from Louisa's crew, his eyes landing on her.

Louisa looked up, totally surprised at first, then her face went all guarded. Her friends, Ellie and Scarlet, tensed up like they were ready for a fight, their eyes narrowed at him.

The normal lunchtime chatter around them kind of died down.

"Wren," Jayden said, his voice all cool and carrying, even over the remaining noise. He glanced at Ellie and Scarlet real quick before looking back at Louisa. "Got a sec."

Louisa's chin went up a notch, a little spark of attitude in her eyes. "About what, King?"

Jayden's lips twitched a tiny bit. He was so used to people bowing down, not talking back. "About your… little chat with Jacobs."

Ellie started to say something snarky, but Scarlet put a hand on her arm, her eyes locked on Jayden.

"It's nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about," Louisa said, trying to sound way more confident than she probably felt.

"Maybe," Jayden said, his eyes not leaving hers. "But Jacobs has a habit of, you know, exaggerating. And his choice of audience earlier was… noted." He inclined his head subtly towards the upper lounge, a silent acknowledgment of Christopher's earlier glance.

A look of understanding, mixed with a little panic, flashed across Louisa's face. She totally caught Christopher looking up.

"Whatever Christopher Jacobs thinks he knows is his problem," Louisa said, trying to sound tough.

"And maybe mine too," Jayden countered, his voice still low but with a hint of warning. "Gossip in this place spreads faster than the flu. Especially when it involves… the newbies." He looked at her for another second, his blue eyes giving nothing away. "Just… watch yourself, Wren."

With that, he gave a quick nod, like he was dismissing her, and turned to head back upstairs. You could practically hear the collective gasp as he walked away, leaving a seriously awkward silence hanging over Louisa's table.

Ellie finally exploded, her voice tight with anger. "What a jerk! He's just trying to scare you!"

Scarlett was frowning, totally thinking hard. "Not entirely. There was something else there… almost like he was warning you."

Louisa, though, was still staring at Jayden's retreating back, a new wave of worry washing over her. His few words felt way heavier than Christopher's dumb smirk.

Jayden King Walton wasn't just trying to be mean. He was watching. And that, Louisa realized, might be way more dangerous.

Meanwhile, up in the VIP lounge:

Cassia's jaw had actually dropped when Jayden headed downstairs. "Did the King just… go slumming?" she muttered to Anya, who looked equally shocked.

Ashtray, who'd been half-listening to their conversation, stared wide-eyed. "And he went straight to that table? The scholarship kids?"

Jason, ever the observer, leaned forward. "Something's definitely brewing. Jayden doesn't usually acknowledge their existence."

Anya's eyes darted between Jayden's retreating figure and Louisa's table below. "What do you think that was about?"

Cassia shook her head slowly, a thoughtful look on her face. "I have no idea. But it definitely wasn't just a friendly chat."

Back at their table, the air was thick with awkward vibes. Ellie was practically shaking with annoyance. "Did you see the way he looked at you? Like you were some bug he found under his shoe!"

Scarlett, however, was more pensive, her gaze still fixed on the upper lounge where Jayden had disappeared. "There was something… odd about that. It didn't feel entirely like the usual King arrogance."

Louisa, her head spinning, rubbed her temples. "He mentioned Christopher… and an audience. He saw Christopher looking up there."

"Ugh, Christopher's probably just trying to suck up to King and his cronies," Ellie scoffed.

"Maybe," Scarlett said slowly. "But Jayden…he didn't seem particularly interested in Christopher. It was more focused on you, Louisa."

A chill went down Louisa's spine. Jayden's intense stare, that subtle warning in his voice… it felt different than just being ignored by the rich kids.

"Watch out for what?" Louisa mumbled, mostly to herself. "What does he think I'm gonna do?"

Scarlett's eyes narrowed in thought. "Maybe he's worried about… fallout. If Christopher stirs up trouble about the dress, it could reflect badly on the school, even on his circle. They like things to run smoothly."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Smooth sailing for the rich snobs, you mean. They don't care about us."

"Maybe not usually," Scarlett said slowly. "But Jayden… he's not stupid. He knows how things work here. If there's a scandal, especially one involving a scholarship student and a wealthy family, it could get messy for everyone."

Louisa looked from Ellie's angry face to Scarlett's worried one. This whole thing felt like a tangled mess – Christopher being a jerk, Jayden's weird warning, and the ruined dress hanging over her head like a rain cloud.

Just then, Jayden and his usual crew, Ashtray and Jason, stood up in the VIP lounge. They didn't even wait for the bell, just grabbed their stuff and headed for the stairs, Jayden casting one last, unreadable glance towards Louisa's table as he went.

A few seconds later, the bell finally rang, that annoying sound signaling the end of lunch. Everyone started getting up, the cafeteria buzzing back to life.

"Come on," Ellie said, snatching her backpack. "Let's bail. This place is seriously creeping me out."

Scarlett nodded, her eyes flicking one last time towards the now-empty VIP lounge before standing.

Louisa followed them, Jayden's words still echoing in her head. Watch yourself, Wren. What did that even mean? Was he threatening her? Warning her? Or something totally different?

As they walked out of the crowded cafeteria, Louisa couldn't shake the feeling that she was now on the radar of the King himself, and that the whole Charterhouse game had just gotten way more complicated.