Chapter 3

After hearing that, I was furious. That was not getting revenge for me; it was adding to my troubles!

When I ran over, Zac was already being beaten up by several people.

I had to admit, the male protagonist lived up to his role. Even as several people pinned him to the ground and beat him up, he never changed his expression or uttered a single word of surrender.

I hurriedly ran toward the group of boys who were bullying him and kicked one of them, "Hey!"

The kicked boy turned his head, his expression fierce. "What... Nova?"

When he saw that it was me, the boy immediately suppressed his fierce expression and replaced it with a submissive smile. "Nova, why are you here?"

Wearing an icy expression, I asked him, "What are you doing?"

As if waiting for praise, the boy answered, "Haven't you always hated this brat? I taught him a lesson for you."

I looked at Zac, who was covered in injuries on the ground with his head lowered. His hair hung over his face, concealing his expression.

I was so angry. I was not even cruel enough to hit him hard enough. How could they beat him this badly?

I yelled angrily at the boy who was trying to curry favor with me, "Who told you to meddle? Did I tell you to beat him up?"

The boy was stunned by my outburst. "Nova, aren't we friends? You're yelling at me for him?"

I gave him an icy look. "You're no longer my friend from today on. I, Nova Vettel, don't need friends like you who take matters into their own hands. This is a family matter, and it's none of your business as an outsider. Get out!"

I had initially liked him quite a bit, even thinking he could be a good boyfriend candidate, but I never expected him to take it upon himself to bully Zac.

What if Zac held a grudge against me and retaliated? All my ten years of carefulness would have been for nothing.

I shooed them away and looked down to see Zac looking up at me. He was past the age of wearing his emotions on his sleeve; his face was expressionless. Only his dark eyes were fixed on me, as if trying to suck me into a vortex.

Not only his body, but his face was also covered in bruises, and there was a large one near his eye. Just looking at him would make anyone gasp.

I could not help but feel a pang of heartache. "Are you alright?"

I knelt to help him up when suddenly, an out-of-character warning went off in my head. Immediately afterward, a deafening clap of thunder echoed across the sky. I jumped in fright, screamed, and instinctively covered my head and ears.

It was a perfectly sunny day! What was with this sudden thunder? Was it trying to strike me dead right in the street? How cruel!

I was terrified, my heart pounding in my chest.

Suddenly, I felt a gentle pat on my head. Zac's clear voice came from above. "Don't be afraid, it's just thunder. It's alright..."

I looked up. Zac was squatting down in front of me, his hand gently patting my head.

I had no idea if it was just my imagination, but his tone sounded incredibly gentle.

I vaguely recalled a time from my childhood when I was sick with a cold. Zac brought me some soup. Because of the fever, my mind was foggy, and I forgot about maintaining my character. I not only smiled at him but also thanked him.

Immediately, an out-of-character warning rang in my head. Then, a sudden storm raged outside, with thunder and lightning. I was terrified. I quickly changed my attitude, knocking over the soup and smashing the bowl to pieces before yelling at Zac to get lost.