Genova inched closer to her mom and wiped the tears away from the older woman's eyes with her thumb."Mom, dad. Please take good care of yourselves. I will phone you once our flight lands in Wooddale," she said while fighting back her own tears.Mary sniffled. "Okay honey… please be safe out there.""Be vigilant and always watch your back. Big cities aren't that safe for young girls like you; avoid getting deceived by some bastards that might try to sweet talk you into doing anything with them." Her dad chimed in.Mary and Genova both turned to look at him and burst into laughter.The man's jaws were clenched as though the mere thought of it was about to make him go on a killing spree."Our little girl isn't a child anymore, honey. She will find her right match one day and have her own family. I'm even more glad she's being sent away because no man will dare to pursue her knowing her dad will rain hellfire on them," Mary chided her husband.Ferd uttered no word. However, one could tel
Eva decided to spare the girl, who was all flushed from her tease. "Okay, Gen, let's head home now, shall we? You must be tired!?Genova quickly nodded her head. Indeed she was exhausted. And thank God her aunt wasn't planning on teasing her even more. She would have blown up for real if this had gone on. "Let me help with your luggage," Eva said with her arm stretched out to grab the large red suitcase. "Oh, I can manage-" Genova trailed off as the elegant woman beat her to it. "I know you can manage, dear, but let me at least be a good host and a supportive adult," she stated while transferring the baggage to her most significant hand. Genova tucked locks of fiery hair behind her ear, and her lips stretched into a smile. "Thank you, aunt," she muttered. "My pleasure. Now let's get you home."-----Unlike many who chose to live in a city's center, Eva's house was far from it. The ride took them 45 minutes.Genova was amazed at how much Wooddale had developed over the years. She
Genova only got an hour of sleep before she began to twist and turn on the bed. Something was urging her to take a walk in the forest and the pull was incredibly strong. She had tried to fight it during the past thirty minutes but each preceding second made it impossible to ignore. Unable to endure the compulsion any longer, her blue eyes finally snapped open while blowing a puff of frustrated breath. 'Now, why on earth is going for a walk so important? Where did this sudden energy materialize from?' Genova pouted because she could barely keep her eyes open not more than two hours ago. Genova continued to huff and puff while venting her displeasure on the pillows for a few more minutes until she couldn't fight the call anymore. 'Fine. Perhaps that walk isn't a bad idea after all. Anything that will douse this unwanted energy so I can get a good sleep is more than welcome.' She sat up on the bed and stared at her reflection in the vast wardrobe mirror facing her bed with a frown.
Genova stirred awake from her sleep later that evening. Beads of sweat covered her forehead, and her breathing was uneven as though she just ran a countless-kilometer marathon. She sat up on the bed and placed her hands over her banging chest as she tried remembering her terrifying dream. She rummaged through her mind to find out what the nightmare was about, but nothing came no matter how hard she tried. Perhaps it was too horrifying, and it was best not to remember anything of it. Sighing, Genova reached for her phone on the nightstand and pressed the lock button to check the time. The phone screen showed it was 6:45 in the evening."Oh, shit! I have overslept!" She cussed and quickly crawled out of bed. Her eyes were still drowsy, and her body demanding for more sleep.She had to stand up earlier that day and prepare to leave for the airport. Moreover, she barely got a wink of sleep the night before. Genova couldn't close her eyes last night as her heart felt too heavy to say go
The two people at the dining table whipped their heads in the direction to see an appealing young figure in a floral over-the-knee dress walking down the stairs. Her heavy caramel waves hung freely over her shoulders to her back, and her grey eyes were sharp.Zoe! Genova almost couldn't recognize the girl should it not have been the unmistakable resemblance the female shared with her aunt.Zoe was Eva's daughter and only child.Eva's husband, Zoe's father, died in an accident a few years back. Zoe was just a toddler at that time. As such, she never truly experienced the love of having a father in her life. Her mom had been the only parent she had.The last time both girls saw one another was over six years ago. And like her, Zoe had also grown into one dashing young lady."Hi, Zoe!" Genova beamed. In contracts, Zoe's expression turned grimly to see the last person she ever expected to be in their home.She was not at all pleased with the idea that Genova would be staying with them f
Genova spent the last two days exploring the vast estate that seemed unending. The place was its own village with many other residents, and she met quite some of them during her expeditor.Initially, Genova felt crept out to being stared at whenever she passed by any of the estate’s co-inhabitants. But that odd feeling disappeared when she bumped into familiar faces again. She had almost forgotten how she had made a few friends, ones she had always looked forward to seeing after her last visit six years ago. However, this longing gradually faded as she aged and focused on building her life in her hometown. Genova was ecstatic to see the twins, Kaden and Karla, her favorite child playmates. Kaden had grown so tall and well-built with a cold personality that she almost didn’t recognize him at first. Karla was no different. The girl was nearly as tall as her brother with unmistakable feistiness. Genova was not at all hoping the twins would remember her because they had been kids the l
The Black Maybach transporting Eva and Genova pulled over at the school parking lot a few minutes later.Due to the side of town Eva’s mansion was located in, everything was far out of reach. Even going to the supermarket outside the estate wasn't a walkable distance."We have arrived!" Eva announced once the car was fully parked and the ignition was turned off.The driver got down and hurried to open the back passenger seat first for Eva and then intended to do the same for the other passenger. However, Genova was already out before the man could move around the vehicle."Thank you, Wilson. I will show my niece to the Dean's office; we will head to the office afterward," Eva said. Turning to the girl beside her whose mouth was agape in utter fascination, Eva chuckled lowly. "Come on, Gen. You are going to make me late for the office!"Genova closed her mouth and then opened it again like a fish, but no words came out. One could tell she was in awe of the sight that welcomed her. Thus
A soft smile spread across Jack's lips. "Welcome to our institute, Miss Bourn!" He said casually. "Please hand me your official transfer documents from your previous school. And do take your seats.""Of course. Here you go, sir." Genova mouthed and quickly trotted forward to hand him her papers before crouching on the seat next to her aunt across from Jack.Silence reigned inside the vast office subsequently.Eva also remained silent. Her posture was now relaxed as she awaited the fellow's comment while Genova felt slightly anxious.Until they arrived at the school premises a couple of minutes ago, Genova firmly believed her grades were good enough to get admitted into (BRASVIAN INSTITUTE). However, seeing the college's high-quality standards firsthand, she couldn't ignore the insecurity that suddenly enveloped her. The establishment she attended back home in Roseville always praised her talent, and she never failed any of her exams. But [ROSEVILLE ACADEMICS and BRASVIAN INSTITUTE] w