His Smile.

YRENE'S POV

Why were the brothers intent on ruining me? Wasn't being a slave to them enough? Why was he talking to Francesca. He had no business whatsoever with her. It couldn't be he was telling her of the contract, could it?

With wobbly legs, I started to make my way across the grounds towards them. I walked as fast as my body would let me. Already, I began to sweat as almost all my body parts began to work. My thighs were hitting each other fiercely with flesh, and my upper arms were flabbing, so we're my cheeks which seemed to dance on my face, and my heart which seemed to have moved to my throat.

However, halfway towards them, I saw Reece turn away from Francesca and stride towards Kaden. He turned his head, and spotted me, and with a raised brow, he seemed to question me. Are you scared?, That was what his eyes seemed to be saying.

I slid my eyes off his as though I hadn't seen him and since I didn't know what he said to Fran, I decided it was best not to approach her while they were still in hearing range. If she was going to shout and call me a liar, then it was best if it happened while we were alone, and with that thought, I decided to go to the cafeteria alone.

However, as I turned, Ethan was just leaving the tree. A hand was resting in his pocket while the other held a book. I ran to him since walking wouldn't help me catch up to him and when I got to him, I was panting and gasping for breath. He stopped in shock and stared at me as my hands found my knees for support.

"I'm sorry…I… I was… I… oh gosh." I couldn't even get the words out properly. With great effort, I stood up straight, and swallowed.

"Take deep breaths. Running sure is hard." He remarked coolly and I looked away. If it had been Reece or Kaden, I'd have felt a little insulted, but I was surprised to find that I wasn't. I pulled up a little smile and wiped my hands on the back of my trousers.

"I wanted to thank you." I finally managed to say as my hands fiddled behind me.

"For what?" He asked, adjusting his stance.

"For the restroom." I blurted out stupidly.

"You want to thank me for the restroom?" He asked slowly and I nodded with a smile. "I didn't build that." He added, and my face flushed. Blotches of red appeared on it and my cheeks were totally colored.

It was stupid to thank him for the restroom and not for the incident that happened in it.

However, as I looked up, I caught a little smile on his face and although it disappeared in a way that made me question if it was ever there, I was still sure it had been there.

Ethan had smiled!

"I wanted to thank you for helping me. You know Reece and Kaden were up to something again. You saved me." I corrected myself, and he squinted his eyes.

"I didn't save you. It was stupid of them to do such, and embarrassing." He replied curtly, and left. A horrible grin spread across my face and I had to put my hands to my mouth to cover it up.

Just then someone tapped my shoulder and I turned sharply, expecting Reece or Kaden, but it was Francesca.

"Oh, Fran." I exclaimed softly in relief.

"Who was that?" She asked, trying to get a better glimpse of Ethan who just turned round a building.

"Oh, no one." I muttered, looking for a skillful way to change the conversation. "Hey, I saw you with Reece." I said, hitting her arm gently.

"Oh that. He said your hairpin fell on the floor." She replied, bringing out something from her pocket.

"My hairpin?" I asked in confusion. I didn't have a hairpin.

"Here. It's actually very pretty." She remarked, staring at the hairpin in her hand. The hairpin was golden and I suspected Francesca actually knew it was real gold. It had red gems arranged along its length in the middle and the sides were lined with silver, making it look exquisite.

She didn't seem to want to give it to me, but I knew I was dead if I didn't give Reece the hairpin back. I immediately snatched it from her.

"It looks like gold." She murmured and I immediately pushed it into my pockets.

"Gold? Are you kidding me? Why would I have Gold? It was given to my mother by my grandmother and my mother gave it to me to use for a day when I was upset about something." I lied to her, and her lips parted slightly.

"Wow. I wish she'd give it to me, but why would Reece pick it up for you?" She asked, and I felt a bit insulted. She was secretly implying that a guy like that couldn't be bothered enough to pick up a hairpin that belonged to a girl like me.

"I don't know. It was pretty. It caught his eye and he had to return it." I explained as we began to walk towards the cafeteria together.

"I think he fancies me. He kept on staring at me intensely. Catching my eye, he was… I don't know… Nice?" Francesca rattled on, blushing.

That was the worst thing that could possibly happen. I didn't want Fran and Reece getting involved with each other because things were bound to get messy once they did.

At the cafeteria, I and Francesca sat, and I was getting worried by the moment because she wouldn't stop talking about Reece and the brothers were all seated a few tables away.

"What are you ordering?" She asked me as she stood up to get our orders.

"Um… I'm not sure. I… I don't know what I'd want but… um, maybe a burger?" I suggested as I really didn't have the appetite to eat, not with the brothers so close.

"Plus-sized?" Francesca asked with a nasty smile and I laughed.

"Extra large burgers." I corrected and she left, whistling happily.

It hadn't been minutes of Fran's departure when Kaden came to me. He sat, and somehow, everyone began to stare. He flashed a smile and dropped a can of plum juice in front of me.

"Here." He said, and urged me to take it.

What was he planning again?

Why would he give me something in front of everyone, and the most uneasy part was that his eyes were daring me to reject it.