جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 20

Principal Hale adjusted his tie for the third time in as many minutes as he could, a nervous habit he'd never quite managed to shake for some time now. Across from him, Aaron sat with one leg crossed over the other, entirely unbothered, waiting for whatever this meeting was actually about. "I wanted to speak with you," Hale started, folding his hands atop his desk, "about...uhm...your best friend, Nicolas." Aaron raised a brow. "You could've just called him in though." "Yes, well." Hale cleared his throat, eyes flicking briefly toward the door as though Nicolas might materialise through it and make this conversation infinitely worse. "I find that conversations with Nicolas tend to go...differently than intended. You know what I mean, don't you?" Aaron smirked, nodding his head along. He didn't need further explanation. Everyone at this school understood that Nicolas didn't respond well to authority, and Hale, in particular, had learned that lesson the hard way more than once.

"What happened?" Saint asked with a frown as Aaron transferred the drunken Nicolas into his arms right at the entrance. "He is just a little heartbroken and had more than enough to drink." Aaron replied. "Heartbroken?" Nicolas burped. "W-who is heartbroken? I am not!" He shouted and Saint quickly covered his mouth as his eyes darted across the corridor anxiously. Aaron chuckled. "You don't have to worry about that. Nobody cares and even if they do, they won't say a word...as usual. I don't think we've met. I am Aaron, Nicolas's best friend." He stretched his hand for a shake but Nicolas glared at him so he quickly retracted it. Moreover, Saint's hands were engaged so he wouldn't really have been able to receive the shake. "I take that as a no." "Arrgg..." Nicolas puked on Saint's body. Aaron’s eyes widened while Saint's nose scrunched up in apparent disgust. "I'll take my leave now. Take care of him." His legs hurriedly led him out of the space before Saint c

"Thank you so much, ma'am." Saint bowed slightly, tucking the small paper bag of herbs and other ingredients into the basket fixed to the front of his bike. The old woman waved him off with a warm, wrinkled smile, adjusting the shawl around her shoulders against the evening chill. "Go home quickly now. It's getting dark," she said, glancing at the sky which had already deepened into a heavy blue grey. "And greet your father for me." "I will!" Saint swung his leg over the bike, offering her one last smile before pushing off down the narrow road. The streets were quiet this time of evening with shops already beginning to close their shutters, the occasional streetlamp flickering to life as the sun disappeared completely behind the rooftops. Saint pedaled at an easy pace, mind still tangled in the conversation he'd had with his father the day before. It's been two days and he couldn’t help but wonder what Nicolas could be doing or thinking. He was sure that Nicolas would be r

Three black SUVs rolled through the gates of the Blackwood estate, tires crunching over the gravel as floodlights caught the polished paint. The mansion sat at the end of a long drive, all stone and glass, ivy climbing one wing like it had been planted there deliberately to soften what was underneath it all, a fortress. Men stood at intervals along the perimeter, wearing dark suits, earpieces, hands folded in front of them, still as statues until the cars slowed. Nobody spoke as there was no need to. The convoy came to a stop, the middle car parking directly before the entrance. A bodyguard moved fast, rounding the vehicle to pull the door open, extending a gloved hand. A slender hand settled into his palm. Seraphina stepped out first with her chin lifted, dark hair falling in soft waves past her shoulders, a deep red coat cinched at her waist despite the warmth of the evening. She'd always had a way of making an entrance without trying. The kind of beauty that didn't need effort,

Vincent had just loosened his tie, ready to call it a night when a knock sounded against his bedroom door. "Come in."The door opened, and Olivia stepped inside, her robes wrapped tight around her waist and her arms were crossed like she was bracing herself for something before she had even spoken a word. "This better be important, Olivia. What is it?" He asked, not bothering to look up as he set his tie aside. "I want to talk to you." "Did you think I was expecting you to dance for me before? What is it about?" "Seraphina."Vincent's expression didn't change, though something in his posture went faintly rigid like he already knew where this conversation was heading and had no interest whatsoever in going there. "She's been home two days," Olivia started, keeping her voice controlled. "You've been back a full day yourself and you haven't said more than ten words to her." "I greeted her." "You 'nodded' at her and that was the only time you acknowledged he