Helanie:
"We were heading to the café to grab sothing to eat after work," Maximus explained to his brother, who was sitting in the passenger seat next to him. We were now on our way back ho.
I wondered what Jenny was thinking. But knowing she was on a date with Rayden when her mate spotted Arlo and picked up a fight. After all the chaos, we sat silently in the car, and Norman told the driver to take us ho. I sat in the backseat, doodling in my notebook to avoid showing any expressions.
Norman had adjusted the mirror in such a way that if I lifted my head, I swear our eyes would et. I am sure he was examining my body language after Rayden accused of telling him that it was Arlo, who wanted him dead. But thankfully, I seed convincing enough to them.
Once we arrived at the mansion, I handed Maximus the notebook containing the notes from today’s work and rushed inside to avoid running into anyone else. I knew Rayden would confront when no one was around.
The minute I entered my room, I was shocked to see Charlotte sitting in the chair, reading a book that Emt had given when I first arrived at the mansion.
"What are you doing here?" I asked sharply, sounding instantly irritated. Sohow, it made her scoff and roll her eyes at .
"This is my mansion; I can go wherever I want," she replied, pretending to be engrossed in the book. In reality, I knew she didn’t like reading. I’d heard the maids and even her mother scold her for not studying or doing anything useful with her life.
"Well—," I marched up to her and snatched the book out of her hands, shocking her, obviously. She didn’t know I could stand up for myself. Just because I usually let Maximus stand up for , she probably thought I was an easy target. That’s why she had co to my room to bully in private.
"Helanie, you’ve been losing your mind lately. This kind of behavior isn’t acceptable towards the owner of the house," she pointed to herself, her eyes already glistening with tears of anger.
Every ti soone gave her a harsh response, she would tear up like she was being treated unfairly.
"Owner? Didn’t Maximus tell you what you really are? Just a guest," I reminded her of the morning’s incident, which made her clench her jaw even harder.
"He only said that because he was upset with . We have our own argunts and personal issues," she managed to steady her voice and cleared her throat. Her fingers reached for a strand of her hair, which she began twisting nervously.
"Oh really? Funny how he’s always arguing with you. Aren’t you tired of trying too hard?" I said mockingly, folding my arms across my chest and tapping my foot on the floor.
She looked flustered at my statent or maybe realized I knew a little too much about her and Maximus.
"What do you an?" she asked, swallowing hard, the motion of her throat clearly visible to .
"You know what I an. Now get out!" I pointed at the door, and as I stepped aside to have a clear view of it, I saw Norman standing there.
Charlotte noticed him too, so she imdiately began her act of playing the victim, pretending I was mistreating her. I had expected this, so I turned to look directly at her face.
"I just wanted to spend so ti with you. But I guess—you hate everyone who cares about you because you’re such a big shot now, being part of the academy," she said, her voice shaky and tears spilling from her eyes. Her acting was so convincing that if I had heard her use those lines on soone else, I might have believed her too. I wouldn’t be surprised if Norman fell for it.
"Charlotte!" he said her na firmly, and she yelped, pretending not to have noticed him earlier. She quickly stood up and lowered her head, sniffing to make it seem like she was trying to hide her tears.
"Didn’t your mother teach you not to enter soone’s room without their permission?" Coming from Norman, it sounded even more cutting. He had a strange way of delivering harsh words that felt like a slap to the face. Charlotte looked taken aback, possibly not expecting such a cold response, even with her impressive acting skills.
"But I’m her cousin—," she started, only for Norman to cut her off.
"Shush! Still—not allowed. Now leave. I need to speak with Helanie," he said sharply, a permanent frown on his face. He stepped aside to give her room to leave.
Charlotte didn’t raise her head as she rushed out of the room, her eyes brimming with fresh tears.
This ti, they were real.
Once she was gone, I shifted my focus to Norman. I had a feeling he had sothing important to say.
"Try to stay away from Rayden. If things aren’t improving, you should avoid him at all costs," he advised, his hands in his pockets.
I nodded and then asked, "There’s a etup at the academy. What’s it about?"
Norman shrugged, which only confused more.
So even he didn’t know the reason for the eting?
"Emt called for it. He says he has a good reason, so I’m trusting him. Don’t worry about it; he’ll handle everything," Norman explained, sounding tired. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was getting enough sleep.
He always looked alert and healthy, thanks to his constant workouts, but there were tis when his exhaustion was impossible to ignore.
"Okay, thank you!" I replied, breaking the silence.
Norman glanced around my room without moving from his spot. There was sothing unsettling about his quietness, like a storm brewing beneath his calm exterior.
"Anyway, make sure you attend lunch. Dad has an announcent to make," he added before turning and leaving the room like a bullet fired from a gun.
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