"I thought you were this calm, collected guy when you introduced yourself in class," she continued, her gaze sharp as she looked him over. "But now? You’ve turned out to be a total nuisance. Your true colors are showing, ’Your Highness.’"
Ethan’s grin faltered, and he took stood up from the chair, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What’s wrong with you?" he asked, his voice tinged with confusion and a hint of frustration. "I’m offering you a good deal, and you’re acting like I’ve insulted you."
Olive’s smirk widened, her eyes glittering with defiance. "You think you can just buy off with your money and your title?" she retorted, her voice dripping with disdain. "You think I’m so kind of servant or pet, soone you can use at your convenience?"
Ethan’s face reddened, and he stepped forward, his posture stiff with anger. His voice dropped, low and nacing. "How dare you," he said through gritted teeth. "I’m offering you a chance to make real money, an opportunity anyone else would kill for. Not only would you be earning, but you’d also have the chance to get close to soone like , a prince."
Olive stood her ground, her chin tilting up defiantly. Her voice was calm but sharp as a blade. "I don’t need your money. And I definitely don’t want to be so prince’s servant. Last ti I checked, I didn’t sign up for that or for you."
Ethan’s expression twisted into a scowl. Without another word, he spun on his heel and stord away, his steps heavy with irritation. "Fine," he threw over his shoulder, his voice icy.
As Olive watched him disappear into the distance, a mixture of anger and relief churned in her chest. She couldn’t believe his audacity acting like she was so commodity he could purchase with the flash of a coin and a title.
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when she turned and collided with soone standing in her way. She stumbled back slightly, looking up to et the curious gaze of Lucas, who seed to have been watching the exchange.
"Hey," he said softly, his voice carrying a note of concern.
He’s still willing to talk to ? Olive thought, swallowing hard. She shifted awkwardly under his gaze.
"Are you okay?" Lucas asked, his tone gentle but probing. "What just happened with the prince? Is everything all right between you two?"
Olive rubbed her temple, a flicker of annoyance passing over her features. She wasn’t in the mood to be questioned, especially by Lucas. "It’s nothing," she replied quickly, forcing a neutral tone. "We were just... talking. And yes, I’m fine."
Without waiting for a response, she stepped to the side, eager to escape the conversation. "I’ll be going now," she said flatly, brushing past him.
But Lucas wasn’t letting her leave so easily. His hand shot out, gently but firmly grabbing her arm.
"What’s wrong?" Olive demanded, her brows furrowing as she glanced at his hand, then back at him. Her voice carried a mixture of irritation and confusion. "Do you want everyone to start staring at us?"
Lucas let out a heavy sigh, his gaze fixed on her, unyielding. "What’s wrong is everything," he said, his tone low but weighted with aning. "And I couldn’t care less if the entire school starts watching us."
His intense gaze searched her face, as though he was trying to uncover sothing hidden beneath the surface. "Olive," he began, his voice softening, "do you really not feel even a little bad about what happened yesterday?"
Olive remained silent, not willing to say anything as she wasn’t even in the right state of mind.
Lucas ran a hand through his hair, his expression both frustrated and earnest. "I’ve been thinking about it, what you said yesterday," he admitted. "And I get it. I’m a complete dickhead. I’m annoying, stupid, selfish... the list goes on." He gave a dry, self-deprecating laugh, shaking his head.
Olive opened her mouth to speak, but he pressed on before she could. "But I want to change," he said firmly. "I’ll change all of it, all the things you don’t like about . Just tell what to do. I don’t believe for a second that you really ant all of what you said yesterday."
"I ant every single word I said yesterday, and the earlier you accept that, the better it will be for both of us." Olive replied with seriousness etched in her tone. "I’m done with you and I an it."
Lucas eyes widen open in shock and sadness and he remained silent, his gaze then shifted to the ground, his heart filled with sadness.
Olive crossed her arms and sighed, her frustration mounting. "Since you have nothing to say, I’ll take my leave," she added coldly before walking past him again, her head held high.
This ti, Lucas didn’t try to stop her.
As she strode away, her mind swirled with conflicted emotions. I’m sorry, Lucas, she thought, her heart heavy as tears began to pool in her eyes. She blinked furiously, determined not to let them fall.
Just as Olive thought she was free to escape the suffocating tension, a strong hand grabbed her arm, halting her in her tracks. She spun around in surprise, her eyes widening as they t Lucas’s intense gaze.
"Lucas? What now?" she demanded, her eyebrows arching in a mixture of confusion and irritation. But instead of answering, Lucas tightened his grip and began pulling her along the crowded field and into the school building.
"Hey! What’s wrong with you? Let go!" she protested, trying to free herself, but Lucas was relentless.
Students in the corridor paused to watch the scene unfold. Their curious gazes lingered only briefly before they looked away. To them, it seed like another heated argunt between pairs, sothing that would resolve itself soon enough.
Olive’s protests fell on deaf ears as Lucas led her straight to their dorm. He opened the door, dragged her inside, and slamd it shut behind them.
"Lucas, what..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Lucas closed the gap between them, his lips capturing hers in a desperate, fiery kiss.
Olive’s eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively struggled against him, her hands pressing against his chest. But Lucas didn’t relent. His lips moved with a fervent need, pouring his unspoken emotions into the kiss.
Slowly, Olive’s resistance faltered. Despite her initial struggle, she felt herself softening. A part of her had wanted this, craved this closeness. Her hands, which had been pushing him away monts ago, now slid up to wrap around his neck.
The kiss deepened, an intoxicating blend of passion and vulnerability. Lucas’s arms encircled her waist, pulling her closer as if afraid she might disappear.
When they finally broke apart, both gasping for air, Olive’s eyes fluttered open. Her lips tingled, and her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
Lucas stared at her, his expression intense, his voice rough with emotion. "Can you still say you want us to stay away from each other? It’s obvious you wanted this just as much as I did."
Olive’s breath hitched. Her mind raced for words, but nothing coherent ca out. "I... I..."
Lucas stepped closer, his gaze piercing as he searched her eyes. "If there’s a reason you’re pushing away, tell . Don’t shut out, Olive. We promised not to keep secrets from each other."
Olive took a shaky step back, swallowing hard as she tried to regain her composure. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I’m sorry, Lucas, but my answer hasn’t changed. We need to stay away from each other. If you love , truly love , you’ll respect this and let go."
Lucas’s jaw tightened, his frustration palpable. "You want to stay away? Fine. But we’re not breaking up. If you need space, I’ll give it to you. But how long, Olive? A day? A week? Tell how long, and I’ll wait."
Her voice broke as she yelled, "It’s over, Lucas! Can’t you understand this simple words? I’m done with this relationship and I’m serious about it. Staying away isn’t just space, it’s a breakup. I don’t want this anymore, so just leave alone!"
Without waiting for his response, Olive stord past him, yanking the door open with trembling hands before slamming it behind her.
The mont she stepped into the hallway, she was t with Lara’s concerned face.
"Olive! What happened? I was just coming to check on you," Lara said, her voice soft yet urgent. She reached out to Olive, pulling her into a comforting embrace.
At the first touch of warmth and familiarity, Olive broke down, sobbing uncontrollably into Lara’s chest.
"Hey, hey," Lara soothed, stroking Olive’s hair gently. "It’s okay. Tell what’s wrong. Who hurt you?"
Olive shook her head, unable to form words.
Lara frowned, her concern deepening. "Co on, let’s get out of here. We need to find sowhere quiet to talk," she suggested, guiding Olive away from the dorms.
As they walked, Olive wiped at her tears, her chest heaving with quiet sobs. Lara remained by her side, her arm wrapped protectively around Olive, ready to listen whenever she was ready to speak.
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