As soon as the door closed, Maria’s instincts kicked in.
’Is that really what he ca to ask?’ she wondered. ’He’s hiding sothing. I’m sure of it.’
She laid back on the bed, eyes staring at the ceiling, thoughts swirling, until sleep finally took her...
---
The next morning, Maria arrived at college early, as always. Bernard was absent again—he hadn’t shown up for days.
Not long after, Cassandra and Laura arrived, brightening the morning with their chatter. They all checked the schedule and realized there was no lecture until 10 a.m.
"Let’s go to the garden!" Laura suggested, and they all agreed.
The college garden was serene. Flowers blood, birds chirped, and a soft breeze added calm to the air. They laughed and made jokes as they strolled under the trees.
But then, Cassandra threw a curveball.
"Have you ever thought about giving Jas a chance to be your man?" she asked casually.
Maria froze. Her mind went blank.
Laura turned to Cassandra, equally surprised. "Why would you ask that?"
Cassandra shrugged. "No reason. I just think Jas is trying really hard. And even though Maria keeps saying they’re just friends, he doesn’t act like it."
Cassandra locked eyes with Maria. "Co on, don’t tell the thought has never crossed your mind?"
Maria stared back, unsure how to respond. Her mind swirled with questions. ’Am I showing too much? Or... is soone feeding Cassandra information?’
She stayed quiet, but deep inside, she knew the truth was becoming harder to hide.
Maria took a deep breath before answering Cassandra’s shocking question.
"Hmm... I have thought about it," she began, her voice steady, "but I realized that it’s not possible. I just need to learn how to love and tolerate Bernard. At least, he’s my chosen mate and my parents endorsed him before they died. So I can’t be with Jas."
Cassandra’s expression didn’t change much, but Maria watched her closely for any flicker of emotion.
"So, are you saying you’re no longer looking for those docunts and you’re going to stay with Bernard now?" Laura asked, clearly curious and concerned.
"Yes, that’s what I will do," Maria nodded. "I need to respect my parents’ decision. That’s why I need to learn how to love, tolerate, and understand Bernard and his family. At least, he’s always been a very good friend. And I must say, in recent weeks he’s been doing great, and we are getting closer."
Laura smiled warmly. "I believe you know what’s best for you. But please, be careful and always take care of yourself."
"Also," she added, "Bernard hasn’t been coming to school. Hope he’s okay?"
Maria nodded. "Yeah, he’s fine. He just needs to settle so things. He’ll be back soon."
Cassandra remained unusually quiet, forcing a small smile now and then.
Maria began to wonder. Could Cassandra be hiding sothing from us? Why does she look so uneasy?
Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching rapidly from behind. Before they could react, masked n surrounded them—five in total.
One of them, clearly the leader, spoke calmly, "We’re not here to drag anything with you ladies. Maria, you alone will co with us. Please don’t try to play smart."
Maria nodded in agreent to protect her friends. But just as they released Cassandra and Laura, Laura launched a fierce attack.
She kicked one of the n hard, knocking him down. Then, with surprising speed and precision, she floored two more with blood pouring from their noses.
One of the assailants pulled a gun, but the leader quickly barked, "Put that away! We can’t shoot here, this is a college campus! We’ll retreat for now!"
The attackers fled, including the injured ones.
Maria, still stunned, turned to Laura in gratitude. "Thank you so much! But girl... where did you learn to fight like that?"
Laura laughed softly. "Nothing special. My dad taught basic self-defense."
Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "Basic? That was elite level! You looked like an undercover agent!"
They all laughed nervously as they headed to the campus security office.
After explaining the incident to the guards and giving statents with witness support, the security team promised imdiate action.
Back in class, Laura was hailed as "The Super Girl." Students approached, wanting selfies.
But Laura pulled her hoodie up and turned them down. "Please leave before I report you to security," she said firmly.
Maria was stunned. "Why were you so harsh? And why hide your face?"
Laura sighed. "Security tip 101. If they post those pictures online, the attackers will trace . We can’t afford that."
Maria and Cassandra nodded in understanding.
"You should tell Bernard about the attack," Laura advised. "And maybe stay ho for a while. We got lucky today—next ti might be different."
"Yes, I agree with Laura," Cassandra chid in. "Please, don’t co to college for now."
Maria smiled gratefully. "I’ll let Bernard and his parents know. Thank you both."
They shared a tight hug...
---
At a safe house miles away, Beta Gilbert paced restlessly.
"Sandro, where are you and your n? I’m already at the safe house," he said into the phone.
"We’re almost there, boss. Less than five minutes," Sandro replied.
True to his word, Sandro soon arrived with a group of n. "Sorry for the delay. We had to prepare everything."
"No problem. Let’s get to work," Beta Gilbert said as he moved to a large table.
Sandro spread out a large map. "This is the intel location. It’s how we’ll track the Shadows and their hideout."
He pointed at different areas. "West and north sides are heavily guarded. The south side is least protected."
"And the attack plan?" Gilbert asked.
"We have fifty n. Ten will go to the guarded zones to create a distraction and pretend to retreat. The remaining thirty will attack through the south."
Gilbert nodded. "Smart. What’s the expected success rate? Can we minimize casualties?"
"We’ve prepared fallback strategies," Sandro assured. "If it goes wrong, we’ll pull back quickly. But we’re estimating a ninety percent success rate."
Gilbert smiled with satisfaction as they began unpacking gear and finalizing preparations for the attack ahead...
Reviews
All reviews (0)