“Sophie called me this morning. She passed her interview and will be starting her internship next week.”
She paused before adding, “Everyone still talks about how grateful they are. You spent nearly a year tutoring us, making sure we all passed the college entrance exam.
“And now, you’re using your connections to help us land internships too.”
She hesitated, then lowered her voice.
“Sometimes it feels like a dream.
“Because last night, I had one–a dream where it wasn’t you who transferred into Class Thirteen. It was your sister.
“In the dream, she was the one Nicholas bullied. But instead of fighting back, she fell in love with him.
“And then, right before the exam, they had a huge fight. That afternoon, Sophie and I just happened to be passing by…”
I suddenly turned, cutting her off with a light pat on the back of her hand.
“It’s calibrated. Come try it out.”
Jenna instantly fell silent, shifting her focus to the robotic arm as she smoothly typed a string of code onto the keyboard.
“Stop overthinking it,” I said.
“You already said it yourself–it was just a dream.”
1/2
Chapter 13
“This right here, right now–is reality.
“And don’t go thinking I pulled strings for you all out of kindness. I used my connections because I need something in return. Tell everyone, think of it as a fair trade, not some debt you owe me.”
She stared at me, wide–eyed.
Jenna was never good with words.
Even if she wanted to say something, she probably wouldn know how to put it into sentences.
+25 BONUS
I was about to nudge her and remind her it was time to go when I heard a voice, one I could recognize anywhere.
“Lucy. Lowe.”
I froze for half a second before lifting my gaze.
And just like that, I locked eyes with Nicholas.
Three years had passed, and it seemed his time abroad had tempered him.
He was calmer now, his usual arrogance buried deeper beneath a layer of composure.
But the malice was still there–hidden, waiting.
He smiled faintly, greeting me with a casual ease.
“Long time no see.”
I smiled back.
“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Scott. It’s been three years. I almost thought you got yourself killed in a shootout.”
His expression didn’t waver, but the tension around his eyes sharpened slightly.
His voice was low, laced with quiet threat.
“You should be grateful this is happening here on home soil.
Mar 2
“Otherwise, if I put a bullet in you right now, all I’d have to say is self–defense and that would be the end of it.”
Judging by the way he said it, he clearly thought he was making a powerful statement.
Just then, the robotic arm beside us rotated counterclockwise, smacking Nicholas squarely on the back of his head.
“What the hell?!”
For a split second, his composure cracked.
His expression darkened as he shot Jenna a murderous glare.
She remained completely unfazed, calmly rotating the robotic arm back into place.
“Oops, my bad. Guess my hand slipped–must’ve been a miscalculation.”
Nicholas was never the type to keep his temper in check.
And sure enough, I didn’t have to wait long for him to make a move.
That afternoon, an anonymous report was filed, accusing both me and Velma of academic fraud.
