Chapter 21 A Face She Knew All Too Well
+8 Pearls
The office buzzed with activity, and an endless list of tasks demanded Hadden’s attention. Most of the work needed his approval, which kept him occupied far later than he had planned. By the time he finally made it to the birthday party, it was nearly 11:30 PM.
He carefully removed a beautiful ruby ring from its box and gently slid it onto Winona’s finger. Her seatmate had been eagerly talking about the ring all evening–proudly detailing its intricate design, its famous maker, its deep history, and most impressively, the sky–high price tag that came with it–an amount in the eight–figure range.
Once the ring was in place, Hadden offered a warm smile and a sincere apology. “I was stuck at work, and I almost didn’t make it in time. I had someone pick this up for you as your birthday present. Happy birthday.”
Winona barely spared a glance at the ring, her face unreadable. Her gaze shifted around the room briefly before locking back onto him. She seemed somewhat drained.
“What are you staring at?” Hadden asked.
“Nothing.” With a faint smile, Winona muttered a soft “Thank you, Hadden.”
“You don’t need to thank me. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”
Summer break had flown by, and now a new semester was in full swing. Due to her entrance exam results, Lilith’s previous classmates had been replaced by a fresh group. Thankfully, she and Liana were still together in the same class, and since their grades were so similar, they were seated as desk partners.
As expected, Winona was still at the school but was in a different grade from Lilith. Her International Elite Class was on a completely different floor, so they wouldn’t run into each other often, especially since the cafeteria served both floors.
Things were starting to feel more stable, and Lilith couldn’t help but think that her life was improving with each passing day.
But as she took a moment to observe her new classmates, she was caught off guard. The room was quiet, and everyone appeared to be just ordinary students–until, less than a minute later, someone walked in through the back door.
It was a tall, slender figure with short, neatly styled hair and sharp, observant eyes. The figure glanced around briefly before sitting in the third–to–last row.
Lilith’s breath hitched. She froze for a moment, feeling her throat tighten as she saw his name appear on the board above him. The new semester had brought an unexpected face–Sydney.
It seemed Sydney had noticed her too. She gave her a brief, sidelong glance but didn’t acknowledge her further.
“A new student will be joining us soon. Please be ready,” their homeroom teacher, Philbert Wallaker, announced at the start of the lesson. It wasn’t a big deal, and after the short mention, everyone returned to their work–quietly reading or solving problems.
Such minor news quickly faded from their thoughts as they became engrossed in their tasks.
Meanwhile, Liana had returned to her old habits. She started sneaking in novels and comics during class and occasionally napped when she got too tired. Thankfully, she wasn’t as reckless as before. Thanks to Lilith’s constant guidance, Liana had learned to keep it a little more under control.
Liana was quick to catch on, though, and whenever she missed something, Lilith would help her get back on track.
A few days later, as Philbert brought the new student into the classroom, Lilith was still deep in thought, working on a tricky math problem. She was just about to jot down a solution when Liana tugged on her sleeve, excitement obvious in her voice.
“Lilith, look! He’s so handsome! Look up, look up!”
She was completely absorbed in solving the problem. Lilith barely registered Liana’s excited comment, giving a quick nod as if acknowledging it, but her mind was elsewhere.
After that brief gesture, no other response followed.
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Chapter 21 A Face She Knew All Too Well
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Lilith didn’t even feel the need to reprimand herself for her lack of engagement. Casually glancing up, she saw that Liana was staring intently at the front of the room, her attention fully on the new student. It seemed she really did find him attractive. Lilith returned her focus to her work, her mind now fixed on finishing the problem.
There was a slight rustle in the room, the sound of papers shuffling and hushed murmurs. Lilith was nearing the end of her work, her fingers moving with purpose. She exhaled, a sense of relief washing over her.
Then, from the front of the room, a clear, soothing voice spoke–a calm sound like a gentle stream, familiar yet fresh. As expected, the new student introduced himself.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Nigel Jefferson. I just transferred here this semester.”
Lilith was almost done, just one more number to jot down.
It was nearly finished.
But then, her pen slipped from her hand, hitting the floor with a sharp thud and rolling toward her feet. Her body tensed, her hand clenching into a fist, and her breath quickened, as though it took every ounce of energy just to lift her gaze.
For a brief moment, she looked up and saw a face she knew all too well.
Luckily, everyone else was paying attention to the front, so no one noticed her sudden reaction. Lilith bent down to pick up her pen, but her hand slipped, her vision blurred, and dizziness washed over her. It took her three attempts to finally grab the pen tightly in her hand.
She quickly returned to her work, determined to finish the problem. Flipping to the last page, she checked her answer–and it was correct. Thank goodness.
After the introduction, Nigel moved to the seat assigned to him by the teacher. It was only then that Liana, snapping out of her daze, elbowed Lilith with excitement.
“Lilith, did you see him? He’s like a movie star, isn’t he?”
“Mm, yeah, he’s … fine,” Lilith responded, still focused on her paper.
“Just fine? That’s it?” Liana pouted, then her gaze shifted to Lilith’s face. Her eyes widened in shock. “Oh, my God. Lilith, you look so pale!”
Luckily, it was break time, and the noise from the hall and the classroom made it harder for anyone to overhear Liana’s loud exclamation.
Concerned, Liana gently cupped Lilith’s face in her hands, inspecting her closely before touching her forehead. “You’re not running a fever, are you? Are you sick?”
“No.” Lilith softly pushed her hands away, offering an explanation. “It’s probably just the sunlight coming in. It’s been so bright, and it’s making me feel a little off.”
“Well, that’s an easy fix.
Liana moved her chair forward, positioning herself to block most of the sunlight from reaching Lilith. With a proud grin, she declared, “There, all better now! I’m such a genius.”
The overwhelming thoughts that had been clouding Lilith’s mind faded in an instant. She smiled warmly and said with genuine appreciation, “Thanks, Liana.”
The night was silent and deep, and all Lilith could hear was the steady rhythm of her own breathing.
She opened her phone. It was already 3:00 AM, but sleep remained elusive.
Nigel transferring into such an ordinary class made less sense to Lilith than the fading scar on her neck, the missing diary entries, or the strange floating white screens she had been noticing above everyone’s heads.
Why?
No matter how much I try to avoid it, it feels like fate has a way of drawing us together again. Lilith wasn’t sure if this was some kind
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Chapter 21 A Face She Knew All Too Well
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