Chapter 328:
His fingers began to tap a rhythmic, impatient beat on the tabletop, a sound that seemed to echo louder in the quiet of the room.
Those around him exchanged wary glances, their words measured and voices low, as if fearful that the next tap from Rhys might just be upon their own cautious hearts. Patrickâs eyes followed Rhysâ intense gaze and landed on the photograph he had covertly snapped of Harlee in Claelia, a photo heâd secretly sent to Rhys.
At that moment, everything clicked into place.
Patrick turned to face the computer screen, his eyes scanning the words he knew all too well, yet their meaning eluded him in his exhaustion. The mental strain was overwhelming, and he found himself silently pleading for Hamilton to regain consciousness soon.
Rhys, his eyes glued to his phone, noted Harlee was typing.
His brow, previously knit with worry, smoothed instantly, and a tentative smile played at the corners of his mouth.
His heart sank, however, at her next words.
âIâm not free.â He paused, reflecting for a moment before responding hopefully, âNo worries. Just let me know whenever you have time.â
On the other side, Harlee paused, her fingers hovering over the âsendâ button. She erased her initial response, âNot free recently,â and instead typed out a more open-ended, âSounds good, Iâll let you know when Iâm free.â She preferred the idea of rejecting him gently in person.
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Rhysâ smile returned, albeit faintly, as he replied with a simple âOkay,â followed by a kitten emoji, an emoji pack Hamilton had once recommended during happier times, claiming girls adored such cute gestures.
Rhys placed his phone face down and shifted his focus sharply back to the work at hand.
Meanwhile, Harlee caught sight of the kitten emoji and couldnât help but smile briefly before regaining her composure. She stood up, turned off her phone, and made her way to the main stage, ready to meet with the students from the Aerospace Mechanical Engineering Department.
In the expansive auditorium of Baythorn University, the seats began to fill with students from the Aerospace Mechanical Engineering Department. Unlike past gatherings, where curious students from various departments would crowd in just for a peek at Harlee, todayâs event saw several empty seats among the 300 available.
As the attendees noticed the array of gifts lined up at the front, a unified murmur of surprise swept through the room.
âCould these be from Miss Sanderson?â Dorsey, the last to enter, hurried in, her day having been extended by commitments to a demanding academic research project.
Her eyes widened in delight upon spotting the scale model airplane perched prominently on a nearby desk. It was an elusive, globally limited model that had slipped through her fingers despite the concerted efforts of her expansive network of relatives and friends.
Dorsey paused, sensing something was amiss.
How was it possible that such a rare item was here for everyone? With a skeptical squint, Dorsey readjusted her glasses and asked, âMiss Sanderson, is it true that each of us will receive one of these models?â Her voice echoed with a blend of hope and doubt.
Observing a detail that deepened her suspicion, Dorsey spoke up once more, her tone now laced with incredulity.
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