Chapter 19
It was a late night for Cordelia as she poured over her books, tackling problem after problemn in preparation for the upcoming math competition. The consequence was a late start the next morning
Seeing her yawning and blearyâeyed, Loma, her ever doting stepmother, packed a breakfast sandwich for her to on the go. âSweetie, even if itâs for the math competition, donât push yourself too hard Health comes first she said, her voice tinged with concern
Cordelia nodded in agreement as she grabbed her backpack
Juliana, who had finished her breakfast of pancakes and bacon, couldnât resist a side comm
people should know their limits. Acing one test doesnât mean youâre cut out for the big leagues Theard about yesterdayâs mock exam. You were at the bottom of the barrel again,
Ignoring Julianaâs barbs, Cordelia took her breakfast and headed out the door
Latham had told her the day before that she had made significant progress and just needed to avoid a few advanced problemâsolving methods. That meant more practice, of course.
Juliana followed Cordelia to the door, . âYouâre not just in it for the math competition, are you? Whatâs your real intention?â
Without a word, Cordelia climbed into the car.
Juliana tried to continue the conversation, but Cordelia had already leaned against the window, eyes closed, seemingly asleep. The soft curve of her eyelashes cast shadows on her cheeks, and her lips glistened slightly.
A weird urge to shatter that serene image took hold of Juliana for a moment.
The car stopped as usual in front of Midnight Scent, the local place where Cordelia often grabbed a bite before school. Having caught up on her sleep, she stepped out with her backpack just as Juliana, who had held back her sarcasm for the entire ride, couldnât help but sneer again, âYou know, if you donât score well in the upcoming Galaxy Math Whiz Competition, Latham is going to kick you out of the math competition prep group. Donât set your sights on things that arenât meant for you.â
Cordelia paused, sighed, and turned to face Juliana, saying, âI remember youâre in the physics competition, right?â
Julianaâs heart skipped a beat, defensively asking, âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â
Cordelia looked away, her voice indifferent, âNothing.â
She adjusted her slipping backpack and walked into Midnight Scent, leaving a puzzled Juliana behind.
Inside, Everard was already lounging at the small dinerâstyle table, with legs that seemed too long for the space, casually resting on the tableâs edge. His sharp features softened in a lazy smile as Cordelia sat down.
When Cordelia sat down, Everard picked up a piece of toast, and Calvert dared to eat it.
The three men were silent and soon finished breakfast. As Calvert cleaned up, he asked Cordelia, âSo, how did you feel about that fight yesterday?â
Cordelia looked at him for a couple of seconds before responding. âIt was interesting.â
Calvert was speechless, then he heard Cordelia adding, âWe can practice a few more times in the future.â
As he saw Cordeliaâs gaze turn towards him, he quickly said, âIâve got things to do and canât spar with you!â
She looked a bit disappointed but then turned to Everard.
Everard leaned back and raised an eyebrow, expecting a sparring invitation, but Cordelia drifted her gaze away
after a few seconds.
Everard was puzzled. Wasnât he good enough?
Cordelia has already commented on Everard in her heart. He was too goodâlooking and showy, not as stocky and resistant as Little Fang
As Cordelia prepared to leave for school, she suddenly stopped and said to Everard, Tomorrowâs the weekend, and Iâm going to my grandfatherâs. What should we do?â
Skipping a dayâs meeting with him wouldnât cause heartache, would it?
Everard chuckled his voice smooth, âGirl, you seem to have some misconceptions about dating. Itâs not necessary to see each other every day. If you miss me, just think of me, or better yet, call me.â
Cordeliaâs eyes lit up at the idea that daily checkâins werenât mandatory.
âJust so you knowâ he added. If you pass by here on your way to school and choose not to see me, thatâs a different story
Her excitement faded a bit as she took out her cell phone, a gift from Sanderson. She asked for Everardâs number
After jotting it down, she said, Tm off to school.â
Everard was left wondering why she didnât call to exchange numbers.
Upon arriving at Greenmeadow International School, Cordelia noticed an odd shift in her classmatesâ behavior. They were avoiding her. Unfazed, she entered the classroom to an abrupt silence.
The whispers started as she sat down. âJuliana said she crossed Yates for Merryâ¦â
âSheâs toast!â
The Delaney family is ruined because of her!â
Confused, Cordelia unpacked her books, trying to understand what was happening.
Then Merry, face painted with makeup and chewing gum, approached her with admiration and excitement. La
Cordelia looked up, and Merry leaned in, her demeanor completely changed from yesterdayâs fear. âLia, actually. Yates isnât as unreasonable as people say.â
Okay, Cordelia replied, unconvinced, as she braced herself for whatever was to come next in the unpredictable social landscape of high school.
Merry understood Cordeliaâs aloof nature and didnât take it personally. She kept the conversation going with a playful tone, âLia, I caught your fighting skills yesterday, and now Iâm pretty sure the instructor at boot camp taught me some wateredâdown version! How do you throw those punches?â
Cordelia pondered Little Fangâs advice and replied earnestly, ââ¦Fast, fierce, and precise.â
Merry burst into laughter, gesticulating as she spoke, âGot it! The essence of fighting, speed is king!â
And power.â Cordelia silently added in her mind, then tuned out Merryâs chatter, diving back into her concentration on the Olympiad math problems.
Time always flew when you were studying. Before she knew it, the afternoon classes were through.
Cordelia was gearing up for her Olympiad prep course when a wave of collective gasps swept through the classroom.
Confused, she looked up and spotted a burst of eyeâcatching and brazen red at the door.
There stood Yates from the night before, his posture casual but his expression tinged with impatience, scanning the room if searching for someone.
Flame No. 1 caught sight of Cordelia first and pointed out, âYates, over there!â
With that cue, Yates, followed by Flames No. 2-4, made a beeline into the classroom, while Flames No. 5-7
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hung back at the door.
They moved down the aisle, their presence commanding. Yates, in particular, with his intimidating air, caused the students lining the path to turn pale and instinctively shuffle aside, clearing a path.
Juliana, sitting in the first row, saw this and her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Here it came! The showdown!! She had been certain Yates wouldnât let things slide so easily, and now here he
was.
But what she didnât anticipate wasâ¦