Chapter
Everard was clad entirely in black. His eyes seemed exceptionally sharp when he wasnât smiling. Beneath the neat crop of short hair, his features so delicately chiseled they appeared flawless. His strong jawline exuded a rugged handsomeness. Strikingly attractive, he bore no hint of effeminacy.
He had an air of indifference that even Bland, the movie star, couldnât muster, an aura that seemed to set him worlds apart from everyone else,
At Greenmeadow International School, a group of onlookers stood agape, their minds buzzing with a single thought. They coveted the allure of such a toy boy!
Then, Cordeliaâs voice cut through the silence, âRun out of money?â
All of them present were at a loss for words.
Everard was silent for a moment before replying. âNo.â
Cordelia peered at him with large eyes, a look of bewilderment crossing her face. âThen what brings you here?*
Everard dropped his gaze, and the shadows of his long lashes fell upon his cheeks. A tinge of melancholy crept into his expression. âDid you check Twitter?â
Cordelia shook her head, pulled out her phone, and opened the app, only to be greeted by a cacophony of notification pings.
Her Twitter followers had skyrocketed by several hundred thousand overnight, numbers were still climbing. As she stared at her phone in confusion, a pair of fair and slender hands reached out, snatching the device from her grasp.
When Cordelia looked up, Everard was handing the phone back to her, having pulled up the trending page. His gaze was fixed intently on her.
She glanced at the screen and saw the top trending topic âVivienne Loves Blandâ. Puzzled, she looked up, âThis is fake.â
A smirk played at the corner of Everardâs eyes. âI know.â he replied. His voice was tantalizing as if a feather had brushed against her soul. He leaned in closer and whispered, âGirl, Iâm jealous.â
Cordelia was perplexed, the fog in her eyes deepening as she struggled to interpret the emotion behind jealousy. Raised in an orphanage, her emotions had always been subdued, but she understood Everard was
upset.
The realization that he was unhappy ached her heart dully. She knew she had to appease him and asked with a mixture of headache and bewilderment, âWhat should I do?â
Her innocent tone made Everard both exasperated and endeared. He moved closer, his lips nearly grazing her ear as the scent of vanilla from his body seemed to envelop them. His breath tickled her skin, sending shivers down her spine.
As Cordelia stiffened, unsure of what to do, Everard spoke softly, âMay I post something on your Twitter?*
Suddenly parched, Cordelia swallowed, âSure
He didnât step back, still close when he said, âGive me your hand.â
She complied, and he tightly clasped her fingers, their hands interlocked. He took a photo with her phone and tweeted it, then handed the phone back to her.
âYouâre being so wellâbehaved/ he commented, ruffling her hair with a smile. âMy darling, remember not to delete this.â
Cordelia was speechless.
They stood there, the handsome man and the beautiful girl, a sight for sore eyes. Nearby students stealthily
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snapped photos.
Everard noticed but didnât mind.
After he left, Cordelia headed back to class, unaware that the schoolâs forum was already abuzz with discussion.
âAh, such a dreamy picture! Suddenly, they seem perfect for each other!â
âIs there really such a pretty boy? Iâd pay double the allowance just to sponsor him for a month!â
âSc handsome and enticing, I canât even hold myself!!
âEver since Hanley called off his engagement to Cordelia, Iâve found her to appear rather pitiful. But at the sight. of her pretty boy today, I get why Cordelia never seemed sad!â
âHanley is definitely goodâlooking, but compared to this guy⦠no contest in looks or aura!â
âCordelia is the real winner in life. Weâve all lost!â
Hanley and Juliana were also browsing the forum. At the sight of the messages, Juliana clenched her fists, her face turning a shade of purple with barely concealed rage. âWhatâs the use of being pretty? Heâs just a sugar baby!â
Hanley felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He had indeed lost, and utterly so. What he couldnât stand was the madness in Juliana.
Hanley was smart to not confront Juliana about her deception with Stantonâs mentorship. He knew that bringing it up would only reveal their private masks of ugliness.
He said nothing, but his heart was already distancing Juliana. It was only now that he was starting to see Juliana in a different light â she wasnât the epitome of grace and gentleness he had envisioned, especially after the harsh words she had just unleashed.
He needed to reconsider his engagement to the Delaney family.
Cordelia, oblivious to Hanley and Julianaâs turmoil, didnât care. She hurried back to class, fearing she would be late for the third class. As she made her way, she once again crossed paths with Latham.
Latham stopped her, hesitating before asking. âCordelia, are you in a relationship ?â
She nodded.
Latham didnât know how to respond. Was it too early to be dating? Could it distract from her studies? But Cordelia had already been accepted into Superiority College.
Latham mulled over the situation for what felt like an eternity, but no brilliant ideas took shape. When he finally snapped back to reality, he realized heâd been zoning out far too long. Cordelia was staring at him with those wideâopened and expressive eyes of hers. In a moment of sheer panic, he blurted out, âOh, well, congratulations.â
Cordelia was speechless.
She walked into the classroom and had barely taken her seat when Merry, not caring one bit that it was Lathamâs lecture, whipped around in shock and gave her a thumbsâup, âLia, youâre such a boss! That move was epic! So romantic!â
Cordelia was perplexed.
Merry handed over her phone, showing her the tweet sheâd just posted.
It was actress Cordeliaâs debut tweet, featuring a photo of two hands clasped together with the caption, âHand in hand, through life weâll go
Underneath the tweet, a flurry of comments had already begun, most of them asking who the other hand belonged to. Was it their beloved Landie?
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Meanwhile, Bland, in fullâon survival mode, had retweeted with a fervent disclaimer, âNot me!â
The next morning, the Delaney family was a hive of activity, because today marked the day that Calvert was
coming over.
Chapter 89