Trust In Love - Chapter 247

At Xiera’s question, Emily pointed a look at her cousin. “Did you really think no one would find out about your identity?”

Alex smiled in return. “Nah, I knew it wouldn’t be hidden.”

She actually expected the opposite to happen. She hadn’t dabbled into the rumor mill much to know how intricate it works. Thus, she had prepared for the worst. She took into account her background and her years of absence. She figured that veil of mystery would have piqued numerous interests.

Now, she wondered if she had overestimated her thoughts.

“I can’t believe it.” Xiera breathed out, shaking her head. She craned her neck to look at Alex’s left. “Did you know about this, Kate?”

Kate had brought a notebook out. She looked over her notes for their next class, giving one ear to the conversation. She flickered her gaze when she heard her name. “Oh, I did.”

“You did?” Alex scowled.

Kate flashed her a sheepish smile. “I’ve seen you and your family in one of our restaurants.”

Alex held the tip of her chin. She recalled the restaurants she visited with her parents. In this city, there were only a number of them. Unless Kate meant another branch, it would be easy to narrow down. It should be one they frequently went to—that had the highest probability of being spotted.

“Is it the De La Lune?” She guessed, letting her chin go. There was a new twinkle in her gray eyes. “It has one of the best chocolate mousse I have ever had.”

“I’m amazed that you got that on the first try,” Kate replied and fluttered her lashes. Then, she chuckled at the food review. “My grandmother would be happy to hear that.”

“I’ve heard so many rumors about you,” Xiera spoke up. She blew on her fringes. “I’m sort of glad I didn’t know your name right away. You’re far from what they say.”

“Really?” Alex

“Yeah, there’s a lot.” Elena snorted. She held her hand to count on her fingers. Some of them are about how you think you’re ‘all that’ because you’d rather be home-schooled than attend one. There was about how you see us as lowly peasants since you’re so high up in the social ladder, how you never show your face, how you refuse to interact with anyone…”

“Let’s just say that being quiet and private lead to people theorizing things,” Charlotte cut in. “The longer you stayed that way, the more they started to believe it.”

Emily squinted her eyes. “You both know none of those are true, right?”

“Well, yeah. I know that.” Elena snorted, reeling her chin. She jabbed a fork in her sister’s direction. “She knows that. You know that. They now know that. The rest don’t.”

“I’m sure I’m not the only one who saw Neal approach you either.” Xiera added. She could see the inevitable annoying drama on the way. “Some delusional bitches would come after you because of it.”

The waiter came back with their appetizers and beverages. He served each dish to the appropriate student. An ȧssortment of vegetables and soups filled up the table. Alex picked out a French fry from hers. It had a crinkle cut instead of the common shoestring.

“Would you like your main dish now?” He asked politely, tucking the tray close to his ċhėst.

Alex raised a finger. “I would.”

“Same.” Elena, Emily and Charlotte responded in chorus.

With four out of six in favor of the suggestion, Xiera and Kate also agreed to it. They unfolded the table napkins, covering their ŀȧps. The air became aromatic as spices floated from their plates. Their mouths watered and their stomachs grumbled. They quickly dug in while the dishes were still hot.

Alex ate another fry. She chewed it slowly. “As private as I am, I don’t have anything to hide. I just don’t have the habit of flaunting.”

After what had happened, she would not cower in fear any longer. It was a promise she made to herself. If they wanted to mess with her, so be it. She would face them head on. She was through hiding and letting them get away.

She would teach them the art of leaving her alone and wear her family name with pride.

“Yeah, I kind of witness that now.” Xiera nodded. She took a sip of her soup.

Biting her inner cheek, Alex shifted her attention towards Emily. “How popular is he?”

“Considering how the other good-looking guys are either taken or gay, he is like the most eligible bachelor this school has. It’s sickening.” Her cousin sneered. She drowned the foul taste in her mouth with a bite of her salad.

“I don’t think he’s that bad.” Elena mumbled. She tried not to gag at the cheese on her salad. Her recoil was a personal preference. She had forgotten to have it omitted.

Emily merely shrugged. “Let’s agree to disagree.”

The main dishes arrived within minutes. Alex moved her bowl of fries, putting it beside her milkshake. She admired the handiwork of the kitchen staff. She had expected her request to be ignored or overlooked. Instead, they followed it thoroughly.

Could they leave some feedback? She’d love to thank them for the excellent service.

Xiera noticed her plate right away. Her order of carbonara paled in comparison to Alex’s simple dish. “Did you ask them to cut your hamburger into triangle slices?”

“I did. It makes less of a mess. Don’t you think so?” Alex admitted. She stabbed the fork into one slice and lifted it to her lips. It fit perfectly in her mouth, giving her enough room to chew. Juice oozed out of the beef patty. The sauce added a tang to the taste.

She added a fry halfway through—just like Logan did whenever he had a burger.

The girls spent the rest of the time focused on eating. They hadn’t realized how hungry they were until the food came. They didn’t leave a spot uncleaned. They spared no bite either. Whatever etiquette rule stated about not finishing the entire serving flew out of their minds.

They had never really listened to it before anyway.

The group parted ways when they climbed up the stairs. The sophomores walked down the second floor and headed for their room. Alex and her companions moved upwards. They took the opposite direction of classroom 3C. The path led them to a corner where the laboratories were located.

Their classmates waited outside. The doors were still locked. Another class accompanied them. Males and females talked in groups. Everyone seemed well acquainted. The three girls approached the crowd. They picked an empty spot and leaned on the wall, chatting among themselves.

“We should really hang outside of school sometime.” Xiera gushed. Unlike the other two, she stayed away from the wall. “We can go to one of Kate’s private rooms in the restaurant. We can do anything, even homework for you, nerds.”

Alex chuckled. She had one hand in her blazer pocket and another on her bag’s strap. “I’ll have to ask first. I can’t suddenly go out without permission. It should always be in advance.”

“That is totally cool.” Xiera stepped back. She raised her hands in surrender. “If you ever need us, we could meet your parents and ask on your behalf.”

Kate shook her head. “You’ve known her for less than a day and you’re already so shameless.”

“It’s not everyday you get to talk to someone with her status. The others are such snobbish bitches, acting like they are on your level.” Xiera scoffed. She added an eye roll with it, crossing her arms over her ċhėst. “You are so much better than them, inside and out.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Alex said. She chartered the topic towards food, asking Kate about De La Lune’s specials. Xiera easily joined in since she ate there frequently. The cooks were more than happy to accommodate their Young Miss and her friend.

Another student approached his side. This one placed his arms on the open windowsill. He had the same wispy black hair as the school’s Marquis but cropped short. The tips had been waxed in the color of silver.

Eyes as dark as the midnight sky, he directed them towards Neal.

A smirk stretched on his lips. “Heya, cousin.”

“Noah.” Neal responded, not looking away from his phone screen.

His cousin clenched his jaw at the sight. How could a 17-year old be such a workaholic? Merely followed the rules and the future laid out before him? A pawn who obeyed orders without a second thought. Then again, that was the reason why ȧduŀts loved him.

Feigning nonchalance, Noah took out a cigarette from his pocket.

Not a second later, Neal slapped it out of his hand.

“I know you’re a little slow but I didn’t know you couldn’t read,” Neal spat. He pointed to a ‘No Smoking’ sign on a wall.

Noah shrugged. “Made you look.”

The Marquis returned to his business, unamused by his cousin’s tactics. He read another finance report. He pulled up the previous from memory and noted significant differences.

“Did you hear about the lab for today?” Noah asked. He shifted his feet and leaned on the windowsill instead. A passing wind flew by. It swept his hair and the collar of his unbuttoned dress shirt.

“Yes.”

“You’re gonna need a partner.” He continued, smirking a little. “Mind if I volunteer?”

“I refuse.”

“Aw, come on. Be a pal and help me out.”

“Noah, if you want to get out of trouble with your parents, you better do it by yourself. My only job is to help you not get expelled, not excel.”

Neal opened a different file. It contained market conditions and several news articles. He compared the numbers between the two finance reports, trying to locate the source of the problem.

“Suit yourself.” Noah shrugged. He directed his gaze towards the rest of the students. “It won’t take long before you get swarmed by girls.”

“I already have someone in mind.”

His ears perked at that. School seemed to be a lot more interesting than he thought. “Really now? And who is this lucky girl?”