MasukShare
Chapter 10
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-02-03 06:13:10Chapter 10
*"La Coune Restaurant and Bar. Pick you up at 8. Send me an address. Can’t wait to see you."*
She blushed and handed the phone over to Sophia.
"That is so sweet!"
"You are putting on the red dress, no questions asked. Now get on your feet, let’s get you all dressed up."
She fixed some of the buttons on the dress. It was one Justine had taken from her parents’ place, and it had belonged to her mother.
Justine looked somewhat downcast. It had been years since she and her parents fought, and they had not spoken since.
Sophia noticed this but didn’t say anything. She knew Justine didn’t like to talk about her parents. Instead, she went in for a hug.
Justine put on the dress and checked herself out in the mirror. It suited her body perfectly, and she looked lovely in it.
"Thank you so much, cousin. I love this."
"You’re welcome. Now please order the pizza because I am starving," Sophia pressed.
"I got you." Justine whipped out her phone and ordered pizza.
She unblocked her phone and saw a message from ward
“ La coune restaurant and bar, pick you up at 8 send me an address can't wait to see you"
SheShe blushed and handed over the message to Sophia.
"That is so sweet!"
"You are putting on the red dress, no questions asked. Now, get on your feet, let's get you all dressed up."
She fixed some of the buttons on the dress. It was one Justine had taken from her parents' place, and it had belonged to her mother.
Justine looked somewhat downcast. It had been years since she and her parents fought, and they had not spoken since.
Sophia noticed this but couldn’t say anything. She knew Justine didn’t like to talk about her parents. Instead, she went in for a hug.
Justine put on the dress and checked herself out in the mirror. It suited her body perfectly, and she looked lovely in it.
"Thank you so much, cousin. I love this."
"You’re welcome. Now, please order the pizza because I am starving," Sophia pressed.
"I got you," Justine said as she whipped out her phone and ordered pizza.
"So, what address did you give Ward to come pick you up?" Sophia asked.
"I haven’t given him any yet. Surely, I don’t want him to see this is where we live. I’ll just text him an address that’s a few blocks from here."
"That sounds good then."
It was 7:45 when the pizza arrived.
Justine took a slice while Sophia and their grandmother ate the rest.
"Are you nervous to go on this date?"
"No, I am not. I have no reason to be. It’s just food and drinks, nothing more. I will be leaving now—don’t wait up for me."
"I can’t promise you that. I’ll be waiting up so I can get the juicy details from you. But alright then, have a good date."
She locked the door as her cousin left, took out the pizza boxes, then tucked her grandmother into bed.
Sophia opened her phone for the first time in a while. She saw an email notification—it was from the university, just as the professor had told her.
It was then she came to the realization...
She had been so occupied with her cousin's day that it skipped her mind—she also had a lot of things to do. It was her first day at school tomorrow. She had to prepare her bag and clothes, get some supplies she might need for school, and pretty much everything for resumption.
“Dang,” she cussed under her breath and quickly glanced at the time.
The stores close by would still be open for business. She checked her savings account to see if she had enough to get a few supplies.
Working petty jobs over the summer was how she had been able to accumulate such an amount. The pay was poor, but it was the only job accepting an 18-year-old, especially since she didn’t have any certificates.
She grabbed her debit card and walked out of the house, scanning left and right, looking for the best store to go to.
There was a large mart just a few steps away. There, she would be able to get everything she needed in one place and possibly get a discount.
Sophia whipped out her mini shopping list as she got into the store and scanned through it: perfumes, body wash and lotion, bathing soap, some stationery, flashlights, dried meat, coffee, milk, bubble gum, and more things she wasn’t sure she would end up buying.
She just hoped the money in her account was enough. As she kept picking the items, she didn’t estimate the total cost. There weren’t any price tags in this store. It was huge but still very local and backward.
Sophia put all the things she felt she needed into the cart and took them to the counter.
A guy with a name tag that read "Matt" was standing behind the counter. She had seen him around the area quite often, and it was possible he was a friend of Justine—who, Sophia always complained, seemed to have too many friends.
"Hey there, what are you shopping for?" he asked her.
*"Shopping for none of your business,"* Sophia said to herself.
"Nothing, just randomly shopping," she replied with a weird smile.
He collected her cart and started unloading the items, placing them on the scanner as the prices appeared on the monitor.
Sophia swallowed hard as each price flashed across the screen. There was a huge chance the money in her savings account wouldn’t be enough.
"Hey, I think I know you," Matt said as he placed the milk on the scanner. "You’re Justine’s sister, aren’t you? I’ve seen you around the block."
Sophia smiled wryly. She had hoped he wouldn’t recognize her.
"Yes, I am," she replied.
I"I knew it! My eyes are really sharp when it comes to people. How is Justine? I haven't seen her around. It’s been a while since we hung out, and she doesn’t return my calls," he added.
*"Come on, man, just give me my shopping bag and let me get out of here,"* Sophia groaned inwardly.
"Oh, she is doing fine. I'm sure she has just been busy," Sophia managed to reply, hoping he wouldn’t ask any more questions.
"She can't be too busy not to answer the phone, can she?"
Sophia didn't reply this time, hoping he would stop talking.
"Well, can you do something for me, please? Tell her I said I’m sorry for what happened last time, and I would like to talk about it."
*"Oh, this is something deeper than I thought. There’s definitely something going on between them,"* Sophia realized.
"Sure, I can do that for you then," she said to him.
"Thank you so much. I really appreciate it," Matt said.
Sophia nodded as she glanced at the total amount displayed on the monitor. She heaved a sigh of relief—it was within the money in her savings account. She handed over her debit card to him.
"Also, I am going to give you a 20% discount," he leaned forward and whispered, "keep this between us.”
She nodded, understanding that he wasn’t supposed to do such a thing but was only doing it because he wanted her to return the favor. Still, it filled her with joy, knowing it would save her some money—money she could use for other expenses.
He handed over the shopping bag and receipt to her.
"Have a nice night," he said.
"You too, Matt. And don’t worry, I’ll speak to her," Sophia reassured him.
She knew it would be easy to persuade Justine—it was the least she could do to appreciate his kindness.
When she got back home, as expected, Ju
stine wasn’t back yet. She decided it was time to pack up her bags; this was going to take a while.
Bab terkait
Rising from the ash Chapter 11
Chapter 11It was already nighttime at the Walsh residence. Ryan had just finished getting a second round of scolding from his mother, who was complaining about his attitude toward school and how he lacked ambition to be successful like his father.On nights like this—especially when his dad wasn’t around—the nagging would go on and on. His father usually intervened, not because he cared, but because he was always tired of the yelling."Let the boy be. His life is in his hands. If he wants to ruin it, let him. We already spoiled him." Those would be his father’s words.That was why Ryan saw it as a good thing when his mother told him to go up and pack his bags. Maybe going away to this school would be good for him after all. He would finally get his freedom from his parents, and there would be no one to supervise his movements there. Plus, he was sure some of his friends would be heading to that same school. Being a school for the wealthy, it was almost guaranteed. He had already got
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-03Rising from the ash Chapter 13
Chapter 12 Ryan walked to the table , the drinks were all lined up, first to finish their 5 bottles win He and Zach stood at the table , waiting for the signal for them to beginThe club was alive with wild energy—flashing neon lights, deafening music, and the steady hum of voices blending with the bass. Ryan could feel the heat of the moment pressing against his skin as he stood face to face with Zach, his so-called friend who had just challenged his manhood in front of everyone. “Ryan, are you sure about this? You know how your mum is going to react to this. Don’t let him get to you,” Lana whispered urgently, gripping his wrist. Ryan exhaled, shaking off her concern. “It’s fine. There’s nothing I can’t handle. He wants a challenge? Then he has a challenge on his hands. Normally, I’d back down, but not in front of Taylor.” His eyes flickered toward his ex, who was watching with amusement. His ego wouldn’t let him walk away. “Just promise me you’ll drive me home if things go
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-03Rising from the ash Chapter 13
Chapter 13"Why did you punch him? I mean, I know he deserves it, but you shouldn't have!" Lana said to Ryan as soon as they got to their home. The single punch from Ryan had knocked Zach out, and he was sent out by the security at the club. "I should have punched harder," Ryan muttered under his breath. "I think I need a drink, Lana. Do you have one somewhere?" "No, I don’t. Please stop this, Ryan. You’ve had enough drinks for today, and I can't help but feel guilty. Maybe I shouldn't have invited you to the party anyway. It was dumb. I guess I just wanted to see you," she admitted. "Nah, don't say that. I kind of needed it to clear my head from all this," Ryan replied."Ryan scoffed, rubbing his knuckles. "I should’ve punched him harder," he muttered under his breath, dropping onto the couch with a tired sigh. "That guy is a troublesome person. Always running his mouth like he owns the world." Lana sighed, kicking off her heels and sitting beside him. "Yeah, well, now he’s
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-03Rising from the ash Chapter 14
Chapter 14*Get up, Ryan!” Lana’s voice rang out as she shook him. Ryan groaned in response, barely opening his eyes. His head pounded like a drum, a clear result of last night’s events. He had barely made it to bed before crashing, and now, waking up felt like torture. “Leave me alone,” he mumbled, pulling a pillow over his head. Lana rolled her eyes. “No way. You have to get up. Do you know what time it is?” “Too early,” Ryan muttered, refusing to move. Lana huffed. “**It’s already late , idiot!** We have to leave for campus today, remember you have even gotten your bags packed or something, your mum called me and I had to tell her you're staying here with me , luckily she took pity for your good deed and decided to have one of the maids pack it upBut Ryan was hardly listening to a word she said he was still feeling very groggy from sleep , He knew If he had gone home last night the current situation would have been worstRyan groaned louder this time. The events of last
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-03Rising from the ash Chapter 15
Chapter 15Sophia slowly stepped into her new dorm room. She scanned around trying to take it in , this was going to take a while to get used to ,but the room looked very nice The room was cozy, with three beds neatly arranged. It had a sweet centre rug that looked like fur. At one corner of the room was something that looked like an office table. It looked very good to study while she looked back at the beds again. Two were already occupied, with suitcases and personal belongings scattered around them. The air smelled faintly of lavender, probably from one of the girls’ perfumes. Or it could be the air freshener but it did leave a sweet scent on her nose One of the beds was empty— it was most likely to behersAs she stepped in further, one of the girls, her room mate was already in ,a bubbly-looking brunette with long hair , lovely eyes and she seemed to be carrying a wide smile, turned to her. “Hey! Are you with us ? You must be our third occupant in this room then ,what your name
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-03Rising from the ash Chapter 16
Chapter 16 oh yes that's true Lana backed him up ,it would be sad seeing you lose your job over something so little, why don't you do all of us here a favor and get these bags ?, Lana smiled also as she said this ,she and Ryan have always been full of mischief The janitor quickly apologized and obliged ,right away sir, he bent down and pick up the bags please forgive my ignorance, I had no idea it was that way It's not a problem ,but you did hurt my feelings at first Ryan jeered on , acting like he didn't know what he was doing**"Apologies once again, sir. Where did you say you were headed?"** Ryan let out a dramatic sigh. **"The dorms. I need to get to my room this instant."** Henry, the janitor, gave a small nod of understanding. "I know where it is. It’s just around the block. This way."** He turned and started walking ahead of them at a steady pace. Ryan smirked and glanced at Lana, who was eyeing him with thinly veiled disapproval. “You really are a crook," she mut
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-03Rising from the ash Chapter 17
Chapter 17A woman stood there, watching her with an amused but knowing expression. She was tall, with sharp yet graceful features, wearing a crisp lab coat over a dark blouse. Her intelligent eyes gleamed behind thin-rimmed glasses, and she carried herself with an air of quiet authority. Sophia immediately recognized her—Professor Evelyn Carter. She was the one meant to lead the induction session for new students. But Sophia hadn’t seen her enter the room. Had she been there the whole time, silently observing her? **“I see you’re the curious type, aren’t you?”** the professor said, stepping closer. Sophia’s face burned with embarrassment. She suddenly felt foolish for letting her curiosity get the better of her. She quickly pulled her hand back, clasping it tightly to her chest as if that would erase what she had done. **“I—I’m sorry, ma’am,”** she stammered. **“I didn’t mean to—”** Professor Carter held up a hand, cutting her off with a slight smile. **“Relax, dear. I’m no
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-03Rising from the ash Chapter 18
Chapter 18 "You know what? I think you are rude as hell, and I'm sorry I interrupted you in the first place." Lana totally ignored her and faced the window. "What is your name, by the way?" The girl continued talking and still got no response from Lana. "Okay, listen, there are four of us in this room. If this is going to work out, we are going to need to communicate. But I'm not one to force anything. Well, in case you are listening, my name is Jessie, and there are two other girls in here. Both went for the induction and will be back soon. And I don't think they will like all this hostility. We haven't done anything wrong to you, have we? Be for real." Lana realized the girl was right. They'd done nothing to her. Maybe she should finally give it an opportunity. She decided to speak. "My name is Lana, and I'm sorry I sounded rude earlier. I was just pissed because of someone I ran into on the way here. She kind of ruined my phone and my mood by extension. Plus, the se
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-09
Bab terbaru
Rising from the ash Chapter 91
Chapter 91She really didn’t want to run into him tonight. It wasn’t like she had done anything wrong—she had just turned down seeing him today, and that wasn’t a crime, she felt bad for that. But if he saw her here, at a party, after telling him she was staying in? Yeah. That was going to be awkward and it sound be very dishonest on her part She could already imagine the teasing.Oh, I thought you were studying, Sophia?And worse, she wasn’t sure how she would explain it. She had planned to stay in, but Olivia and Mia had been too persistent. And maybe—just maybe—she had wanted a break after all.But none of that mattered right now. What mattered was avoiding Ryan at all costs."Hey, are you okay?" Olivia asked, noticing Sophia’s silence.Sophia quickly forced a smile. "Yeah! Just, uh, just checking something on my phone."Olivia nodded, clearly not suspicious. "You sure you don’t want to dance?""Positive," Sophia said quickly. "You guys go ahead.""Okay, suit yourself!" Olivia sh
Rising from the ash Chapter 90
Chapter 90As soon as they stepped through the open gates, the music seemed to double in volume, the deep bass vibrating through the air. The place was already packed, with people scattered across the front yard, laughing, drinking, and dancing. The energy was high—this was clearly the party of the weekend. Like the whole school was invited Sohpia hoped she wouldn't come across someone like Katrina or even worse ryan"Damn," Olivia muttered as she took in the crowd. "The person throwing this really didn’t hold back."Mia grinned. "I told you. Looks like The guy goes all out." Just as his girlfriend always bragged Sophia glanced around, already feeling slightly out of place. Parties weren’t exactly her thing, and the sheer number of people was a little overwhelming. They were all putting on expensive jewelry, carrying the biggest of phones they were clearly the wealthy type but she was not going to be swayed. She adjusted her dress slightly, trying to shake off the discomfort."Alrig
Rising from the ash Chapter 89
Chapter 89As soon as the ride pulled up outside their dorm, Sophia, Mia, and Olivia went downstairs and piled into the backseat, squeezing in together. The energy in the car was already electric, and Mia was practically bouncing in her seat with excitement."This is going to be so fun," she said, clapping her hands together. "I can't believe this is, like, our first official girls’ night out!"Olivia, who was sitting on the other side of Sophia, grinned as she pulled out her phone. "Alright, come on, girls, we have to take a picture before we get too distracted."Sophia groaned but leaned in anyway, knowing there was no escaping it. Olivia switched to selfie mode, angling the camera so all three of them could fit into the frame."Okay, everybody do something cute," Olivia instructed.Mia instantly threw up a peace sign, Sophia gave a reluctant but amused smile, and Olivia pursed her lips playfully before snapping a few pictures."Let me see," Mia said, leaning over Olivia’s shoulder
Rising from the ash Chapter 88
Chapter 88The ride to Zach’s place was mostly quiet, save for the occasional song playing from Ryan’s playlist. Lana sat in the passenger seat, her legs propped up on the dashboard as she absentmindedly scrolled through her phone. The party wasn’t starting for a few more hours, but since Zach was one of Ryan’s oldest friends—despite their history—he figured it would be easier to arrive early and get settled in before the place got too crowded. Lana, on the other hand, had her own reasons for tagging along early. She had packed her party outfit in a bag, planning to change at Zach’s instead of getting dressed at home. There was no way she was going to sit through an entire car ride in a tight dress and heels. She wanted to look perfect for it , and for Ryan also , she figured since he would be without a companion there, she could be like his plus one and she sure as hell wanted to look good for it As they pulled into Zach’s driveway, Ryan took a deep breath. He didn’t particularly
Rising from the ash Chapter 87
Chapter 87Justine shrugged, pretending to be indifferent even though her heart was hammering. “Well, yeah. I mean… was it weird for you?”Matt’s smirk deepened, his expression softening. “Weird?” he repeated. “Not even a little.”Her stomach flipped at the certainty in his voice.He tilted his head slightly, studying her with that same unreadable intensity. “What about you, how did it feel to you ?”She held his gaze, her lips curving into a small smile. “Not weird at all,it felt good if I am Being honest,” she admitted.Something shifted between them at that moment. The tension that had hung heavy in the air now turned into something else—something warmer, more electric.Matt leaned forward slightly, his voice lower now. “So… does that mean you liked it?”Justine felt heat on her neck, but she refused to look away. “I did.” She hesitated, then, with a small laugh, added, “Do you Want to do it again?”Matt exhaled a soft chuckle, shaking his head in amusement. “Are you sure about wha
Rising from the ash Chapter 86
Chapter 86Eleanor Walsh sat in the guest room, her hands folded in her lap, staring blankly at the window. It was almost midday and the sun was still out , but it did little to warm the kind of feeling inside her. She had been avoiding David since yesterday’s disastrous meeting, knowing full well that if they spoke, it would turn into a full-blown argument.She could still hear his voice from the boardroom, practically spitting in rage when she shut down the deal. “Do you even understand what you’ve done?” he had asked through clenched teeth as the investors left, their expressions unreadable.Yes, she understood perfectly. She had stopped him from making what she believed to be a huge mistake.David had been so furious that he hadn't even ridden home with her. Instead, he had taken a private car somewhere—she had no idea where, nor did she care to ask. It didn't matter to her at that moment. When he finally returned home, it was well past midnight. He had walked into their bedroom w
Rising from the ash Chapter 85
Chapter 85It wasn’t until close to noon that Sophia and her friends’ order finally arrived. By that time, Olivia had complained no less than ten times about how hungry she was, dramatically falling onto the bed and groaning every few minutes.“I swear, if that food doesn’t get here in the next five minutes, I might actually pass out,” Olivia whined, rolling onto her stomach and burying her face in her pillow.Mia snorted. “Relax, Liv. You act like you haven’t eaten in days.”“I might as well have! You don’t get it—I woke up starving, and Sophia’s generosity is the only thing keeping me alive right now,” Olivia said, turning to Sophia with puppy-dog eyes. “Thank you, by the way. I will never forget this.”Sophia chuckled, shaking her head. “You’re so dramatic. It’s just breakfast.”“No, it’s the breakfast,” Olivia corrected. “The one that will bring me back to life.”As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door, making all three girls pause for a second before Olivia sat up on the bed.“
Rising from the ash Chapter 84
Chapter 84A short while later, Justine stepped out and Matt led her to his car. She was trying so hard to ignore the fact that she was very nervous . He opened the door gently for her and she stepped in. They drove in comfortable silence, the radio playing a soft tune. The drive was a quiet one.Soon they arrived at his apartment, she wasn’t sure what she expected, but his place was surprisingly… homey. It wasn’t overly fancy, just warm and inviting. Like a bachelor wealthy enough to put up such a set up “Make yourself comfortable,” Matt said, setting the pizza and wine down on the coffee table.She sat on the couch, hugging a throw pillow as he grabbed two glasses and poured the wine. I don't know if I should say thank you for inviting me over but let's begin then "So, what movie are we watching?" she asked, accepting her glass.Matt smirked. "That depends—are you a rom-com kind of girl, or do you secretly enjoy thrillers?""Thrillers, obviously," she said without hesitat
Rising from the ash Chapter 83
Chapter 83Lana nodded, keeping her face neutral. “Sounds fun and you kind of look happy”Ryan narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s it? I thought you were going to drag me or at least drop one of your sarcastic remarks Lana shrugged, looking out the window. “What do you want me to say, Ryan? You’re clearly into her.”Ryan tilted his head. Something about her tone made him pause, but he brushed it off. “Yeah, I guess I am. She’s different, you know?”Lana forced a small smile. “Is it different?”Ryan nodded. “Yeah. But she turned me down today when I asked her to meet up.”Lana raised an eyebrow. “Ouch,that must hurt your ego.”Ryan sighed. “Yeah, but she said she had to catch up on notes, so it’s not that deep.”Lana scoffed. “Ryan, you have to start reading between the lines. Girls don’t always say what they mean.”Ryan smirked. “Oh? And what exactly do you mean when you say you’re ‘not into anyone’?”Lana froze for half a second before rolling her eyes. “Oh, shut up.”“No, seriously.
