"Felix White?" Wide-eyed, Zara exclaimed. She shot me a quick glance before promptly shielding me from him. She stared at him cautiously. With her right foot forward, she assumed an offensive stance and said, "What do you want?"Zara had been athletically gifted as a child. She picked up kickboxing at the age of five and received quite a few awards since then. Most men wouldn't be able to get within reach of her. Going against Felix, who was as skinny as a twig, was hardly a challenge.During high school, no one in our entire friend group was ever picked on because of her. At the smallest inconvenience that we encounter, she would promptly jump to our defense. The reputation of her intimidating kicks terrorized the entire school. When I was berated by Felix back then, she had wanted to beat him up multiple times. However, I stopped her from doing so. I wasn't afraid, nor did I feel bad for him. I just didn't want her to waste her energy on my personal matters.With Zara present,
My head was a mess. It was filled with endless thoughts and worries. "Are you wearing enough layers, Colin? Please remember to keep yourself warm! Also, I miss you. Could you send me a photo?" I sent a text.There was no response. My chest felt constricted. I felt like crying, but my eyes were so dry they couldn't form any tears.Zara exited the shower and caught me blanking out. She promptly sat down next to me and pinched my cheeks. "Don't overthink it. We know what kind of person he is," she comforted me softly.I held my phone in front of her. She lowered her eyes and took a quick glance. Her gaze lingered for a moment before she said, "In the digital age, it's so easy to create a false impression via a single photo. "Even if there is something going on, Colin would definitely tell you about it in person. You need to trust his character, as well as your taste in men—at least after you turned 20."I used to worship Felix like a god before I turned 18. That essentially me
I held back a laugh. How could it not sound familiar? They had the same surname.Based on her expression, it didn't seem like she was lying. She didn't know who Winston was. I still felt like something was going on between them, though. It was odd that they got into a fight right after they met at the airport. They didn't even ask for each other's names.I wanted to know the truth really badly. Hence, I promptly sent Winston a text. I asked him if he was back at his dorm yet. I also asked if he was injured while subtly asking if he knew Chris.Half an hour passed, and I received no response. Tired of waiting, I cast my phone aside and headed to sleep.We studied at the same college and painted at Crystal House together. There were plenty of opportunities to meet. There was no rush. I would just ask him when I was able to get around to it.It didn't matter who Winston was. It wouldn't change the fact that Zara broke up with a cheating bastard.I had a chaotic dream. Some of the
Unfortunately, he had underestimated Zara. Perhaps it would've been more fitting to say that he never got to know her at all. When he used brute force on her, she utilized her experience in martial arts and flipped him over her shoulder.After he let out a pained cry, Chris lay on the ground. Fighting back the pain that was coursing through his body, he shot Zara a look of disbelief and exclaimed, "Did you just hit me?"Zara dusted her body. Then, she jabbed her finger toward him and said, "Do you know how well I've been treating you for the last few years now? I'm warning you. Stay away from me, or else." Her tone was calm but laced with a hint of sarcasm.After she turned to leave, I followed suit. I was utterly impressed by her shoulder throw. Instead of signing up for a defense class, I wanted to learn directly from her instead. With enough practice, I, too, would definitely be able to flip someone over like she did.Slightly concerned, I reached out to take her hand in mine.
Surprised by my question, Winston paused. But he answered truthfully, "That jerk is my uncle's second son. He used to be an outstanding guy, and my parents always told me to take him as a role model. Who knew he'd go astray and embarrass the Moyers?"It turned out that Chris was Winston's cousin. That meant they were as close as biological brothers."He always has the same poker face, never smiles, and acts all high and mighty. In reality, he's just using his cold appearance to hide his dirty and vile heart. But some people still choose to stay with him and think he's someone they can trust for life. Love sure is blind."As Winston said the last sentence, he grew agitated. He raised his hand and angrily snapped a branch off a nearby tree."Who's that someone you're talking about?" I quickly picked up on the key point.He would probably give me a vague answer."Your best friend. Who else? Despite never feeling loved, she wasted so many years on him. It's such a waste of time."He
That evening, I shared the story with Zara over dinner, but she didn't seem surprised. She simply said that she never wanted anything to do with Chris again. It didn't matter to her who got punished or how severely. She was focused on serving the public now.Zara had found a job. She had a fifth-degree black belt in kickboxing and was a law graduate with excellent grades. She was hired by the city's police department for her impressive academic record, clean background, strong combat skills, sharp mind, quick reflexes, and high loyalty. After passing her probation period, she would become an official officer.Zara seemed slightly happier after finding a job. She smiled more often now and confidently said she would be the best officer. It looked like she was gradually forgetting the pain Chris had brought her.Soon, she would move on and start a new life like Queenie.However, I couldn't shake the feeling that Winston was interested in Zara. On the other hand, Zara seemed not only
Professor King was the only person I could think of to turn to for help.I hadn't been able to reach Colin at all for the past nine days. Yet, Jasmine's social media was always full of updates about him.Although I was angry, I felt somewhat reassured.At least, seeing Colin's presence in her posts meant he was safe. But the fact that she could update her social media and Colin couldn't made me suspect she was controlling him.If my suspicion was correct, I had to rescue him. I couldn't let him struggle alone. I knew Colin would do the same for me if our roles were reversed.I thought about asking Andrew for help and even considered involving Matthew. But they represented their families, and involving them could escalate the issue. Besides, their families owned prominent businesses. There might be a conflict of interest. I didn't want to complicate things for them.Hence, I decided to only turn to them as a last resort.Professor King, however, taught at the college and was part
There was now a wall between me and Felix. No matter what he did, he couldn't bridge the gap. Even if his worry was genuine and he was truly here for Colin's safety, it wouldn't ease my resentment toward him.Sitting next to him would just give me anxiety.I pulled a chair from the side and sat at the edge of the small rectangular table, placing myself between Professor King and Felix."Professor King, Colin has been out of contact for nine days. Do you know anything about his situation?" I sniffled. Tears began streaming down my face again."Don't worry. I'm here to talk to Professor King about Colin as well. "Professor King, we have no direct connections with the Taylor Group or any way to get any information. Besides, the college has been highly secretive. I reached out to them, and they assured me of Colin's safety but wouldn't divulge more. They claimed it was commercial confidentiality. "I've been keeping this from my parents, but they won't be in the dark for long. Colin