Sniffling, I rubbed my damp eyes and said, "Thanks, Professor King.""You don't look so well. Take care of yourself. If anything crops up and your help is needed, I'm afraid you can't handle it in your current condition.""I got it. I'll eat well when I get home."Professor King chuckled. "You're a funny one. Don't worry too much. I'll tell you the truth. If it's needed, I'll use my personal authority to ensure Colin's safety."His promise calmed my heart. With his help, Colin would be fine.…When I returned home, Zara wasn't home yet. In the afternoon, she sent me a text saying that the system had a closed training for new joiners, which would begin tomorrow. Today, she would be home later than usual because she had to help the bureau with headcount and stuff. I switched off the screen of my cell phone and paced into the kitchen to prepare dinner. After Andrew's careful training and my own observation, I had made tremendous progress in cooking. Besides scrambled eggs, I c
"One step at a time? You're taking it too lightly. He's alone out there without anyone he can trust by his side. Aren't you afraid that the evil witch will get him when he isn't looking for a second?"Tugging my headphones, Queenie asked me a deep question. It appeared that she wouldn't let me off until I gave her a satisfactory answer.She wasn't forcing me but using her means to make me see the reality. Because of her question, my rather good mood sank into the pits.She was asking the obvious. Of course, I was more afraid than I could put into words!Lifelessly, I dragged my feet to the living room and plopped onto the couch in a daze. My spirits, which had somewhat received comfort from Professor King's plan during the day, plummeted again.Queenie's question was my biggest concern.I had trust in Colin's love for me. He would never do anything to hurt me, but Jasmine was different. Her aim was to make Colin hers and keep him forever. Even though she was aware that Colin ha
My heart shuddered. What did she mean by a special situation? Did she mean drunk, drugged, or hypnotized?I wondered if Queenie was truly my good friend. Why did she put a stake through my heart? I had been assuring myself that Colin would be fine, but here she came, sounding as though Colin would be in trouble. Was she here to comfort me or to make me more anxious?"I believe that Colin can control himself. As long as he's alive, he'll protect himself." Silently, I encouraged myself and also Colin.Whatever it was, I couldn't lose in morale. First, we would need to boost our morale before we had the confidence to take care of things afterward.Seeing how sure I was, Queenie kicked my calf in annoyance. "What makes you so sure?""Colin's love for me."For a moment, Queenie was dumbstruck. "Goodness! Lulu, why did you turn out like this after not seeing you for a mere few days? I don't think you're sure of the situation. Instead, you're just weak and useless!"Yes, she was righ
Andrew, who had been attending to the three of us, spoke to me seriously when he refilled Queenie's bowl, "Luna, if you need my help, I can ask my men to investigate it. Just let me know whenever you need help. I'm always ready."In other words, he promised to use his family's power to help when it was absolutely necessary. Queenie accepted the bowl of soup Andrew had graciously filled for her and smiled gently. She was pleased with Andrew's proposition.His words were the succor that stopped me from spiraling. I had a newfound clarity. Indeed, I was surrounded by good friends who were eager to help me. I was not alone.While Jasmine was powerful, she could not hold a candle to the Lamberts' influence. Andrew, Colin, and Xavier had told me that many times. And since Andrew wanted to marry one of my best friends, he wanted to get on my good side. To achieve that, he was willing to do me a favor.Now, he wasn't doing it just for me. He was doing it so that he could ask for Queenie's
My heart pounded faster, and I felt blood surging to my head. That was Colin—the Colin I had been pining over, worrying about the past few days. He looked safe and sound. He might have lost some weight, but the light in his eyes was still there.I took in his face greedily in the photo, quickly becoming emotional. Oh, Colin. He was perfectly fine. Why didn't he return my calls or reply to my texts? What happened to him? I caressed the face I missed so much until warm tears fell on my hands, searing my skin.The caption read, "Winter is cold, but I feel warm when I'm around you."Sheesh. Was she trying to promote a heater or something? As I cussed at her internally, she uploaded another post. The photo ignited my rage and made me furious.In the photo were two hands, one big and one small, wearing the same rings. The big hand belonged to Colin because the lucky bracelet I made for him was on the wrist. Needless to say, the smaller hand belonged to Jasmine.It was a cliché trick oft
Also, I ended the lucky bracelet with a square knot while the one on the hand in the photo was tied with a bowline knot. Even the color of the bracelet was slightly different.Jasmine truly did not think it through when she was pulling the trick. She must have assumed that I couldn't distinguish the differences and tried to fool me with a counterfeit. She thought she was smart, but her arrogance had just backfired on her. I wish I could be there to expose her embarrassing trick.Perhaps in her eyes, I was a foolish girl who relied on Colin for everything. She assumed that I knew nothing other than being possessive.After I posted my comment, people stopped commenting. Both Jasmine and I studied at Lincoln University, so we had many mutual friends. Those who commented knew that Jasmine had had a crush on Colin for many years.They were misled by Jasmine's post and offered their word of congratulations. Now, they had found out that it was just an elaborate scheme. I wondered what Jas
"It's a good citizen's responsibility to humble a scheming bitch." I shook hands with Zara, showing my solidarity. She laughed for a while before asking me a serious question, "Jasmine is rich and powerful. She might not be as beautiful as you, but she's above average."Those who date her won't have to work as hard to achieve a bright future. All men have their ambitions. No one in this world would turn a shortcut down. Colin is already a promising man. With Jasmine's help, he'll become successful almost immediately."Lulu, what makes you so sure he'll remain loyal to you forever?"Listening to her concerns, I was nearly moved to tears. Zara was right. Jasmine was a great catch, and many men would want to marry her. Yet Colin would never be one of those men.Why? Because Colin had integrity and humility. He craved success, but he preferred to earn it with his bare hands. He knew what he wanted and what he needed to do to achieve his goals. Most importantly, he loved me. A love th
Zara looked at me in shock for a while. Then, sadness briefly appeared on her face as she mumbled, "Urgh, I shouldn't have asked you that question because you're just going to flaunt your love with Colin in front of me. As someone who was recently dumped, I definitely didn't ask for this."If I catch myself running my mouth again, I should slap myself."The world was dark outside. And without sun, the wintry night was cold. Yet I felt warm because my heart was full of love. Recalling the moments I shared with Colin and the love he gave me, my heart was filled with tenderness.Oh, Colin. He loved me so much, and I loved him deeply too. We were fighting for our future together, so how could it ever fail? The hardships and setbacks would pass eventually. We would overcome them all. That was what I told myself.At night, I lay on the bed and scrolled my phone. I saw Colin's photo and learned that he was safe and sound. I felt triumphant after that fight with Jasmine because I had defen