07

~JADE~

I was awake long before the knock came.

Eva Axton was not only a nuisance to my mission but also a pest to my sleep.

“Kim?.” My brows lifted to see the Asian maid outside my room so early in the morning.

“I’m sorry. It's Mrs. Lopez. She asked that you get ready and come downstairs as soon as you can.”

Eva’s escaping figure the night before flashed before my eyes and I swallowed and tried to fix the maid a smile.

“Is everything alright?.”

“I think you have nothing to worry about,” Kim reassured and turned away just as swiftly as she had come.

I freshened up and made myself presentable in jeans and a lilac V-neck fitted top, then made my way to the common room where Mrs. Lopez was already waiting.

“Good day, Mrs. Lopez. You called for me?.”

The housekeeper’s eyes narrowed as they took in my outfit, then she gave a tight smile and handed over a package.

My brows lifted to realize it was a new phone.

“I have a phone, Mrs. Lopez.”

“It’s a work phone.” She explained. “You have a day off every week and your previous phone would be given to you only then. But while you are within the premises or on duty, you are only allowed to use this phone.”

I nodded, hiding my irritation at all the rules I had to follow and take note of. I hated being kept on a leash and being a glorified tutor to Eva meant I had to follow a truckload of them to remain.. employed.

“The young miss would be ready in five minutes. I phoned the school to inform them you would be coming.”

“Oh..” I uttered with a tinge of relief. At least Eva had enough decency to return and not run off with her friends, again.

“I introduced you as Eva’s private tutor for her ongoing test project and the principal would meet you upfront to get you settled in.”

The door opened and I squinted to see Eva three minutes earlier than calculated. She was fully dressed for school and did not look too happy to see me.

The feeling was mutual. If only there was a way to fulfill the mission without having to babysit the brat.

She scoffed and walked past us, stomping to the car.

Mrs.Lopez excused me. I followed Eva and settled in the backseat, next to her.

Her earphones were plugged in and she pretended I didn't exist throughout the drive. I made use of the free time to unbox and switch on the phone I had been given.

After many turns, the chauffeur finally drove in through the gates of an expensive high school and Eva turned to glare at me.

“I’ve upset Angel enough so I couldn’t turn down Mrs. Lopez’s instructions to let you come to school with me. What the hell was she even thinking to suggest that?.” She muttered the last words to herself and her brows tightened even further.

I could hear her clearly but I couldn’t look away from her eyes. They were red and swollen like she had been crying. Eva had concealed them with thick makeup and no one would notice unless they stood close enough.

I wondered what it was about.

The car came to a halt and the chauffeur came around but the girl wasn’t done talking.

“Now that we are here, Miss Chantel or should I say... Elena.”

“Know. Your. Place. Pretend you don’t know me and stay as far away from me as possible! How embarrassing!.”

She let herself out, almost hitting the poor chauffeur with the door, and disappeared at the entrance amongst a headful of noisy teenagers.

I flashed an apologetic smile to the chauffeur and watched the vehicle drive away.

“Hello? Miss Chantel?.” An elderly voice spoke up behind me.

Slightly startled, I came face to face with a smiley middle-aged man. He was short and stocky and appeared to have been expecting me.

Right. The principal.

“Hello.” I returned with a smile.

“I’m Principal James Dwyer. I was informed you’d be coming. Welcome to Aurora High.” He extended his hand for a shake and led the way in.

Principal Dwyer excitedly gave a short speech on the school’s history and curriculum as he gave me a tour of the grounds.

I followed, curious to see what sort of education Eva got there. I could vividly remember the scared look in her eyes when Angel threatened to have her removed from school the other day.

I had recognized it. Fear; It made the idea of regularly visiting Aurora High a little less terrible.

The girl barely dedicated time to her studies. I wished to know why she was so attached to school.

“I would have you know that the school has given a foundation to some of the most talented artists in the industry today. Eva’s mother, Camille was an alumna here herself, same as Angel and Salvatore, the Axton brothers. You see, it’s no wonder why the Axtons decided to let Eva school here.”

I paused. The Axton siblings had all schooled here. I had no idea.

I glanced at the hallway in front which led to Eva’s designated workshop with renewed interest. I had heard about Eva’s late mother, Camille, the Axton couple’s only daughter, but I had yet to meet Salvatore or either of the Axton couple or relatives.

“Miss Chantel?.” Principal Dwyer’s voice broke me out of my thoughts and I turned to him with widened eyes.

“Yes? I’m sorry, it’s just… since meeting Eva, I feel sorry whenever Camille is mentioned…”

“Oh. I apologize...”

“Nah... it’s alright. I didn’t have the chance to meet her but I can tell that she was an excellent person.”

“She was...” Principal Dwyer returned, his shoulders slightly slumped. “Last I saw her was many years ago. Eva reminds me so much of her.”

I smiled tightly as I looked away from the man and stared straight ahead at the row of rooms where I was to reunite with Eva.

Principal Dwyer’s grief brought a tinge of guilt, but I couldn’t resist the urge to ask a final question as we approached the doors.

“And Salvatore?.”

“Sorry?.” Principal Dwyer responded as if snapping out of a trance.

“Salvatore…What was he like?.” I swallowed, repeating my question. We had reached the door of the workshop but the principal was yet to respond.

He looked away with a tight-lipped smile. I noticed his hands grip the door handle a little too tightly before he let go and pushed it open.

Not wanting to push my luck any further. I stepped into the room after him.

Mannequins, industrial machines, and fabrics.

Three junior-year high schoolers, all looked up from their work as we walked in and I frowned when I realized that none of them was Eva.

“Where’s Eva?.”

The words were out before I knew it and the teenagers looked at me like I had asked the most awkward question.

“Anywhere but here.” The only male among the three scoffed.

“Stop it, Jordan.” One of the females scolded and came forward. “Eva rarely uses the workshop. You might catch up with her on the leisure grounds or with the...crew.”

Crew. Her friends.

I thanked the girl and turned to Principal Dwyer. His expression was stern and unreadable. “Thanks for the tour, Principal Dwyer. I’m sure you must be busy. Mind if I get a little direction to the leisure grounds? I’ve taken up most of your time and I need to find my ward. Right now.”

“Of course. But it's fine. Mind waiting in my office while I get someone to fetch Miss Axton instead?.”

_____

Principal Dwyer’s office was large and properly ventilated, but I couldn’t get my sweaty palms to behave.

His secretary had mentioned casually that the grounds were only ten minutes away, but I had been waiting for almost half an hour with neither the Principal nor Eva in sight.

Just when I had given up on sitting idly, the door flung open. Principal Dwyer and an unfamiliar man in security clothes rushed in.

The Principal seemed to have abruptly aged ten years in scarcely thirty seconds. His face was pale and his shoulders, slightly slumped. Gone was the cheerful smile on his face and all that was left was a grave expression.

“Miss Chantel… I’m afraid… Miss Axton’s been kidnapped.”