Caleb, Tommy, and Jake paid the bill and left the bar. Caleb, wanting desperately to go home and check up on Emily, got up to leave, and as he did, his mobile phone rang. Furrowing his eyebrows, he looked at the caller ID, and his eyes widened in shock."Sophia," he whispered.After their initial encounter at the Royal Palm Restaurant, he hadn't received any communication from her. Mr. Nat had provided him with Sophia's number to facilitate further interaction between them. Presumably, he must have shared his number with her as well.However, Sophia never took the initiative to reach out.Caleb stared at the caller ID displaying "Sophia" on his mobile for a few moments. His eyes shifted to the corner of the phone screen to check the time; it was quite late. A sense of concern crept over him as to why she was calling at this hour.Tommy noticed Caleb staring at his ringing phone, and as he leaned over, he caught sight of the name "Sophia" on the screen. A mischievous smile spread acro
He opened the package and began to count the money very slowly, pretending to be very serious. "You...you..." Amanda was temporarily at a loss of words. She glanced at Sophia who also had a tiny smile as she watched Caleb count the money. "No wonder everyone at College laughs at you. And no wonder your ex girlfriend Tracy broke up with you. You Don't have an onze of dignity in you. Your a freak who's ready to live on a woman's money... How can there be a man like you in this world....you..." Amanda ranted "A man like me ?" A strange look crossed his face as he looked at her "That's right! A man like you. A beggar, a loser!" She said with a snarl."Hehe..." she laughed at her own words.Even Sophia felt a little sorry for Caleb.Amanda was a very self-centered person."I'm not a loser, and I'm definitely not a beggar!" Caleb replied in a cold tone."But we'll see who behaves like a beggar!" Caleb said glaring at Amanda.Then, without hesitation, he picked up the money he had placed
Before Caleb could open the camera app on his phone to capture the stranger's image, Emily turned around to reach for her glass of wine on the table beside the couch. Her eyes caught Caleb looking down at his mobile through the gap of the semi-opened door."Caleb, you're back," she exclaimed, her surprise evident in her voice.Despite their heated argument the night before, she extended a remarkably warm greeting towards him."Yes, I ah just got back..." Caleb replied, his eyes flickering over to the stranger who stood up when he noticed Caleb.The stranger looked slightly stunned, at the intrusion, but managed to give a small smile. "This must be the friend you were talking about?""Yes, this is Caleb. He is a good friend as well as my neighbor," Emily replied with a soft tone. She strolled over to Caleb and whispered close to his ears, "This is King, you know, the guy I was telling you about. We just had dinner together, and he walked me back to my apartment. And he'svery sweet"
The realization hit hard; there seemed to be no way for him to reclaim control of his account, adding a layer of defeat to his already turbulent emotions.After a few futile attempts, he abandoned the idea of reclaiming the account on his own. Settling into a chair, a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him, both mentally and physically drained.Caleb had no choice but to wait for the imposter King to leave. He planned to gather information from Emily about the stranger. Armed with whatever details he could obtain, he intended to hand them over to Mr. Nat for a thorough investigation.The steady ticking of the clock echoed through the room, time inching forward at a sluggish pace. Caleb perched on the bed, eyes fixed on the clock's hands, gradually succumbing to drowsiness.Abruptly, a loud bang shattered the stillness outside his door, followed by a piercing scream."Ah!"The voice belonged to Emily.Upon hearing Emily's distressing scream, Caleb shot up from his seat, whispering h
"Looks like it's our lucky day, boys," he chuckled, then directed a serious gaze at William."Mr. Chan, also known as the inappropriate fan, asked us to investigate King and find out his true identity. We couldn't find a trace of him, but I didn't expect you to be here. Well, here you are! You just made our job so much easier..." he smirked.William's eyes widened at Harry's words, leaving him dumbfounded. The men's reaction was the opposite of what he had anticipated. He thought invoking the name King would instill fear and make them leave. However, being King seemed to have the opposite effect, as King appeared to be their boss's enemy.....William stood frozen, consumed by regret. Revealing himself as King was intended to have some significance and scare them away, but everything unfolded contrary to his expectations. The name had the opposite effect, further provoking the leader and his men.Caleb stood quietly by the door, a small smile playing on his lips. He was secretly please
"What kind of man are you? Doesn't his pain affect you? How can you witness someone in such agony and not offer help? You are not the man I thought you were. You disgust me!" she shouted at Caleb, her voice laced with disappointment and anger.Caleb held Emily's gaze, feeling the weight of disappointment in her eyes. He chose silence, acknowledging that whatever he said seemed to fall on deaf ears. In her perception, William's words held more weight than his.Emily forcefully wiped away tears from her cheek, and directed a sharp glare at Caleb."You really disappointed me Caleb!" She seethed"I can't believe that I was e er friends with you!"In the background, William's shrieks of pain persisted as the assault continued.Emily couldn't bare to look at William being beaten and so she glared at Caleb "I know why you are behaving so cold. I know why you are doing this! Why you are not helping William" she declared, locking eyes with him.Caleb looked at her, puzzled, awaiting further e
Watch your mouth, King! I wouldn't hesitate to land a few blows myself!" Harry snapped, his tone harsh and menacing."Just leave us alone, can't you see he needs to get to a hospital!" Emily pleaded, tears streaming down her face, her voice cracking with every other word.Harry, unfazed by her tears, sneered."So rude, you didn't even say please," he fake-sulked.Emily narrowed her eyes at him, fed up with his antics.At this point, Emily could only think of getting William to the hospital. He needed medical attention immediately. Therefore, she didn't want to waste any more time talking nonsense with Harry.Harry casually glanced down at his mobile and sighed."Alright, you can leave, since I said what I wanted to say. And you, Miss..." His eyes turning to focus on Emily."Three days... contract... don't forget."Emily just stared back without bothering to respond."Well, boys, our mission is finished here..."Harry's glare turned to look at William, who could barely see anything thr
"Caleb, get out of my way! What the hell is wrong with you? After tonight, you have no say in what I do or don't. I'm going to the hospital with William, the man you saw being brutally beaten but were too much of a coward to help. Yet now you stand here, demanding me not to take an injured man to the hospital. Why? Because of some stupid jealousy. Well, news flash, Caleb, you are not my friend anymore!" She stared at him, her eyes reflecting sadness. His hard expression softened slightly after hearing her words.He could see it on her face—the disappointment, the disgust. He could almost hear the unspoken question lingering on the tip of her tongue as she shifted her gaze from him to the door behind them."When did you become this messed up. So cold hearted?" She asked, shaking her head.She pushed past Caleb, dragging a limping William at her side, without giving a backward glance.Caleb observed Emily and the imposter walk away, sighing heavily and shaking his head in helpless frus
As Caleb began to walk out of the classroom, Professor Hanks reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks. Her eyes were filled with a mix of concern and disbelief."Caleb," she said softly but firmly, "I need you to tell me the truth. Did you steal that money?"Caleb looked down at her hand gripping his and then met her gaze. He could see the earnest plea in her eyes, the hope that he wasn't guilty. He took a deep breath, his expression calm and resolute."No, Professor Hanks," he replied quietly. "I didn't steal the money."Professor Hanks studied his face for a long moment, searching for any hint of deceit. Finally, she released his hand with a sigh, a flicker of hope still lingering in her eyes."Alright, Caleb," she said firmly, her grip still strong on his hand. "But don't stay silent like you did here. You need to defend yourself clearly when you see the headmaster. Speak the truth and avoid any unnecessary remarks. I'll do everything in my power to support you,
Jane’s eyes were fixed on Caleb, desperately waiting for him to say something, to shout, to scream his innocence. But he remained calm and collected, his gaze never wavering from Carl. Carl, noticing Caleb's unwavering calm, smirked and turned to Mr. Henderson. "Here's the proof, sir. Now it's up to you how you deal with this thief." Mr. Henderson glanced at Professor Hanks, who was staring at Caleb in shock, unable to reconcile the calm student with the accusations against him. Mr. Henderson nodded and said, "I can't believe after all this time we've actually caught the thief red-handed. Caleb, come with me to the staffroom. We will discuss further what we should do with you with the rest of the staff." Hearing Mr. Henderson's words, some students nodded in agreement, murmuring among themselves that Caleb should be punished. The accusation seemed to fit with the recent rumors and suspicions. However, those who were close to Caleb, especially Jake, Tommy, and Jane, were filled
The students stared at Caleb with disgust, their eyes shifting between him and the pouch on his desk. Whispers and pointed fingers only deepened the collective disdain. Many had always harbored suspicions about Caleb, simply because he was poor. Yet, in the last few months, something had changed. Caleb had started spending money freely, treating classmates to dinners in expensive restaurants, flaunting an attitude of newfound confidence. The sudden shift was startling. Now, with Jane's pouch found among his belongings, the students were convinced their suspicions were confirmed. To them, Caleb's recent spending spree must have been funded by stolen money from the college. The atmosphere was thick with judgment, the air filled with murmurs and pointed looks. No one seemed to remember the Caleb who once struggled quietly. Instead, they saw only the image of a thief, their minds made up by the damning evidence before them. "I can't believe it!" another student exclaimed, shock evident
"Well, Carl, after an hour, you'll regret what you're doing right now, and you will pay for what you have done." Carl narrowed his eyes at Caleb momentarily and chuckled, muttering under his breath, "Is that a threat?" Caleb didn’t bother to respond, his silence conveying more than words could. Carl shrugged off Caleb's words, confident that they were meaningless. What could a loser like Caleb do anyway? Carl's smirk grew as he unzipped the bag. He knew that as soon as the money was found, there would be no escape for Caleb. The whole class fell silent, the only sound being the slow, deliberate zip opening Caleb's bag. Kenneth leaned forward on his desk, casting a quick glance at Tracy, who had a small smirk playing on her lips. They knew that any moment now, their plan would come to fruition. On the other hand, Tommy and Jake watched nervously, their anxiety palpable. But the most anxious of all was Jane, the class monitor. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was
"I..." Caleb began, weighing his words carefully. Caleb paused for a moment, his mind racing as he processed the situation. He instinctively slid his hands into his pockets, a subtle gesture to calm his nerves. His gaze shifted towards Carl once more, observing the smug confidence etched on his face. It was becoming clear to Caleb that Carl wasn't acting on mere suspicion but had orchestrated this accusation deliberately. The reason for Carl's unwavering confidence in Caleb's guilt pointed to a calculated plan. As Caleb pondered Carl's motives, his eyes flickered briefly to his desk where his bag lay discarded underneath. He couldn't shake the sinking feeling that the money, the very evidence Carl was banking on finding, might have already been planted there. A surge of frustration and anger welled up within him, but he maintained his composure outwardly, preparing to address Professor Hanks and the rest of the class with clarity and conviction. He had been set up. As his
Professor Hanks's hand slammed down on the table with a resounding thud, instantly quelling the rising chatter that had filled the room. "Silence!" Her authoritative command cut through the noise like a knife, demanding the attention of every student present. Once the room had settled into a tense silence, she fixed her unwavering gaze on Caleb, her expression a blend of concern and determination. "Caleb," she began, her voice firm yet tinged with curiosity, "do you have anything to say?" Her eyes bore into his, silently urging him to speak up and address the accusations that had been thrown his way. Caleb paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before standing up. "What Carl said just now-his analysis of what could have happened-is very reasonable," he began, his voice calm and measured. "However, there is one small thing he seems to have forgotten to mention." Professor Hanks furrowed her eyebrows, clearly intrigued. "And what might that be?" she prompted, her gaze s
Mr. Henderson straightened his tie with an air of authority, smoothing back a few nonexistent strands of hair as he smiled at Professor Hanks. "Just before you arrived, we may have made some progress regarding the thief," Mr. Henderson announced, his voice projecting across the room. He briefly glanced over at Caleb, who met his gaze with a mixture of curiosity and concern. Professor Hanks furrowed her eyebrows, her expression shifting to one of focused curiosity. Stepping closer to Mr. Henderson, she asked in a firm tone, "What progress have you made?" Mr. Henderson's smile widened slightly, relishing the attention from Professor Hanks. Leaning in slightly, he lowered his voice as if sharing a confidential matter. "Before you got here, Carl accused Caleb of being the thief." Professor Hanks's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She scanned the room until her gaze landed on Caleb, who met her look with a disbelief apprehension. Carl stood smugly with his arms folded across his ches
Mr. Henderson's expression shifted from annoyance to cautious interest. He fixed Carl with a penetrating stare. "You know who it is, Carl? Thrn enlighten us" he demanded, his voice low and serious, cutting through the chatter in the classroom. Carl took a deep breath, steeling himself before speaking again. "It's..." He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his words carefully. The suspense in the room was palpable, each second feeling like an eternity as everyone waited for him to continue. As tension hung thick in the air of the classroom, Carl stood up abruptly, his face wearing a confident smirk. His words cut through the silence like a knife. "The thief is amongst us," Carl declared, his voice echoing off the walls, "and he is sitting in this room right now!" A collective gasp rippled through the classroom as students exchanged shocked glances. Whispers erupted like a sudden storm, as everyone began to scrutinize their classmates with newfound suspicion. Mr. Henderson, hi
The professor's glare bore into Jane with unmasked frustration. "Do you have any brains ! Thats what happebscwhen you dont listen!" he bellowed, his voice echoing off the classroom walls. "I explicitly warned all students on the notice board to be vigilant with their belongings, knowing there's a thief among us. Yet you, young lady, have managed to have the entire class's fees stolen. And you dare call yourself a class monitor!"His words stung like a whip cracking through the air, each syllable laced with disappointment and accusation. The classroom seemed to shrink under the weight of his condemnation, leaving Jane visibly shaken under the harsh spotlight of Professor Henderson's scrutiny.Jane stood frozen under the professor's harsh gaze, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to find her voice amidst the palpable tension in the room."I... I'm sorry, Mr. Henderson," she stammered, her words coming out in a rush. "I... I didn't mean to... I thought... I thought it would be s