Richard reluctantly collected the letter from the HOD as the man walked away without saying a single word.
The HOD was a middle aged man of very few words, he barely said much but his actions usually spoke with volume.Richard tore off the seal on the envelope and slowly unfolded the neatly folded paper inside.In this envelope contained a letter.The students immediately recognized what it was because it was the exact same envelope that was handed to Mark David the very day he got expelled.It was definitely an expulsion letter.The look on Richard’s ace changed the instant he read the letter.His heart dropped as the feeling of embarrassment and sadness loomed all over him.Richard finally left the stage and went out to the school’s parking lot where he had parked his All white Range Rover.He rolled his right palm into a fist and punched it against the window, creating a few cracks in the tinted glas“Oh, my darling,” Mr Issac said as he gave his daughter a hug.“I thought you wouldn’t come to visit your father”“Dad…If I don’t, who will?” The girl asked as she lightly chuckled at Mr. Issacs childish thoughts.“Pardon me Mr. Vincenzo”“This is my daughter Jessica”“Jessie this is Mr. Vincenzo, the new heir of the Chin Chain consortium”She was surprised to hear that.Usually, the heir to most of these consortiums were old men and in fewer cases middle aged.This is because they spend more than half of their entire lives growing the consortium and working their way to the top.She took a brief glance at Vincent with a flirty gaze, maintaining deep eye contact as she shook hands with him.“Pleased to meet you” She said in a soft voice as she continued to stare at him.Merely looking at Jessica, one would describe her as a goddess, the way she looked, spoke and comforted herself was e
The entire ride home was a very quiet one as the only thing that could be heard was the whistling of the wind hitting against the windows and cars that sped past theirs.Vincent and Jane finally arrived at Ms. Anna’s residence after a short drive.Vincent alighted from the car and proceeded to the passengers seat in the front.Just as he was about to open the door for her, she helped herself to it and alighted from teh car as she picked her purse and walked away without saying a word to him.“Jane, are you okay?” Vincent asked feeling concerned by the way she acted.She turned back to look at him with a straight face “I’m fine”“Go home, It’s late” She said whhile maintaining the look n her face as she faced forward and continued to walk toward’s the main entrance to the house.Vincent got into his car, intending to drive back home.He knew that something was wrong and Jane did not seem too happy with him “But what wcould the matter be?”. He thought to himself as he started the caHis
“What about the office itself??” Richard asked with a puzzled look on his face as he seemed to be getting even more confused by the minute.“Sir, the address you provided was a hotel, It’s a well known hotel along Maple Residential Area” “There were also no banners at those areas that you claimed to have seen some”Vincent’s eyes widened as he felt the ground beneath him crack.The Attorney’s words had just sent a cold chill down his spine.His mind drifted to several places at once as he couldn’t think of anything at that moment.Richard stayed that way for a moment, taking time to properly digest the fact that he was doomed and there was absolutely nothing that he could do about it.His body suddenly turned cold as he had his eyes fixed on the desk staring at nothing in particular with an empty void look on his face.“You said that they sent you an email once, right?” The attorney’s voice resounded in the overly quiet office as it snapped Richard out of his trance.Richard’s ey
“You mean Vincent?” “Exactly Dad, that guy”“I thought he already had someone else”“No dad, they’re just friends”“I see…..So you're only willing to prolong your stay only because of him”The relaxed look on Jessica’s face vanished and replaced itself with a look of surprise before she replied sarcastically “Dad…You've started twisting my words, that’s not what I meant” “By the way dad, do you perhaps have his contact?”“Of course Jessie, how’d you think I invited him to the party? Through telepathy?”“No, actually, I thought you summoned him through a mirror” Jessica rolled her eyes playfully, knowing that her father was just being sarcastic as always.Jane was in no mood to talk that night so she freshened up and went straight to bed that night.The next day, she finally decided to open up to her mother during lunch time.She narrated what happened the entire day, right from when the graduation ceremony, down to the incident at Mr. Issac’s residence.She told her mother about Jes
The drive to the car dealership was not a very short one as they seemed to have journeyed for quite a while.On the way there, Vincent asked that they make a stop at an eatery.When Samuel came across the next eatery, he alerted Vincent and made a stop beside it.Vincent walked out of the car to get something to eat since he didn’t finish his breakfast out of excitement that morning.As he got closer to the entrance of the eatery, he turned back to realise that Samuel was not behind him.Noticing this, he walked back to the car and knocked on the front passenger-seat window.Samuel rolled down the window for him “Aren't you coming with me?”“Don’t worry sir, im fine”“Don’t be ridiculous, I insist”“Fine sir” Samuel gave a sigh of defeat, finally giving up on his strong headed refusal as he got out of the car and followed Vincent into the eatery.They went into the restaurant and ordered some takeaway meals and drinks which they carried into the car.They continued their journey and n
The manager checked his phone to see the notification as a smile plastered his lips.“Nice doing business with you Mr. Vincenzo, I have received the alert”“What!” Elizabeth was completely confused as she didn’t realise when she accidentally said that out loud.Vincent ordered that the car be driven to his place that very day and gave the Manager the address of his residence.Everyone dispersed leaving Elizabeth alone in utter disbelief as cold shock waves ran through her body.Samuel and Vincent walked out of the car dealership and drove back home while the manager walked away as he called two of his boys to attend to the delivery.Elizabet was still there trying very hard to understand what had just transpired.“Was it all real?”“Was he actually real now”“Or was he just pretending when in reality, the tall blonde guy was behind all the wealth that Vincncent claimed to have acquired?”These thoughts ran through her mind as she couldn't place a finger on one thing.To clear these do
It didn’t take long before Elizabeth arrived at a giant mansion that was coloured in white and grey, along with a tag and a number by the side.“THE VINCENZO RESIDENCE” The black tag was attached to the wall spelt boldly in gold letters.Struck by amazement, Elizabeth couldn’t believe that Vincent lived there now.Her mind was still filled with so many doubts but she was somewhat convinced when she noticed the red sports car that he came to purchase earlier.Seeing that, she was certain that she wasn’t at the wrong house.She knocked on the gate for a while before someone finally came to answer her.“Good Afternoon Miss” The chef said with a smile.When Vincent got the call from the residence security office earlier, he ordered his chef to attend to his incoming visitor and to also inform her that he wasn’t around while he stayed upstairs in his room.He put his plans for Elizabeth on hold because a sudden matter arose.It didn’t take Vincent a very long time to notice what was going
Their night had already come to an end as Jessica couldn’t stand the evening any longer.Everything felt so tacky to her, the restaurant, the car and even the water she drank there.She couldn’t believe all that Vincent told her at dinner.All the air in her lungs suddenly stopped flowing as she immediately started coughing.“What’s wrong” Vincent immediately stood up and ran to her side of the table to offer her some water which she refused.“I’m fine”“Just take me home” She said as she got up from her chair and hurriedly walked out of the restaurant, leaving him alone at the table.Vincent ran out to the parking lot, trailing behind Jessica.“Are yo….Vincent I’m fine”“I don’t feel too good, please just take him home”“If you say so then”Before Vincent could open the door for her to enter the car, she quickly helped herself to it.Vincent retreated and went to the other side of the car, getting in as he drove off.Their drive was a very quiet one as they both had nothing to say to
Closing her eyes, Irene unspooled her magic into a gentle, probing thread, and laid a palm on that splattered star atop his spine.The cold slammed into her, spikes of it firing through her blood and bones.Irene reeled back as if she’d been given a physical blow.Cold and dark and anger and agony—She clenched her jaw, fighting past this echo in the bone, sending that thread-thin probe of power a little farther into the dark.The pain would have been unbearable when it hit him.Irene pushed back against the cold—the cold and the lack and the oily, unworldly wrongness of it.No magic of this world, some part of her whispered. Nothing that was natural or good. Nothing she knew, nothing she had ever dealt with.Her magic screamed to draw back that probe, move away—“Irene .” His words were far away while the wind and blackness and emptiness of it roared around her—And then that echo of nothingness … it seemed to awaken.Cold filled her, burned along her limbs, creeping wider, encirc
“Will it be hours every day that you work on him?” Nesryn’s words were steady, almost flat, and yet … The woman was not a creature who took well to a cage. Even a gilded one such as this.“I would recommend,” Irene said to Nesryn over a shoulder, “that if you have other duties or tasks to attend to, Captain, these hours would be a good time for that. I shall send word if you are needed.”“What about moving him around?”The lord’s eyes flashed at that.And though Irene was predisposed to chuck them both to the ruks, she noted the lord’s simmering outrage and self-loathing at the words and found herself saying, “I can handle most of it, but I believe Lord Westfall is more than capable of transporting himself.”Something like wary gratitude shot across his face. But he just said to Nesryn, “And I can ask my own damn questions.”Guilt flashed across Nesryn’s face, even as she stiffened. But she nodded, biting her lip, before she murmured to Vincent , “I had some invitations yesterday.”
Vincent shot Irene back an equally displeased look the moment Kashin paused to sip his wine, and then launched question after question to the prince regarding his life. Helpful information, he realized, about their army.He was not the only one who realized it. Arghun cut in while his brother was midsentence about the forges they had constructed near their northern climes, “Let us not discuss business at dinner, brother.”Kashin shut his mouth, ever the trained soldier.And somehow Vincent knew—that fast—that Kashin was not being considered for the throne. Not when he obeyed his eldest brother like any common warrior. He seemed decent, though. A better alternative than the sneering, aloof Arghun, or the wolflike Hasar.It did not entirely explain Irene ’s utter need to distance herself from Kashin. Not that it was any of his business, or of any interest to him. Certainly not when Irene ’s mouth tightened if she so much as turned her head in Vincent ’s direction.He might have calle
Vincent waited until Nesryn had been gone for a good thirty minutes before he summoned Kadja. She’d been waiting in the exterior hallway and slipped inside his suite mere moments after he’d called her name. Lingering in the foyer, he watched the serving girl approach, her steps light and swift, her eyes downcast as she awaited his order.“I have a favor to ask you,” he said slowly and clearly, cursing himself for not learning Halha during the years Levi had studied it.A dip of the chin was her only answer.“I need you to go down to the docks, to wherever information comes in, to see if there’s any news about the attack on Rifthold.” Kadja had been in the throne room yesterday—she’d undoubtedly heard about it. And he’d debated asking Nesryn to do some searching while she was out, but if the news was grimhe didn’t want her learning it alone. Bearing it alone, all the way back up to the palace. “Do you think you could do that?”Kadja lifted her eyes at last, though she kept her head
She’d known his age, but Irene had still not expected the former captain to look so … young.She hadn’t done the math until she’d walked into that room and seen his handsome face, a mix of caution and hope written across the hardened, broad features.It was that hope that had made her see red. Had made her ache to give him a matching scar to the slender one slicing across his cheek.She’d been unprofessional in the most horrific sense. Never—never had she been so rude and unkind toward any of her patients.Mercifully, Hasar had arrived, cooling her head slightly. But touching the man, thinking of ways to help him …She had not meant to write the list of the last four generations of Towers women. Had not meant to write her mother’s name over and over while pretending to record his information. It had not helped with the overwhelming roaring in her head.Sweating and dusty, Irene burst into Hadiza ’s office nearly an hour later, the trek from the palace through the clogged, narrow str
He tried not to flinch. Even Nesryn blinked at the frank question.“Yes,” he said tightly, fighting the heat rising in his cheeks.She looked between them, assessing. “Have you used it to completion?”He clenched his jaw. “How is that relevant?” And how had she gleaned what was between them?Irene only wrote something down.“What are you writing?” he demanded, cursing the damned chair for keeping him from storming to rip the paper out of her hands.“I’m writing a giant no.”Which she then underlined.He growled, “I suppose you’ll ask about my bathroom habits now?” “It was next on my list.”“They are unchanged,” he bit out. “Unless you need Nesryn to confirm.” Irene merely turned to Nesryn, unruffled. “Have you seen him struggle withit?”“Do not answer that,” he snarled at Nesryn.Nesryn had the good wits to sink into a chair and remain quiet.Irene rose, setting down the pen, and came around the desk. The morning sunlight caught in her hair, bouncing off her head in a corona.She
So Vincent had, half paying attention to the meal unfolding before him, half monitoring every word and glance and breath of those around him.Despite their youngest sister’s death, the heirs made the meal lively, conversation flowing, mostly in languages Vincent did not know or recognize. Such a wealth of kingdoms in that hall, represented by viziers and servants and companions—the now-youngest princess, Duva, herself wedded to a dark-haired, sad-eyed prince from a faraway land who kept close to his pregnant wifeand spoke little to anyone around him. But whenever Duva smiled softly at himVincent did not think the light that filled the prince’s face was feigned. And wondered if the man’s silence was not from reticence but perhaps not yet knowing enough of his wife’s language to keep up.Nesryn, however, had no such excuse. She’d been silent and haunted at dinner. He’d only learned that she’d bathed before it thanks to the shout and slamming door in her chambers, followed by a huff
Hadiza ’s face darkened. Not with ire, but memory. “I was once asked to heal a man who was injured while evading capture. After he had committed a crime so unspeakable … The guards told me what he’d done before I walked into his cell. They wanted him patched up so he could live to be put on trial. He’d undoubtedly be executed—they had victims willing to testify and proof aplenty. Eretia herself saw the latest victim. His last one. Gathered all the evidence she needed and stood in that court and condemned him with what she had seen.”Hadiza ’s throat bobbed. “They chained him down in that cell, and he was hurt enough that I knew … I knew I could use my combat to make the internal bleeding worse. They’d never know. He’d be dead by morning, and no one would dare question me.” She studied the vial of blue tonic. “It was the closest I have ever come to killing. I wanted to kill him for what he had done. The world would be better for it. I had my hands on his chest—I was ready to do it. Bu
Of all the rooms in the Torre Cesme, Irene Towers loved this one best.Perhaps it was because the room, located at the very pinnacle of the pale-stoned tower and its sprawling complex below, had unparalleled views of the sunset over Antica.Perhaps it was because this was the place where she’d felt the first shred of safety in nearly ten years. The place she had first looked upon the ancient woman now sitting across the paper- and book-strewn desk, and heard the words that changed everything: You are welcome here, Irene Towers.It had been over two years since then.Two years of working here, living here, in this tower and in this city of so many peoples, so many foods and caches of knowledge.It had been all she’d dreamed it would be—and she had seized every opportunity, every challenge, with both hands. Had studied and listened and practiced and saved lives, changed them, until she had climbed to the very top of her class. Until an unknown healer’s daughter from Benjamin was appr