Cassandra's eyes shone with warmth as she settled into the comfy chair, her gaze softening on Luna, who was lounging on her cozy bed. "Luna," she called out, her voice filled with gentle affection.
Luna's eyes fluttered open, a hint or spark of curious flicking across her face. "What?"
"I just wanted to invite you to the school festival," Cassandra said, a sly grin spreading across her face.
Luna's face lit up with a warm smile, and her eyes sparkled with delight, encouraging Cassandra to continue.
"What festival?" Luna asked, her voice tingled with excitement, her eyes wide with anticipation, as she leaned forward, eager to hear the answer.
Cassandra's face lit up with excitement. "The famous festival hosted at Yale, every year! You don't know about it?"
Luna raised an eyebrow, her tone dripping with disinterest. "Common, I'm not interested."
Cassandra's grin grew wider. "Oh, come on! Everyone's invited! And... George and his duo will be there."
Luna's expression remained impassive, but Cassandra knew she'd hit a nerve.
"I'm not coming for the activities," Luna said, her voice laced with disinterest. "Why are you so keen on me going?"
Cassandra's eyes sparkled. "Because I need a wingman... or rather, a wingwoman."
Luna sighed, her eyes rolling heavenward. "Why don't you go alone?"
Cassandra's face lit up with a radiant smile, her eyes sparkling with genuine delight, completely captivating. "Luna, please... just do this one thing for me. I can't go alone."
The air hung heavy with hesitation, Luna's silence speaking volumes. Finally, she spoke, her voice resigned. "Fine... just this time. And I won't do any more favors."
Cassandra squealed, bouncing up from the chair. "Yay! I'll take that as a yes!"
As she settled back into the chair, her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "By the way, do you have eyes on someone you're crushing on recently?"
Luna's expression turned guarded, her eyes flashing with surprise. "Why do you ask?"
Cassandra leaned back, her voice remained open and casual. "Just that... I've never heard you talk about relationships. Are you secretly crushing on someone?"
"Not that I don't like relationships... I just haven't seen my type." Lunas' face remains impassive as she spoke.
Cassandra's expression turned somber, her eyes clouding over with concern. "Ah, but that's because you haven't met the right person yet! I could introduce you to all my female friends at the festival—"
Luna's laughter cut her off, a warm, throaty sound that made Cassandra's eyes light up.
"why introduce me?," Luna said, her voice firm. "I'm okay by myself."
Cassandra's smile never wipped as she stood up, her eyes sparkling with determination. "I'll make it interesting, Luna. Just you wait."
Luna dashed out of her dorm at 7pm, hunger pangs gnawing at her stomach. She sprinted towards the nearby cafe, her eyes fixed on the warm glow of the sign. In her haste, she collided with a solid figure, bouncing off him with a soft "oomph".
And of course it's George Robert, whom she had bump into. He glared down at her, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "Watch where you're going, nerd," he sneered, pushing her away with a force that sent her tumbling to the ground.
Luna's scream echoed through the air as her butt hit the pavement, the pain searing through her like a branding iron. Desmond, who was there at the incident chimed in, "Do you need attention or something?" The group erupted into laughter, their mocking gazes like a thousand needles piercing Luna's skin.
But she refused to break. With a Herculean effort, she stood up, her reddish eyes blazing with tears. "Fools like you would never understand anyone's pain," she spat, her voice dripping with defiance.
George's face turned thunderous, his eyes narrowing into slits. "What did you say?" He stalked closer, his voice dripping with menace. "Fools like you do nothing but look for attention." He said coldly as his eyes was fixed at her.
The crowd's laughter grew louder, a cacophony of cruelty that followed Luna as she turned and walked away, her dignity intact.
James, the quiet observer, noticed the pain she tried to hide. He pretended to use the restroom as he excused himself, following Luna at a distance. As he caught up, he found her struggling to move, her injury clearly worse than she'd let on.
Without a word, he stepped forward, offering his support. Luna's eyes widened as she realized who it was, and she jerked away, her voice laced with fear. "Why are you here? Why are you not with your friends? Are you trying to hurt me again?"
James held up his hands, his expression sincere. "No, I just want to help."
Luna's gaze lingered on his face, searching for a hint of deception. What she saw seemed to satisfy her, she hesitated before she nodded, allowing him to help her to a nearby pharmacy.
As they walked, James couldn't help but steal glances at the girl beside him. There was something about her that drew him in – a spark of resilience, a flame of defiance that refused to be extinguished.
At the pharmacy, Luna winced as she took the prescribed medication, her eyes welling up with tears. James's heart twisted in sympathy, and he found himself wanting to protect her, to shield her from the world.
" Anyway thanks for helping me out" Luna said as they stepped out of the pharmacy shop.
" It my pleasure..... And I'm James, probably you already know my name" he said casually.
I'm Luna, it nice meeting you" she said as she released a slight smile on her face.
As they parted ways, James knew he'd never forget the girl with the fiery spirit and the gentle soul. And he was determined to get to know her better, to see if there was more to her than met the eye. For the first time in his life, he had actually felt so nervous while he introduce himself to a girl. " That's insane" he said to himself.
Even though in his entire life, he has seen different stunning lady that would do anything to want him or be with him, but he has never been nervous or give a shit for anything. But today's event was exceptional.
Meanwhile, George's anger simmered, his mind consumed by revenge. "I will make her pay for insulting me," he growled, his voice barely audible.
James, however, had a different plan. He smiled, his eyes locked on Luna's retreating figure. The game was on, and he was ready to play.
Over to Luna who was still struggling, her eyes blazed with fury as she gazed at her reflection, the bruises on her arms, a stark reminder of George's cruelty. She seethed, her anger simmering like a pot about to boil over. She couldn't help but kept coursing George.
"That arrogant, entitled, self-absorbed...!" She spat the words out, her voice venomous. "He thinks he can just push me around, just because he's a Robert?. I can't believe that, that idiot would actually do this to me."
Her gaze fell on the mirror, and she winced at the reflection staring back. The turns her gaze towards her arm, where she had sustained some cuts. Looking at it makes her feel angrier.
"How really has some guts, what an asshole" she whispered, her voice cracking. "Does he think he's above the law, just because his family owns half of Yale?"
The thought sent a shiver down her spine. She knew the Robert family's influence was vast, their reach extending far beyond the campus borders. George's father, the highest shareholder at Yale, had a reputation for being ruthless in protecting his family's interests.
As someone who has invested in many businesses and became the richest in the world, this is something huge.
And George, the golden boy, had always gotten away with everything. Until now. So whatever atrocity committed by George Robert at the Yale University, no one has the right to question his actions. So, for that matter, everybody should actually know his or her boundaries.