Chapter 2
Once someone started, the rest jumped in too.
"What a two-faced act. She owes everything to Mr. Lawrence's money. How does she have the nerve to say stuff like that?"
"Honestly, she's just stringing Mr. Lawrence along. She won't say yes, but she won't let anyone else get close to him either."
"Didn't you guys feel like she was totally trying to steer us just now? If Mr. Lawrence hadn't cleared things up, I would've thought he set up this whole scene just to win her over."
When her intentions got exposed, a flash of panic crossed Sadie's eyes. Before anyone caught on, her eyes were already brimming with tears.
She bit down hard on her lip, fixing Xavi with a defiant stare. "Do you think so too?"
Xavi stayed silent.
Normally, just seeing Sadie's eyes turn red would break his heart.
But today, it felt like ants were crawling all over his chest. Every time he saw her tear up, it just grated on his nerves.
Seeing that Xavi had no intention of comforting her, Sadie took a step back, eyes wide in disbelief, clenching her fists so tight her nails dug into her skin.
Sadie choked out, "Xavi, I swear I won't forgive you this time."
She started sobbing and ran off before anyone could say a word.
But Xavi didn't go after her. He gave the crowd a frosty glare and snapped, "Get lost."
Nobody wanted to get on Xavi's bad side.
The entrance cleared out in seconds.
Xavi's buddy slung an arm around his shoulder, grinning.
"Can't get her out of your head, can you, Mr. Lawrence? Such a softie."
"Don't tell me you've got a thing for her now. You don't even care about Sadie anymore?"
His buddy's move was way too wild, and the cash Xavi had stuffed in his collar, never properly tucked away, spilled out all over the ground.
Xavi looked even more pissed.
The Lawrence family was one of the most powerful and prestigious in Novaville, with roots that went way back.
Now, with Xavi as the only heir, he was spoiled beyond belief. Nobody ever dared to deny him anything.
He'd always been the one pushing others around; no one ever got the chance to walk all over him.
Seeing his buddy still egging him on, Xavi flexed his jaw and let out a cold, dismissive snort.
"Like her? Only if I lost my mind," he scoffed. "As long as I'm here, she'll never fit in at this school."
I was totally clueless about all this.
After I got registered, the director told me to head to Class One by myself.
As I walked, my eyes sparkled with excitement. Everything here was so new and fascinating.
So this was what an elite school looked like. It was way bigger than my old dump of a school, at least twice the size.
Every building had elevators, and even the hallways and bathrooms were air-conditioned.
But after wandering around for ages, I still couldn't find Class One the director told me about.
It was class time, so the hallways were totally empty, not a single person in sight to ask for directions.
I scrunched up my face, pacing back and forth, nervously twisting the hem of my shirt.
When I looked up, I spotted someone at the far end of the hallway and our eyes met.
Even from way off, I instantly recognized him. It was Xavi.
He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and legs that went on for days.
He was rocking a white shirt, buttoned all the way up to the top.
When he spotted me, he strode right over.
I rushed to meet him, and when no one was watching, I threw my arms around his slim, toned waist, beaming. "Xavi!"
See? Xavi was actually a good guy.
He was worried I'd get lost, so he came to find me.
Xavi stiffened up, totally thrown off. Whatever he was about to do just flew out of his head.
After a long pause, he finally pulled me away from him, through gritted teeth. "What are you up to now?"
I shrank back, feeling a little guilty, and pressed my cheek against his palm, hoping he'd go easy on me.
"I can't find Class One, Xavi," I said.
Whenever my mom got mad, just pinching my cheek would always calm her down.
I had no clue why Xavi was upset, but trying to coax him always worked.
But Xavi didn't pinch my cheek.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he pulled his hand back, his face cold as stone. Instead, he grabbed my wrist.
"I'll take you there," he said.
On the surface, it looked like Xavi was just pulling me along.
But in reality, he was careful not to tug too hard, always matching my pace.
Secretly, I was pretty pleased with myself. Just as I thought, people who act tough usually have a soft heart.
I was hoping to sneak a little advantage with Xavi, maybe get a bit handsy if he let me.
But he was so guarded, wouldn't even let me lay a finger on him.
When we got to the door of Class One, Xavi shook off my hand, still looking kind of frustrated.
His mood flipped in a heartbeat. I could never figure him out.
But I didn't let it bother me. I grinned and scooted closer. "Xavi, which class are you in, anyway?"
Xavi stepped back, turned his head, and said vaguely, "Not your business. Anyway, this is Class One, just get in there."
I pouted, feeling a little bummed.