Chapter 83. What Happened At Mr. Don’s House?

Chapter 83: Chapter 83. What Happened At Mr. Don’s House?

Chapter 83. What Happened At Mr. Don’s House?

For her to leave that way, there was no other explanation. Beyond that, something had to be going wrong in the sidelines. He thought that if it was Mrs. Lee who had called, she might actually be actively threatening her. He beat his hand down hard against his thigh and jammed it into his pocket, completely neglecting the scalding hot coffee that had spilled over his skin.

He typed rapidly on his handheld device, checking the broadcasting screen that displayed the news, announcements, and school updates. His eyes scanned through the feed as the school came into view. He saw that his assistant had done everything. The changes had been made. Everything had been reset back to normal, and the official statement of apology had already been published.

He raised an eyebrow, a satisfied smirk expanding across his lips. Well, isn’t that interesting? he thought to himself. He squinted his eyes and looked ahead. If Rosa was reacting this way, then damn, she hadn’t seen it yet. He chuckled and shook his head. Poor little kitten, still petrified about something she didn’t even need to worry about anymore.

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off. Something flashed in his mind, and his smile widened. Interesting. He swiped over to his contacts, called his assistant, and held the phone against his ear. Only then did he look down at his hand and realize it was soaked in scalding coffee. He winced, flexing his knuckles. Funny how I didn’t feel that initially, he thought in confusion.

He strode over to the kitchen, switched on the faucet, and was washing his hand under the cool water when the call connected.

"Hello, boss," his assistant answered.

Don raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I’m here," he said softly, feeling the water rinse the sticky coffee off his skin.

"I’ve done everything as requested, sir," his assistant reported immediately.

Don smiled and chuckled. "Yes, of course. I just checked the feed now. I saw everything. Good work."

"Okay, boss. Is there a specific reason you’re calling?"

Don examined his hand, clenching his fist and flexing his fingers. "Yeah, I just have one more thing to tell you. I want you to handle the rest of the updates discreetly. That would be the best way to approach things."

"Discreet, sir?" the assistant asked, freezing on the other end of the line. "Why... why discreet, if I may ask?"

"I have my reasons," Don replied.

The assistant hesitated. "Sir, whatever these reasons are, I hope it isn’t something that will catastrophically affect the standards of the school or turn things upside down."

"Do you know me to be someone who makes rash decisions?" Don asked, his voice cooling.

"No, no, sir," the assistant replied quickly.

"Good. So what are you waiting for?"

Silence stretched over the line for a few seconds.

"Relax, okay?" Don said, softening his tone slightly. "I see how much you care about the school’s structure and how much you want things to go smoothly. I can guarantee you that nothing is going to go wrong. I promise."

The assistant still hesitated.

"What’s wrong?" Don asked.

"I don’t know, sir. It’s just that I’ve never seen you act this way—so rushed. It seems like you’re going way out of your way specifically for this Rosa lin girl."

Don froze the moment the name struck his ears. "I’m sorry, what are you insinuating?"

He heard his assistant clear his throat nervously on the other end. "Nothing, sir. I will do exactly as you requested, as quickly as possible."

Don scoffed and shook his head. "I know what you’re thinking. You think I’m developing some sort of strange fixation on one of the students, but that is not my intention here. I know that girl, and she is connected to me in a very significant way. More like a relative. I’m just trying to help her from enemies who might be sorting to ruin her. Do you understand?"

"Yes, boss, I got it. I’m sorry for my misinterpretation," he stammered.

Don scoffed again, ended the call, and tossed the phone straight into his pocket.

He frowned, exhaling heavily as he turned around and walked over to the kitchen cabinets. He pulled out a clean glass mug and poured himself another cup of coffee. As he took a breath, he finally focused on the present condition of his body.

Ever since 6:00 a.m., he had been completely consumed by this pressing issue concerning Rosa. Now, he felt an undercurrent tingling like electricity, coursing through his veins. He frowned. It hadn’t disappeared yet. No wonder he was feeling so unusually heightened today. No wonder the scalding coffee hadn’t even burned his skin when it first spilled.

He examined his arm, then tilted his head to look at his right shoulder. He saw the wolf tattoo still glowing a vivid, fiery red.

He raised an eyebrow, blinking rapidly. Oh my god, it’s still visible.

He looked around the room, using his hand to cover his shoulder as if he could physically hide the mark. Had she seen it? He wondered with a sudden surge of worry. Goodness me, I hope she didn’t see it. I hadn’t even bothered to put on a shirt.

He hurried out of the kitchen, keeping his hand clamped firmly over the tattoo. He glanced down to see the red glow slowly receding, gradually fading until only the dark black ink remained on his pale skin. He let out a breath of relief, running his fingers through his hair. Oh my god, he thought. That was way too close.

His mind drifted right back to Rosa and the desperate way she had rushed out. Really hope she didn’t see it.

He breathed and turned to the stairs.

But then something struck him straight in the chest. She spent the night outside, didn’t she?

There had been heavy rain all through the night. She might have fallen sick without even realizing it. He clenched his fist tightly. Goddamn it, this girl!

He closed his eyes and exhaled sharply. I have to follow her and track her down. I need to ensure she’s okay.

The moment the thought took root, he found himself rushing up the stairs as fast as he could. He stumbled into his room, looking around quickly. Everything was intact. Nothing was out of place. He darted into the restroom, cleaned himself up, and changed into casual clothing.

No need to look formal today.

He threw on a simple pair of black denim pants and a blue T-shirt.

Grabbing his car keys, he rushed out of the building and straight toward the private garage housing his fleet of luxury cars. He paused, scanning the row of vehicles. "Nah, I think the SUV will be better for today," he muttered to himself.

He climbed into the vehicle, fired up the engine, and swerved out of the parking lot of his estate. Driving through the main gates, he moved as fast as traffic would allow, his knuckles white against the steering wheel. His eyes darted left and right across the streets.

I really hope I catch sight of her, he thought, scanning every sidewalk and crosswalk for any sign of her.

It didn’t take long before he approached the main bus stop. He slowed down, his eyes carefully scanning the bustling express and cataloging every detail. Then, he saw her. He exhaled, a massive wave of relief flooding over him.

He first noticed her typing briskly into her phone, pacing back and forth in clear distress. Her head darted left and right, looking around frantically. Just as a taxi pulled up in front of her and she prepared to step inside, a crowd of people waiting at the stand rushed toward the car. An older woman shoved her out of the way, forcing her to stumble backward.

Don watched her freeze, staring at the crowded taxi in utter disbelief as the passengers piled in and slammed the door shut.

He clenched his fist, his eyes wide. Are you fucking kidding me?

He grabbed his door handle to jump out, but the taxi was already pulling away into traffic. He froze, grinding his teeth, and shifted his focus back to Rosa. She stood watching the departing car, letting out a shaky breath. Even from a distance, he caught her posture—her entire frame was visibly trembling. She was cold, and her clothes were completely drenched.

He gritted his teeth. Goddamn it, she’s freezing.

He stepped out of his SUV and shut the door behind him, ready to walk over, when a familiar red car pulled up directly in front of her. He saw Rosa freeze, blinking at the vehicle in surprise; she clearly hadn’t been expecting it.

Don faltered in his footsteps and stopped. He exhaled, a quiet sigh of relief escaping him. Well, Mia really does care about her friend, he thought.

Rosa stepped off the curb and climbed into the passenger seat. The red car executed a smooth turn and merged back into the flow of traffic. Don raked his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath.

"Well... off to school, then," he murmured to himself.

Inside the red car, Rosa sat quietly, her hands clenched tightly in her lap as she breathed heavily. She tried to ignore it, tried to force her mind onto the immediate danger looming over her head, but the icy chill that had seeped deep into her bones wasn’t going away anytime soon. Her teeth chattered inaudibly.

The silence inside the cabin was thick and heavy. Mia, who was focused on the road, hadn’t said a single word to her since she got in. Rosa, wrapped up in her own spiraling panic, hadn’t even noticed the silence at first.

Mia cast a side-glance at Rosa, raising an eyebrow before scoffing and rolling her eyes toward the driver’s window. "So that’s it?" Mia said, her tone sharp.

Rosa blinked, slowly turning her head to look at her. "What?"

"You’re not even going to greet me? You’re not even going to say hi like you usually do?"

Rosa stared at her in confusion as reality slowly pulled her back to the present. The realization hit her like a physical blow. Oh my god, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut. I’ve been so consumed by my own problems that I didn’t even say hello. She ran her fingers nervously through her damp hair.

"You know, I should have just been heartless, completely forgotten about you, and left you to struggle at that early morning bus stop," Mia snapped, keeping her hands firm on the wheel. "Rosa, a friend would at least say good morning! You really know how to hold a grudge, don’t you?"

"I’m sorry!" Rosa said quickly, panic lacing her voice. "Oh my goodness, I am so, so sorry! Okay? I am really, really sorry. Good morning, Mia. I am not holding a grudge." She chuckled nervously.

Then she exhaled.

"I just... I have so many things on my mind right now. My head is everywhere. Please forgive me."

Mia frowned, scrutinizing her while trying to keep her eyes on the road. "Are you okay, Rosa?"

"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I just... I don’t know," Rosa trailed off, her voice cracking slightly.

Mia kept checking on her, her eyes darting back and forth between the street and her friend. It was then that she caught the intense trembling in Rosa’s fingers. She noticed the obvious nervousness, the way Rosa flinched at every slight movement, the way her eyes darted around as if waiting for a threat to jump out from the shadows, the way she picked frantically at her fingernails—and finally, the fact that her clothes were completely soaked through.

Mia’s eyes widened in shock. She gasped, her head snapping between Rosa and the traffic ahead.

"Okay, what the fuck?" Mia shattered the silence.

Rosa flinched, turning to look at her with wide eyes. "What? What is it?"

Mia scoffed, her gaze locking onto her soaked sleeves. "You are dripping wet! What the fuck actually happened to you at Mr. Don’s house?"