Chapter 42
Chapter 42:
The following morning, Fernanda mounted her motorcycle and headed to her exam, riding through the unusually empty streets.
She arrived at the venue a full twenty minutes ahead of schedule, her gaze sweeping the area for any sign of Wendy, but to no avail. It was only two minutes before the exam was set to start that Wendy hurried in, looking flustered.
Once the exam concluded, Wendy was the first to dart out of the room, her movements quick and determined.
Fernanda noticed Wendy’s hurried departure and the same restless energy later that afternoon, sparking concern in her.
Wendy had been the first friend Fernanda made at Esaham University, and they had forged a strong bond. Feeling a sense of responsibility, Fernanda felt compelled to check on her.
As the final bell rang, Fernanda followed Wendy, only to see her sprinting down the staircase, disappearing in a blur.
Wendy’s speed was astonishing.
Outside the building, Fernanda paused, her eyes scanning the dispersing crowd of students, but there was no sign of Wendy. Resolving to address her concerns the next opportunity she got, Fernanda made her way back to the garage.
Navigating her motorcycle through the bustling main gate of Esaham University, she had to slow down due to the swarm of students. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice calling out,
“Cristian, I’m here!”
It was Bobby’s voice.
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Turning her head, Fernanda spotted Bobby waving energetically from a distance.
She steered her motorcycle closer to greet him.
Bobby froze, clearly caught off guard. He couldn’t hide his shock when his angel appeared, riding Cristian’s motorcycle instead of Cristian himself.
Even beneath her helmet, her long legs and the crisp energy she radiated were unmistakably chic.
“Expecting someone?” Fernanda inquired, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Bobby hesitated before replying, “I was just about to ask you the same.”
“By the way, why are you riding Cristian’s bike?”
“He let me borrow it,” Fernanda explained simply.
She noticed Bobby’s discomfort and decided to probe a little further.
“Are you here waiting for Wendy?”
A brief flash of unease flickered across Bobby’s eyes.
“I’m just waiting for a friend,” he stammered, unable to confess he was indeed waiting for Wendy.
The previous night’s altercation, which his angel had observed, haunted him.
Bobby couldn’t shake the worry of what she might think of him now, dreading that she might view him as aggressive. In his mind, his reputation seemed irreparably tarnished.
He had intended to clear the air about the previous evening but found himself at a loss for words. Fear of exacerbating the situation kept him silent.
Although Fernanda was aware of Bobby’s deceit, she chose not to confront him. Instead, she remarked, “Wendy hurried off after her exam, her expression filled with anxiety. She’s been restless all day.”
A realization dawned on Fernanda as she observed Bobby. “Is it possible she’s avoiding you?”
A trace of embarrassment crossed Bobby’s face. As he nervously fiddled with his hands, he managed a strained smile.
“Why would she avoid me? I haven’t done anything… She’s definitely not avoiding me.”
Fernanda remained quiet, her gaze fixed on Bobby.
Overwhelmed with discomfort, he found it impossible to look her in the eyes.
It was as if Fernanda’s piercing stare could see right through his pretense, revealing his inner turmoil.
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Bobby’s forehead.
After what felt like an eternity, he stuttered, “Fine, I did send her a message this morning. I wanted to meet and make amends. Last night was a mistake, and I hope it didn’t upset her. I thought being sincere would be enough, but I can’t understand why she’d avoid me…”
Fernanda’s intuition had been correct.
Visibly bewildered, Bobby looked to Fernanda, his eyes pleading for guidance. He implored, “Can you advise me? What should I do?”
“Sorry, I can’t be of help to you.”
With a shrug, Fernanda looked at Bobby, her voice steady. “I’m not familiar with your situation, so it’s best I don’t step in.”
Bobby sniffed back his distress, his fingers trembling as he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the now-familiar number he had attempted dozens of times before.
“Hello, the number you are calling is busy…”
Hearing the same robotic voice over and over, Bobby realized with a sinking feeling that he was blocked.
Turning to Fernanda with hopeful eyes, he pleaded, “Could I use your phone?”
Without a word, Fernanda retrieved her phone and casually tossed it to him.
Bobby quickly dialed the number etched in his mind, and this time, the call connected.
“Hello?” Wendy answered.
“It’s me…”
“Fuck off!”
The line went dead instantly, leaving Bobby holding the silent phone in shock.
“That must be the shortest call in history,” Fernanda remarked, a touch of sympathy in her tone as she gently patted Bobby on the shoulder. “Good luck with everything,” she added, retrieving her phone.
Hopping onto the motorcycle, Fernanda revved the engine, casting a fleeting glance at Bobby, whose face was etched with loss and confusion.
As she sped away, Bobby stood frozen, watching her retreating figure shrink into the distance, a deep ache settling in his heart.
Overcome by despair, he collapsed into a crouch, his emotions threatening to drown him.
This willful, imperious heir to the Harper family had never been so utterly crushed.
“Is there really no way to undo a mistake once it’s been made?”
His question seemed directed at someone else, or perhaps just spoken to himself.
Yet, silence was his only answer.
The breeze whisked his words away, rendering them faint and lost, mirroring his current state: defeated, devoid of power.
Meanwhile, Fernanda made her way back to the Morgan family villa, which was alive with the bustle of servants preparing the evening meal.
Without pause, she ascended the staircase to her room and booted up her computer.
The general exams had concluded, ushering in the period for specialized subjects.
Because she wished to pursue an esports major, Fernanda’s upcoming test focused on the fundamentals of game operations.
Her preferred game was a popular mobile title, though she favored playing it on her computer through an emulator to avoid constantly looking down at her phone.
On her chat application, the icon of a charming, boyish avatar flashed. Fernanda clicked on it to find a message waiting.
“Do you want to duo queue with me?”
Accompanied by a woeful emoji, the message conveyed a tentative hope.
“Sure,” Fernanda typed back.
Almost immediately, another message popped up.
“Thank you! I’ll get on the game right away!”
Fernanda let out a soft chuckle and logged into her game account, her fingers tapping eagerly across the keys.
She clicked to open the ranking leaderboards, anticipating her usual spot at the top, but a twist in the tale greeted her.
Her eyes narrowed in disbelief. She had been dethroned. Now relegated to second place, the sting of displacement was palpable.
Staring back at her from the top of the list was the username “True Champion.”
A frown creased her forehead. When had this rival appeared on the scene? She was certain she would have remembered a username as grating as that one.
Just then, a pop-up appeared—an invitation to team up, from the same player who had messaged her earlier.
Fernanda clicked through, entering a virtual room where only she and that little boy were present.
The boy wasted no time, his words appearing rapidly on the screen.
“What’s kept you so busy lately? You’ve been offline for ages, and someone’s snagged your top spot.”
“Yeah, I just found out,” Fernanda responded, her fingers pausing above the keyboard.
“I heard the new top player is a cocky young guy, supposedly from Esaham University’s esports major. No surprise he climbed the ranks so fast.”
Fernanda’s eyebrows arched high at the mention of Esaham University—that was her destined college.
The boy’s next message crackled with a fiery determination that matched, if not exceeded, Fernanda’s own.
“You’ve got to reclaim your throne. Show him who the true champion is.”
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