Chapter 62 The Belated Truth
Kane's POV
The moment I pushed open my dorm door, I felt like I was floating.
The kiss just now, Evelyn's shy expression—everything put me in such a good mood.
This feeling was amazing, like I was still up in the clouds, the sound of wind still echoing in my ears.
I leaned against the door, my mouth curling up uncontrollably into a huge grin. Even I found it a bit unbelievable.
You have to understand—this was flight class.
That flight class I absolutely detested—the one Bruce was forever cornering me about just to mock.
But today...
Today was different.
My mind was full of scenes from earlier—the weight of Evelyn sitting on my back, the warmth from her arms as she held tight around my neck, and her unrestrained laughter in the wind.
She really didn't seem afraid of me. She actually enjoyed flying with me. We even shared a sweet kiss just now.
I even found Bruce a bit more tolerable—after all, he gave Evelyn and me this chance.
I crossed to the corner and began rummaging through a stack of boxes until I finally unearthed a small, white velvet case. I pulled it out and clicked it open, double-checking the contents to ensure everything was exactly as it should be.
Inside was a pair of delicate wing-shaped earrings, made of silver with tiny green diamonds set along the edges of the feathers. Since she was so happy today, this gift would be perfect.
The meaning was good too—like giving her "freedom," but her freedom had to be with me. That was my bottom line.
Today marked our very first flight together, and I was certain she would adore this gift. I could already see it perfectly in my mind—exactly how she would look once she was wearing them.
I pulled out my phone and opened my chat with Evelyn.
[All settled in? We flew for quite a while today. I'm worried you're starving. Let me take you to dinner now?]
I sent off the message, my excitement bubbling over. At that moment, my only thought was how much I wanted to see her as soon as possible.
Soon the screen lit up. I got Evelyn's reply.
[I'm kind of tired and don't feel like eating. You go ahead.]
Time stood still as I stared at the screen, my mind reeling while I read that sentence over and over.
Something was wrong. Something was up with Evelyn.
Given her behavior earlier, there was no way Evelyn would just cancel dinner like this out of the blue.
Plus, this cold tone with a hint of distance—it wasn't like her at all.
And this mood... I leaned back in my chair, thinking back. The last few times we met, I kept feeling something was off with her.
At times, she would abruptly drift away into her own thoughts, or a flash of inexplicable sorrow would flicker momentarily in her eyes.
Every time I asked what was wrong, she'd quickly change the subject or give me a forced smile.
I thought it was pressure from Shapeshifting 101, or that Vicky's classes were too exhausting.
But now, the situation felt far more tangled and complex than I had ever imagined.
I felt annoyed that I hadn't noticed her condition earlier, and even angrier that I thought just protecting her was enough, while ignoring her real emotions.
A powerful surge of unease took hold, leaving me with the desperate realization that I had to see her immediately.
I had to find her. I needed to ask her face to face what was going on.
I grabbed my jacket and rushed out of the room in a panic.
The hallway was silent, but as soon as I cracked the door open, the sound of grating laughter drifted through.
"Did you see what was posted on Nebula Chat? I heard that Phoenix Clan freak took his follower for a flight?"
"How come she didn't fall to her death?"
"Exactly!"
It was the same group of werewolves who had tormented Evelyn before. Normally, I would have confronted them immediately, but right now, uncovering what was happening with Evelyn took priority over a fight. I had no mood to deal with these trash.
But they just mentioned Nebula Chat. What was that?
I gave them a cold look, one filled with killing intent and violence that froze the smiles on those werewolves' faces.
"Get lost."
I said in a low voice, cold.
Startled by the sheer intensity of my expression, the cowards instinctively recoiled, ducking their heads as they scrambled away like deserting soldiers.
Before I could leave, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
I pulled out my phone, only to see an installation progress bar already advancing across the screen.
[Installing Nebula Chat APP...]
Wasn't this the Nebula Chat those werewolves had just been laughing about?
"What the hell is this?"
I frowned, watching the progress bar move quickly, showing an "Installation Successful" notification.
Was the academy pushing this to me? But my instinct told me this definitely had something to do with Evelyn.
I tapped the icon, and as the app flickered to life, a sudden, heavy wave of malice seemed to rush from the screen.
The first item pushed on the homepage was a bold, bright red headline: #Shocking! The True Face of the Girl Following Phoenix Clan? The So-Called "Romance" Is Just a Cover for Abuse!
My pupils contracted sharply. Photos. All photos.
I stared at the screen, paralyzed by images of the bruises beneath Evelyn's collarbone, the red marks on her inner arms, and the dark blooming shadows around her ankles.
Each photo pressed on my eyes. I couldn't not look, but I couldn't look either—when my finger opened the comments section, my hand was shaking.
[That Phoenix Clan bastard really isn't a good person...]
[That Evelyn deserves it...]
[Being abused while riding on a Phoenix's back, how thrilling...]
Those words seared into my vision, each one thumping against my temples like a heavy, rhythmic pulse. harder and harder, until finally there was a 'buzz' and I couldn't hear anything anymore.
I would track them down, one by one, until every last one of them had paid. I was going to make them know the price of bullying Evelyn. But right now what mattered was...
"Evelyn!"