Natalie found herself taken aback, her previous blush and racing heart subsiding. She lifted her gaze, her eyes shimmering with confusion as they met his. "Motive?" she questioned.
Adrian let go of her wrist, adjusting his immaculate cuffs with an air of nonchalance. His voice resonated deeply as he said, "You deliberately spilled coffee on me, then schemed to get close to Daniel. Now here you are in my class, your face bearing an uncanny resemblance to Alice's. You can't expect me to believe all this is mere coincidence."
The realization hit Natalie like a ton of bricks. He believed she was purposefully trying to garner his attention. The feeling of unease that had been constricting her moments ago suddenly dissipated, replaced by a wave of indignation. For the first time, Natalie found herself resenting her own face.
Struggling to keep her emotions in check, she replied, "Mr. Howard, whether you choose to believe me or not, I wasn't trying to approach you intentionally. If you're speaking to me because I didn't answer a question in class, then I admit my mistake. But this situation... I'm sorry, but you've got the wrong person."
She added respectfully, "Mr. Howard, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
Without waiting for Adrian's response, she turned on her heel and made her swift exit.
Adrian watched her retreating figure, his brows furrowing in deep thought. He found himself questioning whether he had misjudged her. Without wasting another moment, he dialed a number on his phone. "I need all the information on Natalie," he demanded.
Later, as Natalie received another call from Adrian, she was engrossed in a movie with her friend Bella.
"Let's have dinner together tonight, okay?" His voice, crisp and clear, echoed through the phone, immediately giving Natalie a headache.
To be precise, Adrian had invited "Alice" to dinner, and Natalie was merely filling in. If she could avoid interacting with him, she would certainly opt for that. After all, their encounter earlier that afternoon had been far from pleasant.
"Sorry, I'm currently at the Skyline Building watching a movie with my friend. Perhaps we can arrange dinner some other time," she suggested.
Adrian was silent for a moment before finally responding with a curt "Okay." Natalie let out a sigh of relief.
Bella shot her a curious glance. "Who was that?"
"Just a friend," Natalie replied nonchalantly.
Bella's curiosity was piqued. "You're being secretive. It wasn't your boyfriend, was it?"
Natalie chuckled, tucking her phone back into her purse. "Don't you know whether I have a boyfriend or not? Let's focus on the movie," she said, attempting to divert Bella's attention.
Despite her words, Natalie found herself feeling increasingly anxious after the phone call, to the point where she couldn't even follow the movie's plot.
When the movie ended and they stepped outside, they were greeted by a sudden downpour. Bella's driver was on his way to pick them up, but the rain had caused a delay in traffic. Natalie's phone, still under the alias of 'Alice,' rang again.
It was Adrian.
She answered the call discreetly, out of Bella's sight. "Hello..."
"Where are you now?" Adrian had just finished dining with friends. He remembered her mentioning the Skyline Building. Seeing the relentless rain, he decided to give her a call.
"Uh, I'm still at the Skyline Building..."
Adrian glanced up, the silhouette of the Skyline Building barely visible in the distance. "Wait there. I'm coming to pick you up," he said.
Pick her up?! Natalie was taken aback. She had just seen him at school that afternoon; he would surely recognize that she wasn't Alice at first glance!