apter 75
mund rushed forward and grabbed Xavier around the waist, catching him just in time before he collapsed onto Scarlett. Meanwhile, Caleb clutched his throat, ighing violently as he scrambled backward, desperate to crawl out of the room.
vas utterly terrifying. It wasn’t the first time Xavier had choked him during an episode.
t usually, there were sedatives and anesthetics. Someone was always able to pull him free from Xavier’s grip.
wever, Xavier seemed completely out of control today. Neither medication had any effect.
leb had been convinced Xavier had killed Scarlett. That was why he hadn’t seen her when he woke up.
was completely innocent!
t no matter how he tried to explain, Xavier acted as though he’d witnessed it with his own eyes. He was convinced that Caleb was the killer and nearly strangled n to death as some twisted form of atonement for Scarlett’s life.
st then, the medical staff finished quickly tidying up the room.
mund helped Xavier onto the hospital bed, his face full of deep concern.
h, this injury has definitely worsened. I don’t know when he’ll ever recover.”
Ar. Stroud is either on the road to more injuries or on the road to recovery. His life is so difficult,” Scarlett said, her voice laced with concern.
arlett bit her lip, then, after a moment’s hesitation, said, “Mr. Barrett, could you please request a leave of absence for me from school? I’ll stay here to take care Mr. Stroud.”
mund nodded. Right now, Scarlett was the only one who could calm Xavier’s emotions.
e hadn’t told her last night that after the serious injury Xavier suffered ten years ago, he’d been tracing her portrait every night before bed.
ly when he was satisfied with his drawing would he put down his pen and lie down.
rer the years, it had become a habit.
, perhaps only Scarlett could give Xavier the sense of security he needed.
Yendale Harldon Academy, Edmund had arranged an extended leave for Scarlett and taken her textbooks as well.
hen their homeroom teacher, Mike, heard that Scarlett would be absent for a while, he hurriedly shoved a thick stack of advanced math competition papers into Imund’s hands.
erbert couldn’t help but scoff when he saw this. “Taking leave during the crucial preparation period for the Elite Math Tournament? Can’t you see what’s ppening here?
he doesn’t care about this tournament at all. Honestly, I suggest you give up on her and let my student take her spot.”
ith a cold smile, Herbert looked at Mike, his arrogance showing despite his request. “If it comes to that, even if the school expels you, I’ll make sure to speak up ryou.”
e was clearly the one trying to claim the competition slot, yet he acted as though he were doing Mike a favor while making demands.
ike felt a wave of frustration. He frowned and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Riggs, but since Scarlett agreed to participate in the Elite Math Tournament, I believe, as her acher, I should trust my student.”
erbert’s expression darkened. “Fine. If you insist on letting a poor student take part, I won’t argue further. However, when it comes to Jonah and Percy’s sciplinary actions, I will make sure to record them fairly in their files, based on their contributions to the school.”
ike’s heart sank. It seemed Herbert wasn’t going to let Percy’s punishment slide so easily. All he could do now was hope that Percy would perform well in the mpetition and clear his name.
eanwhile, Percy noticed Scarlett wasn’t at school. After asking around, he found out she had taken a long leave. He immediately decided to skip class after the st two periods and headed straight to the internet cafe.
st in the heat of the game, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. A voice, calm yet laced with danger, whispered in his ear, “Having fun?”
rcy jumped, ripping off his headset and swearing, “What the fuck!”
swords caught in his throat as he stood abruptly, looking as though he’d seen a ghost. “Edmund? What are you doing here?”
thout a word, Edmund dragged him out of the internet cafe. “Ms. Quinn has assigned me to supervise your studies. If you skip class again, don’t blame me for at happens next.”
mund flashed a chilling smile.
rcy was left speechless.
mund continued, “Ms. Quinn also asked that you take careful notes in class and give them to her after school. Even though she’s on leave, she doesn’t want to fall hind in her studies.”
rcy immediately protested, “Wait, why should I care if she falls behind? She’s my tutor, not the other way around!”
Imm?” Edmund frowned, displeasure clearly showing on his face.
rcy fell silent, his shoulders sagging. He mumbled a reluctant, “Oh.”
his mind, he was filled with confusion. Wasn’t Edmund supposed to be Xavier’s loyal lackey? When did he start siding with Scarlett? Moreover, Edmund didn’t en listen to the head of the Stroud family. Why would he listen to Scarlett?