Chapter 59 As Promised

Chapter 59 As Promised

ARDEN

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“What are byou /bdoing here?” I asked, still flustered. Despite the cool air flowing through the windows, my body felt hot all

bover /b

Cade pointed at the fruit basket he was holding in his other bhand/b. “I’m visiting my faction members,” he said smoothly. stepping further into the room. His gaze bthen /bnded on Owen. “How are you feeling?”

Owen, being Owen, smiled victoriously. “Tmn good. I heard those bastards are going to pay for my hospital fees. bThank /byou. I’ve never had the chance to say that to you.”

“It’s no problem,” Cade replied, bcing /bthe fruit basket on the btable/b.

“Although,” Owen chimed in, a mischievous glint in his eyes that made my bbreath /bhitch, “I think you should be asking Arden how she’s feeling instead.”

I should haveunched that fruit basket directly at his face.

My cheeks burned as I stood rooted to the bspot/b, desperate to disappear.

“I didn’t think yo

you’d be the one to run away after having done it with someone,” Cade added.

1 pursed my lips, unwilling to engage. “You weren’t waking up.”

“I could have,” he said. “We should have eaten breakfast together?

My heart raced to the point where I had trouble breathing. bThe /bbcasualness /bof his words struck a strange chord within me.

“It’s done, thoughb./b” I muttered, averting my gaze. “It’s over.”

“But I’m assuming it felt good,” he bcontinued/b. “Really good, in fact, based on your own bwords/b.”

“Cade,” I hissed, throwing him a sharp re. “Stop it.”

He chuckled, seemingly unfazed.

“I’m kidding.” he bsaid/bb, /bwaving his bhand /bdismissively. Then his gaze softened,nding on mine. “It felt good for me, too.

! caught Tessa and Owen exchanging knowing smiles, and a rush of embarrassment washed over me. Instinctively, I grabbed Cade’s arm and dragged him out of the room and into the hallway.

“Whoa, easy,” he said, his infuriating smirk now permanently affixed to his blips/b.

“Why bare /byou really here?” I demanded.

He brushed off nonexistent bdust /bfrom his pants. “I really just came here for that.”

“I’m supposed to leave now because I have a lot to do.”

“Like what?” I found myself basking /bbefore I could stop myself

Cade looked directly into my eyes. “bWell/b, Sienna’s officially out of the faction, and she’s been pestering me nonstop to bept /bher again

Are you bgoing /bto cave into her request?” I asked, trying to mask the unease in my voice.

He dain’t heutate. “No. Not at all You wouldn’t want that either, right?”

ook my head before I even thought about it. “Yeah”

Astrange silence hung between us. I stared down at my feet before finally ncing back up.

1:15 AM c ch

Chapter 59 As Promised

“bThank /byou,” I said quietly.

Cade raised a brow. “For what?”

s

“For… everything.” I replied. “For helping me. For being there when… when I needed someone. For keeping me safe.”

He shrugged, but I noticed the slight twitch in his jaw. “Don’t worry about it. You don’t bhave /bto be scared about the videob, /beither.

d

Ifrowned. “What do you mean?”

“It’s gone. I destroyed it with no backup.”

Before I could respond, the faint sound of sirens pierced through the air. I turned my head btoward /bthe noise, btilting /bit in

confusion

“Are those firetrucks?”

Cade offered me a tight smile. “Just a precaution. It’s not important.”

I stared at him, eyes bwide/b. “What did you do?”

“Nothing you need to bworry /bbabout/b,” he smirked.

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, but he simply leaned against the wall, arms bcrossed /b

“How are people treating you now?” he asked, effortlessly changing the subject before I could press for further details..

“I don’t know,” I admitted, hugging myself. “It’s weird. But I’m just happy it’s done. I don’t have to stress about the point system or status or those ridiculous purity conversations anymore.”

He tilted his head, watching me intently.

“You don’t want to do it again?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Yeah,” I unconsciously answered, but my voice trailed off bas /bthe import of his question hit me.

“What?”

“Well, it doesn’t have to be the bst /btime,” he muttered casually.

I stared at him, entirely unprepared for such a statement.

“Are you bjoking/b?”

His smirk returned, more yful than ever. “Don’t think about it too much.” He stepped closer band /bgently pinched my cheek. “I can see your brain overheating.

I pped his hand baway/b, my cheeks flushing a deep red. “You’re insane.”

“Only slightly,” he replied, btaking /ba step back toward the door. “But admit it. You’d consider it.”

Td confer throwing a chair at you.”

“Til take that as a maybe.”

With that, Carle exited the room like he bhadn’t /bjust tossed a live grenade into bmy /boverworked brain.

“See byou /bter, Arden,” he waved before walking away.

I returned to the hospital room only to find Owen and Tessa lingering by the door, their expressions bsheepish /bWere you listening in on bup /b

“Don’t worry!” Tessa quickly disimed. “We only heard thetter part of byour /bconversation.”

1:15 AM b? /b

Chapter 59 As Promised.

1

I bgroaned/b. As if that made it any better!

D

Owen nudged my shoulder and smiled. enjoying himself. “You’re in so deep.”

s

Tessa and I made our way bback /btoward the dorms, my cheeks bstill /bwarm from all the teasing I had received from the two of them.

Come on now. I’m sorry,” Tessa bchuckled/b. “It’s just so fun to

tease byou/b.”

“I bcan’t /bwait for the day I bcan /btease the two of you, too,” I grumbled, causing her to chuckle once bmore/b.

As we turned the corner into the courtyard, I could feel the stares again. I crossed my arms and lowered my gaze, trying to walk faster.

“If it makes you feel better, Cade’s also being treated such after that short video aired.”

“Huhb?/b”

“Well, so many people want to be with Cade. Like really want to be with him. It’s like he’s the ultimate Alpha now.”

1 frowned. “He always was the ultimate Alpha. Everyone knew that

“Sure, but this just confirmed it. It gave it visuals.” She giggled,

Strangely, that did not make me feel better.

My steps faltered. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Mmmh. Is it? Tessa asked, trying to hide anotherugh.

Before I could even think of aeback, someone caught my wrist, I turned, startled, and met a very familiar face–Elias.

“What are you doing?” I asked, pulling slightly.

“You didn’t respond to my text” he said.

“That’s because I told byou /bwe’ll meet tomorrow anyway,” I answered calmly,

Elias signed, shoulders dropping, “Can’t we just go out right now?”

“No” I replied tly

He stared at me, looking like someone just kicked his puppy. “You know this is the first time I’m being rejected tantly like

“Good for you” I munered and pulled my hand from his grip, sidestepping past him.

Trou let out a full–belledugh. “That’s the first time I’ve seen Elias so flustered. It’s fun!”

tra not fun for me.” I crumbled, pinching the bridge of my bnose/b. “bI’ve /bbrun /bbinto /ball four of the Alphas today. bAnd /bbevery /bsingle one of them is giving me a beadache.”

She smiled empathetically tout didn’t deny “Yeah, they’re confusing all bright/bb./b”

We were just about to head to the bus stop when we heard whispers and the scent of smoke wafting through the bair/b.

“What’s that smell?” I asked, staffing again.

Ina’s head whipped to the side “It’sing from the direction of-”

My heart stopped “The maze gardens”

Before I knew it. I began walking briskly in that direction. My legs moved, gravel crunching beneath my shoes as we bpush /b

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Chapter 59 As Promised

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past students band /bstaff moving the opposite way. The haze grew heavier, the air acrid with the smell of something chemical

and burnt.

The maze gardens couldn’t burn. It was undoubtedly my favorite spot in this bce/b. My heart pounded as we rounded the corner, and Limmediately sighed in relief when I saw it bwasn’t /bthe garden.

Instead, it was the old storage building beside it.

The building where I bsaw /bthe files, monitors, and servers containing the videos of the students.

I gasped, staggering to a stop.

Thick smoke curled into the sky. Several guards were already on site, waving off students. Fire hoses trailed from red trucks as firefighters shouted orders.

And right in the middle of the chaos stood Mr. Winters.

His face, normally so cheerful, was twisted in rage.

“Do you know how important that is to me?” he shouted at one of the guards. “You were assigned to this building. bYou /bshould’ve seen something. You should’ve-”

He cut himself off, seething.

The whispers around us grew louder.

“Wasn’t that just a storage facility?”

“I heard it had surveince.”

Then Mr. Winters turned.

His eyesnded on me.

For a fraction of a second, I saw it–pure murderous intent.

It chilled my blood.

But just as quickly, it vanished. His expression smoothed into something collected as he faced the crowd.

“Please head back to your dorms,” he said, his voice a touch too polite. “Your safety is our priority.”

Stiil, something lingered in his gaze. Something that made the back of my neck prickle.

However, amidst this feeling. I also felt unter relief.

It was gone. All of the unexported videos were bgone/b.

Just as Cade promised.