Chapter 9: Leaving?

“Elena, I really didn’t mean it. We’re classmates after all, so why would I purposely make things difficult for you? Plus, it’s my birthday this weekend, and I was hoping to invite everyone to go sing karaoke. Will you come?” Phebe said, reaching out to grab Elena’s hand. Elena was utterly repulsed by Phebe’s act, especially since it reminded her of Anna’s similar behavior. Without hesitation, Elena took a step back. As she did, Phebe’s tears began to fall. “Elena, do you really hate me that much?” Phebe’s pitiful display immediately drew everyone’s attention, and soon, the crowd started to hurl insults at Elena. “Elena, you’re too much!” “Yeah, how can you be so heartless?” “Someone needs to teach her a lesson!” “I’m in!” Ella James stepped forward and, without hesitation, pulled Phebe into his arms. “Don’t cry, Phebe. I’ll help you!” Ella said, glaring angrily at Elena. He was about to lash out at her, but when he saw Elena’s face, his words died in his throat. The girl had golden curls, long lashes, and striking blue-green eyes. Her lips were red, and her skin was pale but not sickly. Even in the rain, her skin seemed to glow. This woman was a thousand times more beautiful than Phebe! Noticing that Ella James was distracted, Phebe instinctively looked up and saw him staring at Elena with a lecherous expression. Panic set in. “Ella, Elena is my classmate. Let’s just forget about it!” Phebe quickly interrupted his thoughts. “Even though Elena often skips classes and has repeated two grades, it’s really because of her family’s influence.” “Her family doesn’t care about her. She probably won’t even get into college, and she was dumped by her fiancé. She’s had it rough.” “Her ex-fiancé is Dan Hill, the heir to Charnelli Trading Company. You know him, right?” Phebe said this deliberately to kill any interest Ella might have had in Elena, making sure he understood that Elena was nothing more than a pretty face with no substance. As expected, Ella snapped back to reality after hearing this. He looked Elena up and down, sneering. “So, you’re the Campbell girl who got dumped by Dan?” He looked at her again, this time with obvious disdain. Seeing this, Phebe breathed a sigh of relief. Elena had no interest in wasting words on them. “Are you deaf?” Ella snapped, annoyed by Elena’s silence. Elena glanced at him. “I don’t talk to idiots.” “Who are you calling an idiot?” Elena didn’t respond, her silence only confirming what she had just said—that she didn’t talk to idiots. Ella wasn’t stupid. He could see that Elena was deliberately ignoring him, which only made him angrier. “You b—” “Move.” Ella’s insult was cut short by a deep, cold voice behind him. “Who the hell are you?” Ella barked angrily, turning around to confront the speaker. But when he saw the man’s face, a wave of inferiority washed over him. The man was much more handsome than Ella, with a refined, noble air that Ella could never match. Even though the man said nothing, his mere presence was enough to make Ella feel breathless. The other girls, including Phebe, stared at the man holding the umbrella, utterly entranced. It wasn’t their fault; the man was simply too handsome! “Oh my God, he’s so gorgeous!” “How can anyone look this perfect? Is he a celebrity?” “If he were a celebrity, we’d know who he is, right?” “Who do you think he’s here to pick up?” “Whoever it is, she’s so lucky to have such a handsome guy picking her up!” Everyone exchanged glances, trying to figure out who the lucky girl was. Ella continued to scrutinize the man in front of him, instinctively sensing that this person was not someone to be trifled with. But the problem was that Ella knew all the rich kids in their circle! “Move.” The man repeated, this time with clear impatience. Ella, intimidated by the man’s emotionless gaze, instinctively stepped aside to make way. He was curious to see who this man was here to pick up. The man, holding his umbrella, walked past everyone with long strides, heading straight for Elena. The onlookers were stunned. “Are you ready to go?” the man asked. “Yes,” Elena replied, nodding as she followed him. What’s going on? Everyone stood frozen in shock, unable to believe their eyes. Someone, please explain how this angelic man could be here to pick up Elena? But the surprises didn’t end there. When they saw Elena and the man get into a nearby Maybach, their shock reached new heights. “That car… I think there are only ten of them in the world, right?” someone whispered. Hearing this, everyone, including Phebe, instinctively looked at Ella’s flashy red sports car. While the sports car was eye-catching and the bright red color was attention-grabbing, it paled in comparison to the true luxury vehicle that Elena had just stepped into. How could you even compare them? The difference was like night and day! “Thank you,” Elena said inside the car. “Grandfather asked me to come,” the man replied calmly. “But he didn’t tell you to get out of the car,” Elena noted. “He didn’t tell me to hold an umbrella for you either, or to put those people in their place.” “Grandfather will be upset when he finds out. Besides, we’re getting engaged soon, and you’re practically a member of the Hill family. Hill family members don’t go around letting others push them around.” “No matter what, I still appreciate it.” Elena didn’t care much about what he said. She disliked owing people favors, and today, she owed him one. She would remember that. “If you want to thank me, you could agree to something,” Roy suddenly suggested, looking at her. “What is it?” “After we get engaged, keep your feelings in check.” Elena laughed. “I remember telling you that I’m not interested in you.” Roy had been hoping for her assurance, but for some reason, her words left him feeling oddly dissatisfied. A vague sense of displeasure lingered in his heart. Soon, they arrived at the Hill estate. “Grandfather isn’t up yet.” “I know.” As Elena walked into the living room, she noticed Longfellow lounging on the couch, watching TV, looking completely at ease. Anyone who didn’t know better might think Longfellow was the owner of the estate. “Hello!” Longfellow greeted Elena casually before returning to his TV show. Suddenly, something flew toward Elena.