“I am very exhausted right now. I only think I slept for a few hours,” Lyka complained after she repaired my unkempt hair.
What she said made me giggle. She appears to be sleep deprived and worried. Her lips are also dry, and she has dark circles beneath her eyes.
She leaned in close to me and inhaled deeply. Her head rested on my shoulder. I took her hand in mine and carefully patted it. I also sung a lullaby to her so that she might at least unwind.
“Professor Enriquez”s project is so nerve-wracking and difficult! I assumed it would be easy, so I did not do it right away, but as I was completing it, I realized that I still needed to investigate and form a hypothesis about it!” she remarked firmly. She even pouted as she said it.
She sounded as if she was cursing the poor Professor with her tone.
“What assignment?” I inquired, my brow furrowed. She sat in front of me, resting on my shoulder. As she observed me, her eyes widened. My scowl intensified on my brow.
“Wait, do not tell me you have not finished our assignment? Are you kidding, Anna? Do not mislead me, huh,” she added, straining to chuckle. She assumed I was lying. I gave her a shake of my head.
“No, Lyka, I am serious. What assignment are you talking about? Is it the one that involves finance?” I ask, perplexed. She exclaimed loudly in surprise at what she had just heard me say.
She yelled, “What finance are you talking about, Anna? That was a week ago! Professor Enriquez assigned us a new assignment!”
I gave her a puzzled look before pulling out my notes on the Professor she was talking to from my backpack.
I was taken aback when I realized what she was talking about. We do have an assignment to complete, and it is due today.
Professor Enriquez”s class is before lunchtime, yet I will not be able to finish it before the deadline evenif I start now. I mean, there are a lot of them, and we still need to perform some research and then come up with a hypothesis, as Lyka previously stated. I glared at Lyka, who was clearly distressed by my predicament.
“What am I going to do now?” I almost cried as I stated, “I might lose my grades if I do not pass it now.” Lyka annoys herself by twirling her hair. She looked at her wristwatch and then at me, shaking her head.
She reached into her bag for something. Her notes was strewn across the table. I gave her a puzzled look. I even sniffed because I was sobbing uncontrollably.
Why did I neglect to finish my homework last night? I had intended to do my project right after dinner last night, but Alessandre occurred to notice me naked. I could not remember what I needed to accomplish. I probably would have done my project if Alessandre had not troubled me so much and had not just stepped into my room.
So, what should I do now? Professor Enriquez is very conscientious about sticking to the deadline he has set for us to turn in our schoolwork to him. If you meet all of the standards, he will offer you a high grade; but, if you do not meet all of the requirements, your grade will suffer.
“Do not cry,” Lyka said as she handed me her notebook containing her assignment. “Just copy my assignment, changing the other words I used or paraphrasing the sentences so it is not too obvious that you copied on me.” My eyes welled up, and I leapt up and hugged her.
I cried, “Thank you, Lyka! You are an angel!” as I held her hard.
I did not even bother to sniff. Lyka caressed my back, laughing.
“All right, that is enough hugging; let me go because you are still working on your homework,” she said, and I did as she said.
“Thank you, Lyka! You are the finest!” I exclaimed, beaming from ear to ear. Lyka gave me a sly grin.
“Tsk, you are glad you are my sister; if you were not, I would not actually allow you to copy the homework I have worked on all night,” she says, rolling her eyes at me. I had a good laugh at her.
“Do not worry,” I assured her, “I will just take you to my restaurant later.”
I even wink at her, which causes her to burst out laughing. Because when we go to a restaurant that I own, I will not let her leave without paying for her meal. When she complains about having to pay even though I own the restaurant, I usually tell her that business is business. There are no buddies in business.
“Really?! Oh my word! I can eat as much as I want and not pay?” she reassures. She still cannot believe I am going to give her a free meal at my restaurant. I pretended to be offended by her words.
She took a gentle pull on my hair. She is teasing me a little.
“Hey, what I am saying is true: you take me to a lunch, but when you are at your own restaurant, you still expect me to pay. Tsk,” she says, shaking her head. I simply extended my tongue to her.
I began duplicating her homework. She, too, fell silent next to me. Because I had to copy a lot, she presumably wanted me to be able to concentrate on writing.
I was fortunate in that I arrived at the University early. I still have an hour till our first period, which means I can copy Lyka”s assignment.
As we ate lunch in the cafe, I was astounded. I have just finished imitating Lyka”s assignment.
I did not eat anything earlier because I am rushing to finish it before lunch.
Lyka and Aiden, the two in front of me, were kicking each other”s arm. They are also mumbling something to each other, or more accurately, softly fighting over something. I inhaled deeply, then lowered the spoon to my plate and addressed them.
“What is it, you two? Spill it, whatever you want to say, say it already,” I am getting tired of what they are going to say. Aiden grinned at me, but I could not help but scowl at what he did. With that smile, it is very evident that he is making fun of me.
Aiden began, “Lyka boasted to me that you would let her eat at your restaurant for free, and she claimed she can eat as much as she wants later at your restaurant.” His smile was still on his lips.
“So?” I inquired, shrugging. He only looked at Lyka, who was eating the dessert she had ordered while suppressing a laugh.
He smiled broadly at me and continued, “So, I am wondering if I am also engaged in your meal later.” I could not help but chuckle at him. My chuckle at Aiden was echoed by Lyka. Aiden became irritated when he noticed Lyka and I laughing at him.
“What the hell, A?” I cried, still laughing at him.
The students in the cafeteria who were dining with us were perplexed, but we ignored them.
Aiden merely shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head at us. Because of this, Lyka taunted him. Because of his frown, Aiden”s face could not be painted.
When Lyka and I taunted him, I expected him to be embarrassed, but he was not. Instead of smacking us with our taunting, he just rolled his eyes at us and refocused on his eating.
“You are laughing because you are getting married already, Anna,” he explained.
I came to a halt after hearing what he had to say. Lyka, too, was engrossed in what he was saying. I went completely silent.
“Are you really going to marry him, Anna?” Aiden inquired, his voice hushed. Fortunately, because we were seated in the cafeteria”s corner, the other students did not hear much of what we were saying. We had gotten their attention earlier since we were making such a racket with the ludicrous.
As he asked that, his face was solemn. Even Lyka, who had previously teased Aiden, is now serious.
I let out a gasp. They probably want to know the truth as well, even though I already told Lyka.
“I have to, A,” I responded, staring him dead in the eyes. His brows furrowed in response to what I said.
“The shareholders imposed a condition that I marry Alessandre so that they do not pull out their interests in the company that my parents bequeathed me,” I sighed.
Aiden did not say anything for a long time. He simply stared at me, pondering the matter.
With his brows wrinkled, he replied, “But you have the greatest shares in your parents” firm, and you are theoretically the CEO. Your company will be able to survive even if other stockholders withdraw out.” With a shake of my head, I expressed my dissatisfaction with the situation.
“Yes, my company can handle it,” I responded with a tiny smile on my lips, “but I do not think we can hold it for long; we still need them to ensure that the company”s favorable situation continues.”
I do not want to cause them any concern. I am sure they are concerned about how my life will change once I marry Alessandre.
Even though I was hesitant to marry, I realized I had no other option. Yes, I have the option of refusing to marry him and instead pursuing the stockholders with whom I may also head the firm that my parents founded, but I cannot guarantee that I will be successful.
How much more me, if they did not listen to Uncle, who already has a big name and clout in the business world? I am merely a college student. I am still a student, and to tell you the truth, I have not demonstrated anything yet.
If I were a shareholder, I would be hesitant to put my trust in myself as well, especially since I am still a student. I mean, our business is not a small one that you can easily handle. Our organization is likewise reliant on a large number of people.
That is also one of the reasons I consented to the shareholders” requests. I am well aware that I still have a lot to learn before I am ready to run our organization. I do not want to put the thousands of individuals who work for our organization at risk by refusing to perform what they request.
I am quite aware that I am a coward. I am quite aware that I am self-centered. However, I am powerless to stop it. I am also helpless in the face of them.
“I do not want to risk the company, A. That is all Mom and Dad left me, and they will work hard for whatever I have now. The company? I do not want to lose it either. I have already lost my parents, so the least I can do is keep the company in which they have poured their sweat and tears,” I murmured quietly. My eyes were welling up with tears. Many people are angry with me because it appears that I am just concerned with myself, but this is not the case.
I thought I could prove my skills to them the first time I heard Uncle”s motive for marrying me to his son.
I am confident that I will be able to run the company if I pursue them.
However, I considered the employees who may lose their jobs if I failed. I am willing to accept my failure, but I am not going to drag too many people down with me.
Lyka walked over to me and hugged me. As she hugged me, I silently cried. I confronted them both once I had calmed down. I gave them both a friendly grin.
“Thank you for being concerned about me,” I added, smiling. Aiden slid a Kleenex into my hand. He sighed but said nothing.
He locked his gaze on me for a few moments before gently nodding.
“OK, just remember that if you need anything, you can count on us,” Aiden added. He grabbed for my head and lovingly patted it. I smiled as I nodded.
Lyka hissed at Aiden, “Tsk, you are a moron Aiden, you just made Anna cry.” She even gave him a sidelong glance.
Aiden defended himself, saying, “Why did it become my fault? I only asked, ah. I did not expect Anna to cry.” Lyka is taunting him by mimicking what he said, and he is scowling. I had a good laugh at the two of them.
Seriously, I am afraid I am going insane with the two of them. I was crying before, but now I am giggling at their squabble.
All I can do is shake my head as I watch them bicker once more. I have also grown accustomed to their frequent quarrels, even over minor issues.
When my phone rang, the two stopped arguing. They each raised an eyebrow as they stared at me.
I laughed and got my phone out of my bag to see who was calling. When I saw an unregistered caller phoning me, I lost my smile and replaced it with a frown.
After my phone rung, I sat and watched. Because it was an unregistered caller, I did not answer. Perhaps the caller made a mistake when dialing and dialed my number by accident.
“Oh, why did not you answer? That call might be significant,” Lyka speculated. Aiden gave her a sly grin.
“That is why,” I explained, “that is an unregistered caller.” When my phone rang again, my brow wrinkled.
When Aiden noticed that the unregistered caller was phoning me again, he replied, “Answer it. Maybe that is essential.” I gave a nod.
When I answered the phone, I was taken aback. “Hello?” I exclaimed. I did not hear anything on the other end of the call.
I was taken aback. I checked my phone to see if the call had been dropped, but no one was speaking.
“Hello? If you do not answer, I will end the phone,” I added, frowning.
I was ready to hang up when I heard someone on the other end of the line clearing his/her throat. I waited for the person on the other end of the line to say something.
A icy baritone voice said, “It is me.” When I immediately recognized the owner of that voice, I froze in my seat. I can”t possibly be mistaken. I recognized Alessandre”s voice even though I was sleeping.
Yes, you read that correctly. Alessandre was the owner of the unregistered phone number that was used to call me. I suddenly realized that I had no idea what his phone number was before now.
“Y-yes?” I replied, my voice stuttering. To hide my stuttering, I cleared my throat. I also have the impression that my entire face has lost its color.
“Who is that?” Lyka asks, her voice barely audible. I did not pay attention to her and instead focused on the other line.
He quickly said, “Come here to the office.”
I was taken aback by what he said. I was never invited to his office by him. This has never occurred before. Is there a situation that requires immediate attention?
He is not the sort to call you out of the blue. He had to require something from me, so he dialed my number. I could not help but be concerned.
“Why? Is everything okay?” I inquire, concerned. Aiden and Lyka were taken aback by my appearance.
He said dismissively, “Just come here to my office.”
Because of what he said, I made a face. Even now, he was obnoxious. I am simply inquiring. When he called to ask me to come to his office, it was natural for me to inquire as to why I had to go.
“I have class until this afternoon, and I do not believe I will be able to go today,” I remarked, furrowed brows. I looked at the clock to see what time it was. When I realized our next lesson was about to begin, I grimaced.
“I will speak with your Dean, and I will take care of your Professor; just do as I said,” he replied quickly. The sound of his keyboard is now audible to me. He is most likely using his computer to work on documents once more. He is undeniably a workaholic.
“All right,” I said, nodding despite the fact that I was aware that he didn”t notice my nod.
He hung up on me when I stated that. Because of the evil of his habit, my brow wrinkled.
Look at that guy; he did not even inform me that he was about to hang up. Tss, he abruptly hung up without saying goodbye.
“Who is it, and what does he want from you?” Lyka wondered. Before I answered her inquiry, I piled on her.
“It was Alessandre who called me,” I said as I gathered my belongings.
They were both frowning. Seriously, what they do makes them look like twins. Is it necessary for these two to act in lockstep with one another?
“He invited me to come to his office and said he would only speak with our Professor to excuse my absence,” I explained. They exchanged nods.
“The splendor of your future husband. The vastness of his influence, ah. It is fortunate for you that you can skip class this afternoon without our Professors nagging you. Tsk,” she pouted. I just laughed and shook my head at her.
“I hope you told him that I will not be able to attend the lesson too, because he will undoubtedly be able to,” Lyka frowned.
Aiden burst out laughing at her. As a result, Lyka locked her gaze on Aiden, who had not yet stopped laughing at what she had said.
Aiden mocked Lyka, “You are not that pretty to have an Alessandre Atlas Villareal, that is why.” Lyka scowled as he spoke.
When Lyka had had enough, she smacked Aiden’s arm, but Aiden simply dodged her strikes.
“Hey, you two, calm down. You might wind up being together in the future, and alas, that is how our married cat got started,” I teased. Because of what I stated, they both frowned.
“Tsk,” Lyka said calmly as she rolled her eyes at Aiden. “First, Anna, you do not have a cat, and second, I will never like this ugly man.”