“Hey, have you heard about the accident Nathan Atkinson suffered at Sky Rotating Restaurant? He was pushed down stairs! It was such big news that it quickly trended and sparked widespread discussion online.” In the dorm room a short chubby girl was excitedly sharing gossips. She had a round face, wearing glasses, and her hair tied in a ponytail.
This girl, Colette Rogers, was the most fanatical news-monger in Sophie’s dorm. Sophie came here for college from out of the town, but she could always get the latest news and gossips from Colette.
“You’ve got to be kidding! Isn’t him such an influential figure here? They said merely a roar from him would send shivers down the spine of everyone in Inassea,” asked a curious roommate.
Another roommate chimed in, “Exactly. He defeated Oscar Davidson before, and more importantly he had a powerful family backing him up. Who would have the nerve to cross him?”
Colette’s lips curved into a smirk. “He has some influence, but so what? Those arrogant bastards like Nathan Atkinson do need to be taught a lesson. You know why he’s pushed down the stairs? He tried to retaliate someone who dated Sariah, yet in the end he’s the one thrown down. We have no idea who did this, but he literally made a feat of great daring. There are so many people online talking about apprenticing themselves to him.”
Sophie’s heart missed a beat when she caught the key words like Sariah, Sky Rotating Restaurant… Wait, was it Kayden?
She turned to Colette and asked urgently, “Colette, are you sure everything you’re saying is true? He really pushed Nathan Atkinson down the stairs?”
Sophie seldom paid much attention to such news because there was a radio in the dorm.
“Absolutely sure. I’ve got the video as the proof,” said Colette as she showed Sophie the video. The video of Nathan being pushed down stairs was still circulating online, accompanied by a variety of comments.
“Will the Atkinson family go after him?” Sophie asked. The quaver in her voice betrayed her worry and unease.
If the Atkinson family intervened, Sariah wouldn’t stand a chance of stopping them. After all, the dominance of this family in this area was overwhelming, as everyone knew.
Colette gave a mysterious grin and said, “It’s been two days already, but the Atkinson family hasn’t made any moves. I don’t think they have any intention to pursue this matter.”
“Why?” Sophie asked out of curiosity. The tension was still on her face.
Colette gave Sophie a long searching look, and then a hint of suspicion crossed her face. “Hey Sophie, you never cared about these things before. Why are you suddenly so interested in this matter? There’s something odd about you. Do you know the man who attacked Nathan? Or is there any secret between you two? No wonder you’ve been so preoccupied lately. Turned out that you have a crush.”
Colette’s words sparked a burst of laughter and instantly lived up the atmosphere in the dorm room.
A pink flush spread over Sophie’s face as she explained, “It’s not like that! I was just asking out of curiosity.”
Colette chuckled. “Just kidding. I don’t think you have any connection with that person, considering how aloof and detached you are.”
Sophie furrowed her brow at these words. Inside she silently contradicted Colette. She wanted to tell them not only she knew that guy, but he protected her and drove her to school. But in the end her sensible side prevailed, and she stifled those words. There’s nothing to brag about, besides.
Colette lowered her voice to create an air of mystery. “Do you know who that guy is?”
The others all shook their heads. They had no way of knowing the identity of that man.
Colette said enigmatically, “I heard he must hold a high status, so high that even the head of Atkinson family has no guts to provoke him. And that’s why they’ve remained silent. Otherwise they wouldn’t refrain from taking actions when facing such a grave insult. Nathan sets a high value on his reputation, so he must be furious to see his video circulating online. It’s not his way to stay silent and swallow the insult. Thus I believe the key lies in that man’s identity. He’s not someone Nathan can afford to piss off. I bet Nathan must be terrified after being thrown down the stairs.”
Actually news of Nathan’s death had been strictly suppressed. Otherwise, the entire Inassea would have been in an uproar by now.
And those with evil designs may take advantage of this situation to aim at the Atkinson family.
Sophia pondered for a moment. Actually Kayden didn’t seem particularly exceptional aside from his indifferent demeanor. If anything stood out about him, it was his ability to capture Sariah’s attention.
“Where did you get that he must hold a high status? What’s his background?” someone asked. Fletcher Atkinson was already someone with the highest status they could imagine. They could hardly picture any figure who could overpower Fletcher.
The Atkinson family once had been defeated by the Henderson family, but after Fletcher came to power, it took him merely two months to secure his family’s unbeatable position.
Now the Atkinson family far suppressed other clans in every aspect.
Colette’s mouth twisted into a dismissive sneer. “Oh, you’re never gonna admit your ignorance. Use your brain! If the Atkinson family wasn’t afraid of that man, they would have long made him pay the price.”
“Maybe they took their revenge secretly?”
Colette shook her head with disdain. “That’s out of the question. This incident brought huge disgrace on their family. They wouldn’t handle it behind the scenes, I mean, if they had the ability to handle it. They would definitely show the whole world the consequence of provoking them. These renowned families value their reputation above all else.”
“Alright, it’s almost time for class, Professor Flores’ class. I heard there’s a new intern teacher who’ll be co-teaching with Professor Flores today. Let’s go see if he’s a ten.”
“Let’s go, Sophie.”
They chatted all their way to the teaching building.
They loved this carefree college life where they could chat freely.
There were about one hundred people seated in the classroom, while it didn’t seem crowded.
Sophie chose a seat in the middle, not in a particularly conspicuous spot, yet she always attracted the most attention wherever she sat.
“Sophie!” As soon as she took her seat, an outgoing and athletic young man sat down next to her.
He’s Bowen Sanders, the captain of the school’s basketball team and a local resident in Inassea. His family ran a hotel business, and it’s said they monopolized nearly half of Inassea’s hotel market because they had a partnership with the Atkinson family
Bowen had been pursuing Sophie. He transferred from Department of Physical Education to the Medical School just to get closer to her.
“What are you doing here?” Sophie frowned with disdain.
Bowen chuckled as he placed a beautifully wrapped box on Sophie’s desk. “This is for you.”
“You’re so thoughtful, Bowen,” said Colette, who was sitting nearby, with a playful tone.
Bowen flashed a smile and said nothing. He and Colette used to be classmates in high school, and it was through Colette that he had the chance to meet Sophie.
“Have you heard about Nathan being attacked?” Curiosity drove Colette to probe into it.
Bowen gave a snort of disdain and answered nonchalantly, “Of course I have heard. It’s all over the trending news.”
“Who on earth is the bold man who attacked Nathan? How did he dare?”
A faint sneer was Bowen’s answer. Then came his voice filled with contempt, “Bold? His boldness cost him his life. He’s probably gone to meet his Maker.”
His words left Sophie, who had been silent all along, in a state of shock. It hit her hard like a severe blow.
Though she had only met that man for a short time, he saved her life and brought her a brief sense of security that day. Sophie stared at Bowen and asked urgently, “cost him his life? Who are you talking about?”
Bowen was glad that this topic piqued Sophie’s interest. He continued with a smiling face, “You know him. It’s the guy who offended Nathan on Outer Ring Road that day…”
Bowen was also a member of the Young Master Gang and part of the hundred or so people that day. He recounted what happened that day to Sophie, “At the time, Fletcher personally intervened for the sake of the Atkinson family’s reputation. Fletcher is much more ruthless and decisive than Nathan. Since he got involved, surely that guy had slim chance to survive. They may have already thrown his body to somewhere nobody can find.”
“It’s not surprising, I have to say. Whoever offends the Atkinson family will face a miserable end. I’m somewhat acquainted with Nathan. If you get into any trouble in the future, just tell me.” Bowen specially added this statement, clearly trying to show Sophie his composure and charm.
Sophie felt her heart pounding crazily against her ribs. So, it seemed that Kayden might have really been killed!
A strong wave of dizziness rushed over her suddenly, and her spirits plummeted.
He’s dead. Kayden was dead! It could explain why there’s been no news from him lately.
Her brain was in buzz at this moment, and she couldn’t grasp a single word Bowen was saying. A sudden urge to cry welled up within her. Was it because of that man?
Because she had really fallen for him?
Soon the class bell rang. Bowen beamed at Sophie and invited her, “How about we grab a bite together after class?”
He got no response from Sophie. Just then, Professor Flores walked into the classroom with a blank expression.
A plain-dressed, haggard-looking young man was following behind Professor Flores. Kayden had no clue why Professor Flores brought him to class, but now that he’s here, he might as well see what it’s about. Attending classes was a distant memory for him, so he’d love to cherish this chance.
“Oh my gosh!” The moment they entered the classroom, an exclaim escaped from Bowen’s throat.
“It’s him! It’s actually that guy! Can’t believe he’s still alive!” Bowen said in horrified disbelief.
Sophie raised her head, and next moment a familiar face jumped into her view. He was standing beside Professor Flores, still wearing that expressionless look. Yet at this moment, his appearance was a huge surprise for Sophie.