“I will see you in the exam hall now, I guess,” Volkov said, and Aaliyah looked at him before nodding.
“Thank you for dropping me,” Aaliyah said and was about to get out of the car when Volkov held her hand.
“I hope you rethink your decision about the trip. It will be fun if you’ll tag along,” Volkov looked at her hopefully, and Aaliyah nodded.
Honestly, the only real reason she denied the trip is that she thinks she is interacting with Mr. Volkov a bit too much than it is healthy for her.
As much as exciting a cruise trip with Mr. Volkov sounds, Aaliyah was afraid she might end up committing a mistake, like giving in to his words and falling for him harder, and she didn’t want to do anything she might regret.
“I will,” Aaliyah smiled, and Volkov nodded, watching as she exited the car.
He was waiting for the time when he would be allowed to kiss her to say bye and hi, but then again, he won’t let go of her when that time comes. Volkov sighed before driving away and calling everyone to meet and discuss the plan for their upcoming gang assessment.
“Should we tell her? I am not sure if it would be alright. Her exams are coming up,” Aaliyah heard a hushed whisper as she was about to turn the knob of the door, but as if they noticed some shuffling on the door, both of them went quiet, and Aaliyah, who was in a happy mood, shrugged and went straight to her room.
Seeing Aaliyah leaving with no reaction, Lily and Laura looked at each other, unsure if she heard something or not.
“We need to be more careful while discussing things in this matter,” Laura whispered, and Lily pressed her lips into a thin line before gazing towards Aaliyah’s room.
She agreed with Laura that they shouldn’t be discussing this matter when Aaliyah’s exams were nearing, but it doesn’t mean she wasn’t afraid that Aaliyah would throw a fit if she found out about this matter herself.
Not only do they need to stop discussing it, but they also need to protect this secret.
Meanwhile, Aaliyah sat on her bed in front of the mirror, gazing at the inverted V on her neck.
‘It’s beautiful,’ the thought ran through her mind before she paused, cursing herself for having such a goofy smile for something so minuscule.
What the hell was she doing gushing over a present? Is this really her?
‘This can’t be it. Why am I being so stupid? He might like me and is attracted to me, but this isn’t the goal I am behind. My ultimate goal is to help my father and make him proud of me. I can’t get involved with such a dangerous man that might hinder my plans in the long term,’ Aaliyah told her reflection in the mirror.
Though she was telling herself this, deep down she knew that a part of her was already falling for Mr. Volkov, that her hold on her feelings was slipping, and it was frustrating her.
Jumping down from the window, she ran in a random direction, feeling her emotions going haywire.
She can fight the world and get over it, but how is she supposed to fight herself? She wants Mr. Volkov, and her heart tells her to give him a chance and let him pamper her, but the other part wants nothing more than to stay away from him.
Sighing with a dejected heart at her own turmoil, Aaliyah walked to the cafe she works in before sitting in the last booth casually before she ordered a glass of cold coffee.
“What is a pretty lady doing here alone at this time?” The boy, who works with her, asked, startling her in the process.
“I didn’t mean to startle you. I hope my presence is not a nuisance,” The boy said, squinting his brows.
“It’s not you, Dave. I thought my order would take time and didn’t expect anyone to come and greet me. A lot is going on in my head,” Aaliyah smiled, and Dave sat with her.
“Well, fortunately, my shift got over just now. If you want someone to talk to, I am all ears now,” Dave smirked, and Aaliyah smiled.
“I hope it’s not because you saw a pretty and sad girl and thought of playing knight in shining armor in the name of hearing her sorrows,” Aaliyah mused, and Dave grinned.
“Damn it, and here I thought my plans were foolproof,” Both of them chuckled at his words before the lady served Aaliyah’s cold coffee.
“Enjoy it on the house, sweetheart,” the lady said, and Aaliyah smiled.
“So, what is bothering you so much that you have this ugly scowl on this pretty face? Boy problems?”
“Do you think there is a boy who can give me such issues that I worry over them?” Aaliyah scoffed.
She wasn’t worried about some random boy. It was a 22-year-old grown-ass man who was giving her a headache. A headache paired with wet dreams and wild thoughts that she can’t even bear.
He was making her question her principles and let go of all the things to get together with him.
He was making her feel weird emotions she never felt before. And the worst part was, she was enjoying every second of it.
“It’s nothing. I am just a tad bit sad that I didn’t get into the Olympiad,” Aaliyah said, and though Dave knew she was lying, he didn’t press matters further.
“Anyway, you tell me. How are things going with your girlfriend and her -”
“Don’t give me this sh*t. You didn’t do anything to her? Then how did she get disqualified from the test? You and I both know she is better than you. So how did you get it done? Judging from earlier, it’s not like she even knows something,” A familiar boy’s voice paused Aaliyah’s sentence.
“Fine, stop bothering me. I will tell you, but it’s all because you were a failure. I just gave you one job. Get her out of my life, but you couldn’t do it. So I had to take things in my hand. I mixed a tiny pill in her water which must’ve played with her concentration, and everyone knows that it’s all about time and speed in such tests rather than intelligence,” another voice said.
“Anyway, I don’t get it. How can a girl beat you like that? I supported you in your plan because you assured me you would get her out of my way. But what? She is dancing with the boy I like just fine. Is this all you’ve got?” Aaliyah heard, and couldn’t help but raise her head to confirm if it was her.
Aaliyah noticed how they sat in a booth right ahead of them, making their words audible. It was stupid of them to talk about these things without making sure someone was hearing them.
“Seriously? Are you blaming me? Do you think it pleases me to lie about such a shameful thing? You and I both know how long I have been infatuated with her. How could I leave the opportunity?
That night, I was sure I had my chance when you mixed that drug in her water. But who would’ve thought that even after being drugged, she would fight back like that? I am sure it’s because you added only a little quantity. Huh, even her fighting aroused me,” the boy whispered, and for some reason, Aaliyah found the conversation too familiar.
“How could you sing praises for a girl who beat you into a pulp?” Maria sighed.
“Anyway, is that true? If she wouldn’t have been able to fight back, had you really forced yourself on her?” Anyone could hear the wariness in her voice.
“I like her. It wouldn’t be forced. I know she would’ve ended up liking it in the end,” Aaliyah heard the familiar words and couldn’t help when a blur of that night’s event started resurfacing like a faded memory.
“Seriously, what’s wrong with people these days?” Dave spoke, but Aaliyah placed a finger on her lips to signal him to be quiet.
“She doesn’t remember anything, but what if she had? Let’s not talk about it or someone would hear it,” Maria hushed before smiling.
“Even though I couldn’t get my hands on my boy, I am still happy I got her out of that Olympiad. Now it’s my turn to shine back and get my reputation that she had stolen. It’s high time the princess returns,” Maria sighed, and Aaliyah’s hands froze on her drink, which didn’t go unnoticed by Dave.
“You got your work done, but what about me? How am I supposed to get her? I know it’s shameful, but since she has beaten me, the desire to get her has increased by ten folds. I want her more than anything. Aaliyah Gold, she has become my dream. No other girl I sleep with aroused me as much as a single gaze of hers does,” the boy said, making Dave look at Aaliyah.
From the whole conversation, it was clear these people hated Aaliyah. The boy had tried to take advantage of Aaliyah’s drunk state, and the girl knew and supported it.
Aaliyah dodged the situation. The girl played a trick and got her out of the Olympiad, and this boy was obsessed with her.
Could it be, this is what disturbed her? Did Aaliyah know about it? But her expression says she is hearing this for the first time too. Dave observed.
“Hey, you okay?” Dave placed his hand on Aaliyah’s, not expecting the girl to go through so much.
“I am fine. Do you think such leeches are going to worry me?” Aaliyah scoffed, even when her heart was in turmoil.
Raising her head, she remembered the boy as Alex.
“Anyway, I will take my leave. I came here to improve my mood, but obviously, it got worse,” Aaliyah’s gaze was dark.
Though Dave wanted to stop her, he knew she wanted to be alone and didn’t want to interact with anyone. Thus, he sighed before nodding.
“Go from the back side,” Dave said.
He wasn’t worried about Aaliyah. He was more worried about the pair who might end up in the hospital for what they did with Aaliyah.
The last time Aaliyah punched a customer because he was being a pervert, Dave had seen how out of control she could get in anger. He didn’t want that incident to repeat because everyone knew her mother hated violence.
But will she be really okay alone? He can’t even imagine what kind of turmoil must be going on inside her heart. She practically just came to know that she lost the Olympiad because someone played dirty tricks, and not only that, she almost got r*ped when she was drunk.
“Can I get a black coffee? You guys order for yourselves,” Dave looked at the man who entered, and remembering he had come with Aaliyah last time, he knew he was her teacher.
“Hey, can you do me a favor?” Volkov, who entered the cafe with Bryce, Shane, Samantha, and Zeke, turned to the guy who looked a bit familiar.
“Oh, how could I forget? Isn’t this the place where our madam works?” Samantha winked to Volkov after whispering, and the latter sighed.
“What kind of favor?” Volkov’s tone remained monotone.
“It’s a bit private,” Dave said while looking at his group, and Volkov nodded.
“I noticed you care about Aaliyah a lot from the last time you were here. You are her teacher, right? You look like the kind of man I can trust. Actually, the thing is, Aaliyah was here five minutes ago and -” Dave told him everything that happened, and the more Volkov heard, the angrier he felt.
“Don’t worry. I will make sure she reaches home safely,” Volkov patted his shoulder, and Dave nodded, his gaze turning to the pair that was still sitting there, sighing.
It didn’t go unnoticed by Dave, how Volkov glared at the boy, but it might be because as a teacher, he found the behavior of his students awful.
“Please call me on this number when you get her home,” Dave said before walking back inside.
He just hoped he entrusted the right man for the job. That’s the only thing he can do for her.