Bound

39. For Whom The Bell Tolls

"I'm so glad that she is gone now. She did not deserve to be amongst us",Leah interjected, a disgusted expression on her face.

Amara pursed her lips at the tone of the girl when something suddenly struck her,  "Gone? What do you mean?''

"She's missing", Leah declared with apparent eagerness and excitement from being directly addressed by the Sullivan-Romero princess.

Amara's eyes widened, shocked. "M-Missing?!",she exclaimed in a high pitched voice.

Leah's eager nod did nothing to sooth the dread that was slowly coiling in her stomach.

"Don't be stupid Leah", a familiar voice snapped and Amara's eyes fell on Veronica who had walked towards their table and was standing behind Leah's chair. "That girl isn't missing. She has been expelled from Wolsford."

Amara heaved a small sigh of relief but immediately felt bad for what had happened to the girl. Wolsford Academy was one of the most prestigious institutions in the world, and once expelled from there, no institute would be willing to take her in!

In the back of her mind, Amara wondered if she could perhaps persuade Caden to pull some strings to get Harley in one of the partner schools of Wolsford.

She was brought out of her musings at the sound of someone clearing their throat delicately.

"Hello Amara", Veronica greeted her, a smile on her face.

Amara simply nodded in reply and was saved from holding any uncomfortable conversation from Veronica when Serena suddenly stood up, a hard expression on her face.

"Amara, I think it's time that I leave. I have to check if the staff has packed all my bags properly",she said. "Can we talk privately before I leave?''

"Of course", she murmured as she stood up from her seat, excusing herself and walking away with her friend, the Valentini guards who had accompanied Serena following them at a distance.

"Thank you", Amara said softly, "I don't think I could have..."

"What she did was wrong", Serena told her angrily. "The Callaghan family is mighty amongst the Irish mafia but you are a Sullivan", she emphasized meaningfully, "Besides she cannot expect you to forgive her so soon and no one has the right to fault you for being angry. So please, do not forgive her just because you feel pressurized to do so", she insisted.

Amara sighed when they reached the manor entrance. "Have you heard from your father or Silvano?", she questioned.

Serena shook her head. "Not yet",she admitted,"And I don't expect to, they never call when out for business trips. But I keep asking my guards if they have received any word from Chicago and all seems to be fine so don't worry", she reassured.

Amara smiled a little at her friend's confident, but inside, her heart felt heavy with worry, an uncomfortable feeling at the bottom of her stomach. A strange, foreign, fear—

She stumbled slightly when Serena threw her arms around her, "I wish I could stay in New York for a few more days even though I'm glad that the fest is over. I don't want to return home just yet", she spoke in a soft voice.

Amara hugged her friend."Why don't you call your father and ask him if you can?",she suggested whilst pulling away, eager with the idea.

"I can't... Father has given the guards strict instructions regarding my schedule", she replied,"It'll be a security breach If I don't follow it."