WHO IS EXCITED FOR LIAM'S POV?!
AND WHO IS EXCITED FOR A DOUBLE UPDATE?!
YES, YOU READ IT CORRECT, YOU ALL ARE GETTING A DOUBLE UPDATE TODAY :)
Btw, please people, know the difference between opinion and hate.
YOUR COMMENTS CAN HURT ME BECAUSE BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I AM HUMAN AND I HAVE FEELINGS.
AND ANOTHER THING, AS FLATTERED AS I FEEL BY BEING COMPARED TO RubixCube89201 AND HER BOOK TGGBB, I AM OFFENDED BECAUSE THIS PLOT WAS MY IDEA. I DIDN'T STEAL IT. I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW THESE TWO BOOKS ARE SAME. ONLY SIMILARITY IS THAT THEY ARE NOT BAD BOY ROMANCE CLICHE. REST OF THE PLOT IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT! ASTRID AND NAOMI ARE WORLD'S APART. MLAABBM IS BASED ON SIBLING LOVE WHILE TGGBB IS BASED ON FRIENDSHIP AND BULLYING. PLEASE DON'T SAY THINGS THAT IMPLY PLAGIARISM.
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Liam's POV
I replayed Astrid's statement whole night as the peculiarity of situation kept hitting me. It was as if the truth was on my tongue but I couldn't choke it out.
Every bit of evidence pointed towards Neal but I couldn't tell her this when even I had doubts on Alex too.
He is hiding something and I am sure of it.
Firstly, I hacked Pete Knight High's records and they clearly said that their Neal Wyatt didn't look a bit like the Neal we know. Secondly, why did he say that hospital was opposite to her home when you have to pass our neighbourhood in order to reach the hospital? Thirdly, Hospital records show no evidence of an Ethan Wyatt. As much as I remember, I saw him rushing through front doors when he got the news of Astrid. This means that he wasn't even in hospital at that time.
Every evidence points at him.
I have everything on my laptop along with evidences but at this stage, I am not sure. I mean, I spied on Alex too.
Turns out, Riverwood High isn't even a school in first place. How Rose and Alex came from there, is a mystery to me. I don't understand what kind of school we have. I know more about their students then them.
How did they even get admission here?
I was so busy in my own world that I accidently knocked and fell beside a crouched Alex. He seemed to be searching for something on the floor.
He cursed and immediately started bringing his fringes forward. I frowned as he quickly scrambled away without even looking at me.
I shrugged it and got up but felt a sticky thing on my finger. Lifting my hand up, my eyes widened when I saw a coloured lens on my finger tip.
A grey coloured lens.
Alex's eyes are supposedly grey.
Gulping at the thought, I rushed towards the nearest washroom and banged open it. Class had already started and not a lot of people were in corridors.
"You forgot something." I called Alex in an emotionless voice and saw his back go rigid as he looked down. I frowned.
"Alex."
He made the mistake of looking up. My jaw dropped as I looked into his reflection in the mirror.
They have same eyes.
He saw realization in my eyes as he looked down and tried to pass by me. I stopped him.
"Not so fast." I glared at him. "Tell me the truth."
He shrugged off my arm and continued to walk away.
"You won't want her to see this, do you?"
He knew what I meant as he froze and turned to face me with a furious expression. I couldn't look away from his eyes.
"You won't tell her anything." He growled and I shrugged.
"I am, if you won't tell me."
"Why would I tell you?"
"Because looking into your eye, I have a feeling that Astrid is wrong about her doubt on you as potential attacker."
"What?!"
"She thinks that you planned her attack."
"You've gotta be kidding me!" I exclaimed. "How can she? I am working my ass off to protect her and...why can't she see that."
His whisper wasn't meant for my ears. It contained so much hurt that even a cold hearted like me felt a pang.
"Maybe because you're not letting her see that." He looked up with an ajar mouth and studied me for a moment before breaking the silence.
"Listen Liam, I have a feeling that you're a nice guy and that cuts you out of my suspicion list. I advise you to stay out of this mess because I don't want your curiosity to rope you into it."
"I can't. Astrid is my friend."
"You should! Because she is my sister!" he screamed and then paled. I froze at his confession and he took this as his cue to continue. "Listen carefully, I don't want her to get hurt. I am done suffering and seeing her hurt will be something I won't be able to take. S-She doubted me? She thinks that I will kill her. How am I supposed to tell her the truth? My only family thinks so low of me. What am I supposed to do? I-just take care of my sister because I failed as a brother."
And with this, he rushed out of there.
I stayed frozen in my place as I took in the intensity of pain behind a brother's words.
I sighed and decided to just call it a day as my fingers were itching to add this on my report which I may never show to Astrid.
Is she adopted?
What did he mean by only family?
What happened to rest of his family?
Where was he for so long?
Do Aiden and Asher know about this?
Does this means that Neal is the attacker?
"Mr Williams?"
My eyes met the furious and sceptical ones of Ms Walker.
"Why aren't you in my class right now?"
"I wasn't feeling well." I shrugged.
Her nose flared and I almost smiled thinking about how proud Astrid will be if she sees that I finally grew a backbone against teachers.
"I see." She stretched her hand and gave me a phone. "Keep this on my desk and wait for me there. I would like to have a chat with you."
I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Join me?"
Okay, I was pushing her buttons now.
"I would have but I have a class to continue and this horrible cell phone won't stop blaring!" she gritted out and I decided to push my luck.
"Whose is it anyway?"
"Neal's." my ears perked up and I immediately looked at the phone in awe. "He thought he could get away with texting just like you thought that you'll get away with bunking. Now go, Williams. I will decide your fate in 10 minutes."
I nodded like a lost puppy and supressed the urge to kiss Ms Walker for handing me the golden card.
Thank god I knew better than kissing her. Gross.
Quickly rounding a corner I looked at the phone. It pinged immediately and I was glad that Ms Walker didn't give up her habit of literally snatching the phone out as it was still unlocked and a chat was open.
Lange- they fucking failed Hunter, what were you even thinking?
Neal- what was I thinking? I am fucking done playing the good guy here when all I want to do is strangle her, every time she is in my arms!
Lange- don't forget that she and her twin are the only way to treasure! If cross comes to know that you're betraying him by not informing him that swan's alive, then he will behead us both! I am not even a part of any clan, yet this is costing me my life!
Neal- firstly, stop texting! Mail me. What if she sees my texts?!
I panicked.
What the hell is this?!
My eyes fell on the clock icon in corner and they widened. Only 5 minutes left. Taking a brave decision, I quickly sent the whole chat to my fake mail and deleted every trace of privacy breach.
I gave a quick once over to his gallery and on finding it completely filled with Astrid's photos, I was confirmed of my suspicions.
The bell above my head blared loudly, signalling the end of Journalism class. I quickly cleared gallery from recent apps and opened the chat as I ran down the hallway for Ms Walker's cabin. I made it just in time for her to enter along with Neal.
Thankfully, I was able to place his phone on a corner as I pretended to text from mine.
Shit just got real.
~~~~~
All I wanted to do was bang the laptop on the wall when I failed to hack Neal's mail for nth time. I may be a pro with investigation but I am not exactly the brightest crayon when it comes to this kind of hacking.
Reading the texts between this Lange and Neal over and over, one thing was for sure to me, Neal and this kid were after Astrid. I was still confused about the terms 'Treasure' 'Clan'. Why was the guy referring Neal as Hunter? And were they referring Astrid as 'swan'?
I was so confused by the end that all I wanted to do was to kill someone.
My window slid open and I panicked for a moment before my eyes landed on Astrid. I smiled even though I knew that she could see the strain behind it. I immediately closed my laptop as she pulled the chair next to my bed.
"Anything?" she bit her lip and eyed me hopefully.
"No." I shook my head.
"Oh." The guilt clawed my inside when I saw the disappointed look on her face. She pasted a smile and looked at me again.
"It's alright. Lay down, now."
I averted my eyes and nodded as I laid down.
"I love swans, you know. They are the members of-"
"Wait."
She furrowed her eyebrows and stopped.
"Why do you like swans?"
She shrugged.
"I think mom used to call me baby swan, that's why." I nodded and she studied me sceptically.
"Really? Is there any name for baby swans?"
"Of course, duh. Just like cubs are to tiger, Cygnet is to baby swan." I nodded subconsciously. I had a feeling that I was not noticing something here. "Why are you suddenly so interested in swans?! I am not talking about them now. Ugh, give me something to talk."
"I am trying to learn French, you know." I changed the topic and her eyes lit up.
"You learnt something yet?"
"Yup." I popped the 'p' like nothing is wrong. "I learnt that Bonjour means hello. Je t'aime means I love you and L'ange means angel in French."
She laughed and my heart broke at the idea of betrayal she is unaware of.
"I don't know about rest but trust me, the Lange I know, is not an angel."
I acted as if I didn't set this up.
"Who is Lange?"
"Oh. His full name is Ryder Lange. He is a waiter at Bentley's kitchen. The funny part is, I used to have a crush on him." She chuckled and shook her head. "And he turned out to be Neal's bestfriend."
I clenched my jaw at her obliviousness of falling for assholes every time.
"Hm." I hummed and then tried to ask her the dreaded question nicely. "Let's play rapid fire okay?"
She gave me a funny look but nodded.
"I will say a word and you'll answer with first thing that comes to your mind. Okay?"
She nodded again.
"Rain?"
"Petrichor."
"Blue eyes?"
"Me, duh."
"Love?"
"Family."
For the first time, I was glad that she didn't say Neal.
"Friend?"
"You."
I smiled at that. I may or may not have asked this to gain some confidence for next question.
"Clan?"
She frowned and thought for a second but when she spoke, everything cleared up in my mind.
"Kingdom of Kovorelle."
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