Chapter 138 - [Fight] [School Trip]

[Leanna's POV]

[Fight]

"Leanna, after your exams, you'll have a week of summer break."

Cain looked all at me overflowing with expectation like he was waiting for this moment to tell me something.

"I'll take a leave from work. Do you want to go anywhere next week?"

"Uhmm . . . ," I avoided his eyes. "Aren't you busy?"

"Zhane and the others can handle VIOS for a week, and I can ask my father to take ove––"

Cain stopped when he noticed my guilt-stricken face.

"What's wrong?"

I fidgeted in my seat and roamed my gaze left and right –– couldn't face his excitement.

"W-well . . . I kind of . . . umm . . . sign up for the school summer field trip . . . You know . . . planting trees . . . clean the environment and all that . . ."

Cold sweat broke free from my pores. I was trembling on my seat when Cain's chilly, overbearing aura filled the air –– suffocating me.

"You would rather plant trees than to be with me?" he accused, and I jolted from my seat.

"N-no! It's just that . . . I wanted to go on a school field trip! You know . . . f-for experience . . ."

"Cancel it."

Wha––!

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"I'm already counted on the list, and the trip is already next week."

"I'll cancel it for you and shoulder any fees."

"No, you won't."

"Yes, I will."

I sighed through my mouth.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Cain's voice was dead and monotonous while his face was expressionless as his eyes stared at me with accusation.

Oh dear . . .

I was bathing in layers after layers of cold sweat. All the warmth left my body as I panicked on how to answer the domineering man.

Honestly, it kind of . . .

Slip my mind . . .

Of course, I couldn't say that sorry of an excuse to him.

"It kind of slip my mind."

Idiot! After what I said!

I'm running out of words to say here!

Cain leaned in closer as he held his chin on top of his crossing fingers.

"So . . . You're saying is . . . I'm not important to you, so you casually forgot telling me this."

Eh?!

How did he derive from that?!

My palms slammed on top of the table as panic and guilt overpowered all my reasoning when Cain look all hurt and pained.

"T-that's not true! I'll cancel it! I'll cancel it right now! *sniff . . ."

I was too overwhelmed with his pained expression that my tears were building in my eyes.

. . .

. . .

I wiped away my tears. My eyes were pleading at him to forgive me only to find the ruthless man snickering behind his crossed fingers. His shoulders trembled, suppressing his laughter.

"You . . ."

I couldn't find the words to barked at him as I was dumbfounded on how childish he could be.

Cain got out from his seat and embraced me from behind while I sat there motionless on my chair.

"I'm sorry . . . *chuckle . . . I couldn't resist teasing you."

Cain stroked my hair when relief tears fell from my eyes.

"Don't do that!" I smacked his chest in frustration. "I thought you're angry at me."

"I'll never be angry at you . . . Just tell me these kinds of things next time, alright?"

I sniffed before I nodded and embraced him back. I was enveloped in his warmth and didn't give too much thought in the glinting mischief in his frosty eyes.

----

[Leanna's POV]

[School Trip]

"What are you eating?"

Zoe reached for the lemon honeyed snacks that I was eating and shoved it into her mouth in one gulped.

"I don't know. It's some kind of a honey lemon biscuit Cain gave me." I wandered my gaze on the vast greenery and mountains outside of the bus's window.

We had landed on Izu Island and currently on our way to the university's owned lodging, riding our university bus.

"Wow! This tastes amazing! Do you have more?" Zoe reached out again and grabbed some more of my snacks.

"You know . . . *munch . . . I thought you two wouldn't come . . . *munch . . . I thought you'd spend your summer break with your respective boyfriends."

I shrugged while Estela ignored Zoe altogether, busying herself with her phone while giggling nonstop.

She must be messaging Zhander.

"Well, you know this school trip is once in a lifetime," I replied.

"I guess." Zoe shrugged.

Artem University organized school trips every year, but only for the first years as a pretext of welcoming the new students while doing something meaningful. But in truth, the teachers just really wanted a free vacation since the university shouldered the trips.

The trip would be a three-night, four-day affair. The first day was scheduled for arrival and rest time. The second was the tree planting activity. The morning of the third day was allotted to shopping and buying souvenirs, and the afternoon was the time to go back to New Haven.

RUMBLE!

RUMBLE!

"Wow! Look at all that grey clouds! They were not joking when they said that the weather on this island is unpredictable. I wonder if we'll be alright tomorrow." Zoe wiped off the crumbs on her lips as she stared at the dark grey sky.

I was about to say something when I heard whispers from the seat next to us.

"Have you heard? Emery Jansen is stranded on the other side of the island because of this sudden storm."

"What? Is she okay?"

"I heard the teachers are doing the best they can to fetch her, but it was useless since the road are slippery, and the mountains are not safe during these kinds of storms, so they advise her to sleep somewhere nearby to pass the night."

"What is she doing on the other side of the island anyway? Why didn't she ride together with us?"

"I don't know. She had her private plane to bring her here. Maybe because she's too much of a Princess and didn't want to share a ride with us commoners."

"*snicker . . . I guess you're right. Such a spoiled Princess wanna be got her just dessert."

"Hey, you girls are rude! Don't insult her. Can't you see she's already in a predicament?"

"Poor my Emery. She must be scared and all alone right now. Damn it! I've come to this fucking trip because of her, but she had to get herself stranded on the other side of the fucking island!"

"Oh shut up! You boys don't even have a chance at just wiping her million-dollar shoes."

*snicker . . .

whispers

whispers

"Aren't you worried about your cousin in law?" I faced Estela, who was scowling at her phone.

Signal interruption, maybe.

"No need to worry about her. She can take care of herself." Estela dismissed while hammering her phone on the armrest of her seat.

It's not the phone. It's the signal, Estela!

I held my chin and gazed at the now stormy sky.

I remembered that innocent Goddess's eyes with unyielding ferocity.

Emery didn't peg me as a spoiled Princess.

She gave me an impression of . . .

I don't know . . .

Going with the flow like kind of girl.

RUMBLE!

The bus shook from the earth-shattering entrances of bolts of lightning.

The ladies shrieked while the boys snickered.

This storm is too much. I hope Emery is okay.

I didn't have any encounter with her, but I knew if something happened to her, Uncle Luke and Zhander would be devastated.