Chapter 98 

Kaiden and I walked through the hallway while holding hands. Everyone’s eyes were on us—some of them were filled with adoration, some admiration, some judgment, some disgust, some anger, and some jealousy. I didn’t care about any of them. I only cared about those who actually cared about me. My friends. Rubina and Sheela. They both were happy as hell. Sheela was practically jumping due to happiness, and Rubina gave us her approval by letting out a soft, genuine smile. 

As I saw her smile, I felt a pang in my heart–a jealousy for how kind she can be, a guilt for not being as kind as her. Rubina was indeed a great friend and an even better human. If it was she and Kaiden instead of me, I could have never been able to be as fully happy for her as she is for me right now. 

“Bye–bye, girlfriend,” Kaiden said with a teasing grin, twirling a strand of my hair around his finger as we reached near my classroom. 

“Bye,” I said, trying to let go of his hand, but he held it firm, his fingers interlacing with mine like they were afraid of losing grip. 

“Kaiden,” I said, blushing at the way his eyes traced my face like it was the only thing he ever wanted to memorize. “How can I go inside if you won’t let go of my hand?” 

“I don’t know,” he murmured, leaning his chin on the door frame with a lazy kind of charm, his voice wrapped in a half- smile. “All I know is I don’t wanna let go of this hand for the rest of my life.” 

“Uff–ho!” Sheela interrupted our flirty eye contact, waving her hands dramatically like she was warding off a cheesy rom- com scene. “The solution is simple. Just go inside, attend the same class. That’s it.” 

“Yeah,” Kaiden smiled ear to ear, shoving his hands–including mine which he was holding–into his pockets and rocking back slightly on his heels. “I have enough information about business, let me have some about science as well.” 

“Kaiden,” I glared at him–not angrily, but with a mock seriousness, raising one brow as if scolding a naughty schoolboy. I pulled my hand out of his pocket. “Sheela,” I then turned my gaze to her with the same dramatic intensity, folding my arms like a strict teacher catching two students red–handed. “You guys better stay far away from my class. I came here to study, not to,” I flicked a quick glance at Kaiden, “flirt, or,” my eyes slid to Sheela, “gossip.” 

I then waved at them both with a sassy smile tugging at my lips, tilting my head for extra flair. “Bye. Bye. Now go to your classes and focus on your studies.” 

“As you wish, teacha“,” Kaiden teased, tossing me a playful salute with two fingers and a smug wink. 

“Flirt!” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head slowly with a helpless smile at his mischievousness. Then I walked to my seat, stealing one last glance over my shoulder. Soon after, they too went back to their classes. 

After school, I was at the playground for my hockey practice with Rubina, Sheela, and other team members. Kaiden was insisting on waiting for me till I practiced so that we could go home together, but I didn’t like the idea of wasting his time waiting around when he already had a lot of work to do–especially with Dan out of the country right now. 

“Work can wait,” Kaiden whined, puffing out his cheeks slightly like a sulking child. “In fact, I can work here as well via my phone.” 

“Kaiden,” I said firmly, narrowing my eyes as I adjusted the grip on my hockey stick. “Working via phone will be v inconvenient.” 

“It’s not,” he replied quickly, shaking his head with a wide–eyed innocence, as if genuinely trying to convince both of us. “It’s not inconvenient at all. I always work like this-” 

“Kaiden,” I cut him off, raising one hand to stop him mid–sentence, “we both know you don’t work like this, and it’s not 

convenient at all.” 

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Chapter 98 

“But-” he tried again, voice dipping slightly like he was hoping to squeeze in just one more excuse. 

+45 

I interrupted him again, this time with my hands on my hips and a no–nonsense tone. “This isn’t healthy, Kaiden. I will never feel good about making you work in an inconvenient environment. And I am sure you won’t like that either. Do you want me to feel guilty for making you work like that? Do you want me to lose my focus? You know if I lose my focus while practicing, I might fall as well. Do you want that?” I tilted my head and asked softly, like a mom gently trying to teach her little son a valuable lesson–with warmth in my voice and patience in my eyes. 

“No,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, eyes dropping to the ground like a child caught red–handed. His shoulders curled inward, and he scuffed the tip of his shoe against the dirt, almost as if trying to disappear into the moment. The look on his face–soft, boyish, and just a touch defeated–made my heart twist in my chest. He looked so endearingly helpless that I swear, if time had paused right then, I would’ve wrapped my arms around him and stayed there forever. 

But life, as always, had other plans. 

“Lucy!” Coach’s sharp voice sliced through the air like the crack of a hockey stick. “You’re keeping everyone waiting. You’re the team captain, not a lovebird. Let’s move!” • 

She nodded toward the field with the kind of authority that didn’t tolerate delay. The rest of the team was already in position, their eyes flicking toward us with mild amusement. 

“Okay, okay! Bye!” I said quickly, pressing my lips to Kaiden’s cheek in a swift, impulsive kiss that left a faint blush blooming across his face. I turned and jogged toward the field before I gave in to the urge to stay longer. 

Kaiden didn’t head out right away. Instead, he lingered at the edge of the playground like a shadow refusing to fade, clapping and cheering like the most enthusiastic supporter in the world. “You got this, Lucy! Run circles around them!” 

His voice rang across the field, full of mischief and encouragement, and though my teammates were chuckling under their breath, I couldn’t stop smiling. He wasn’t just cheering–he was glowing with pride. And I was basking in it. 

Except… he was supposed to be working. Dan had handed him a load of responsibilities before flying out of the Kaiden had promised to handle them with care. Watching him now, I felt the weight of that promise settle onto my 

This wasn’t the time for distraction, no matter how heart–melting it was. 

country, 

chest. 

and 

. 

So, mid–practice, I shot him a look–eyes wide and exaggerated, brows lifted meaningfully, and then tilted my head in the direction of the gate. A silent, “Go to work. Right now.” 

Kaiden caught it right away. He smirked playfully, then raised his hands in an overly dramatic “you win” gesture, like a magician bowing out of his final act. A slow shake of his head followed, and with one last look over his shoulder, he finally walked away. 

As his figure receded into the distance, a strange ache settled in–the kind that comes when someone leaves, even if it’s just for a few hours. But he’d left behind a smile on my face and something warmer lodged in my ribs. 

God, I love this boy–deeply, completely, sometimes painfully so. 

To be continued… 

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