"That... that will not be needed. I got the idea." with a flushed face, she took the book back and started reading all the details of the numerical. Nora had not even done rough work to solve the numerical. She had either calculated all the amount in her mind or she had learnt this numerical in advance. And both knew that the latter was not possible.
Looking at her widened eyes and pale face, Linda took out her french book.
"Can you explain this proverb to me too? I am sure they are not talking about dogs. Right?" Nora laughed at that and explained the whole page to Linda.
When her eyes fell on the watch again and she stood up abruptly. It was only twenty to ten.
"I am glad that I could help both of you. But I really need to go or I would miss my tests." to prove it, she took out a thick file from her bag. The name of the hospital and her name was written on the bold letters.
Their faces changed looking at the file. They noticed the mark on her neck when they were leaning to see the solution. Someone had tried to strangle her.
They stole a look at each other’s faces before nodding at her. Nora smiled at them sweetly before looking at the file. Her eyes dimmed but then with a resolute face, she left the room.
"Who had tried to strangle your sister, Penny? Why did she need to go to the hospital?" Nora heard her voice when she closed the door. She paused and then a helpless smile appeared on her face.
She quickened her speed and did not wait for Penny’s reply.
"There is a long way to go, penny. I will not strike at once. But when i will strike, you would have nowhere to go.’’ When she reached the reception counter, it was empty. She looked around and waited for ten minutes but the warden did not return.
Frowning, she wrote the note and added the number of hospitals. Since the dorm had flexible timing and it did not refuse students from leaving the dorm as long as they had the necessary reason. So she did not think much of it and left.
She ran all the way to the garden where Alex was leaning on the wall. Two other young men were standing with him.
"Why are we waiting here for a girl? I thought we are not going to waste time on the school girls when we can find real women out there." The man made a face full of disdain as he thought about Alex waiting for a girl now.
"Yes, brother Alex. I have thought that we are not going to waste time on those girls. They are too demanding and often throw tantrums. More than that, they could snitch on teachers and tell their friends about us." They kept complaining about Nora but Alex did not reply to them.
His eyes were closed and his expressions did not know what he was thinking.
But it did not mean that he could not hear them. But when he remembered the morning where Nora had leaned on him. He was sure that Nora was not a girl who would throw a tantrum. Nor she had friends to whom she could snitch about their activities.
"Ha! I never knew that you all could be so insecure from a little girl." Alex’s eyes shot open when he heard her voice again. It was like the morning. Her voice was so sweet and tingling like a cold breeze after a long warm day. But her tone did not match her words at all.
She was cold and ruthless and did not care about others at all.
They all felt a second of guilt when they heard her voice. But then their faces turned cold and they narrowed her eyes on her. They didn’t even try to hide their hostility.
"Who is afraid of a pauper like you?" snarled the first and others laughed.
"That is right. I have heard rumors that your own family tried to kill you. How much of a nuisance have you been that instead of leaving you to fend for yourself, they decided to kill you?" asked another with a mocking look on his face.
Nora looked at all of them without a hint of fear or pain on her face as if they were only telling her that the weather was a bit chilly tonight.
"And here I thought you people hate having rumors and snitching." she sighed and shook her head like a mother dealing with cranky kids. "Or is it that you do not want to face competition in that too?"
"....." her words were like a cold slap hitting their faces. Their faces turned ugly at once.
"You slut! Do you think.."
"Enough!" Alex cut all of them. They all might be rich but they have fixed pocketmoney and permissions. For them Alex was like a god who could spend as much as he wanted and have the power to take them out anytime.
They could not go against him. A few of them were paid by his brother Alric too. So they did not dare to speak after Alex asked them to shit their mouth.
"You are late." he looked at Nora with bare hostility. When others noticed it, their eyes burnt again with joy. How dare she mock them and think that she would still be welcomed.
"My warden was absent from her seat. I was waiting for her." she shrugged and walked closer until she was standing in front of Alex. "why, were you missing me?" her hands reached for Alex’s shoulders and she hugged him. The young man reached to push him away when she whispered.
"I have seen one of your friends calling someone and telling them about your location. What if they are planning something against you? Do you want me to keep an eye on them?"
"....."