Chapter 182
Cordelia had always possessed a photographic memory, but as she stared at the familiar handwriting before her, she experienced the unnerving sensation of forgetfulness for the first time. She simply couldn’t recall where she had seen it before.
Furrowing her brow in concentration, she was snapped out of her thoughts when Merry spoke up. “Could it be that someone was pulling the strings behind Leila’s actions?”
Cordelia shook her head, indicating she had no idea.
Merry let out a resigned chuckle, “Well, whether there was someone or not, Leila’s definitely gone off–track. Could do her some good to get schooled a bit.”
She shrugged nonchalantly before taking a seat across from Cordelia.
Unable to remember where she had seen the envelope, Cordelia tucked it into her backpack, planning to deal. with it when the memory resurfaced.
Just then, her cell phone buzzed, She glanced down to find a friend request from “Sweetheart.”
Sweetheart?
It sounded a bit sketchy, but Cordelia didn’t pay much mind. She never accepted requests from strangers and quickly shoved her phone back into the drawer,
Next was Latham’s class. The recent events had taken a toll on him, but after a couple of days, he had bounced back. His voice was as booming as ever, commanding the attention of even the sleepiest student.
As Cordelia tried to focus on the lecture, her phone buzzed again, this time with more persistence. After a minute, it vibrated relentlessly.
Eventually, even Latham heard it. “Phones are technically banned in school,” he scolded, “and while we usually turn a blind eye, let’s not push it, shall we? Texting during my class–really? You all could learn from Ms. Cordelia here. Tops in math competitions and still pays attention. Unlike some…”
Cordelia silently switched off her phone and put it away.
When class finally ended, Merry turned around with a mischievous grin. “So, Lia, what juicy texts were you getting from your boyfriend during class?”
Latham hadn’t pinpointed whose phone it was, but Little Parrot had heard it loud and clear.
“It’s not him,” Cordelia replied, puzzled as to who would message her so urgently. She powered her phone back on to find the same friend request from Sweetheart, who seemed hell–bent on adding her, with remarks getting increasingly aggressive:
[What’s the matter? Scared to add me?]
Bitch, you seduced someone’s man and now you’re playing coy?]
[Bitch, speak up!]
[Ugly duckling, stop clinging to my boyfriend for fame.]
All insults, leaving Cordelia baffled. What was this all about?
She furrowed her brow, blocked the person, and decided to forget about it. But Merry soon figured it out. “Hey. Lia, isn’t your gaming ID ‘Learner‘?”
Cordelia nodded, and Merry exploded, “Damn, you’ve been targeted!”
Chapter 182
Confused, Cordelia asked, “What do you mean?”
Merry showed her a forum post, “Weren’t you teaming up with a guy named ‘Jungler recently? He’s a famous. streamer from the same platform as me, known for his gaming skills. Apparently, he’s been duo–queuing with a girl named “Learner‘–that’s you, right? And he’s been hitting on you during his streams… ahem!”
Cordelia was clueless; all she did was play ranked games with Jungler for a couple of hours each day. When did he start pursuing her?
Merry blinked, “And then, Jungler went public with a relationship with a streamer named ‘Sweetheart. But when they streamed their games together, people criticized Sweetheart’s skills, saying she wasn’t as good. as you. That’s when Sweetheart implied on her stream that you were so ugly, even Jungler ditched you!”
Cordelia couldn’t help but smirk at the absurdity, while Merry burst out laughing, “Lia, you ugly? That’s the biggest joke I’ve heard all year!”
At the diner for lunch, Everard was already waiting for them. Merry was taken aback when she heard Everard was there, “Lia, doesn’t he have work?”
Cordelia hummed in agreement, recalling Everard’s laid–back approach to running his shop, and repeated something she had told Mr. All–Round the day before, “His head’s filled with nothing but love.”
Merry was speechless but noticed Cordelia’s usually stoic expression soften ever so slightly. To Merry. Cordelia’s words seemed to hold a hidden affection–Everard’s world revolved around her, and her tone hinted she might not be entirely oblivious to his feelings.
When they reached the diner, Merry made a beeline for a distant table with a pasta of pasta, while Cordelia sat down across Everard, who was lounging back, looking effortlessly dapper in a black shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms.
He watched Cordelia with an amused gaze, remembering her comments from the day before. It seemed she was finally catching on to her own feelings. But if he didn’t step up his game, they might never make progress.
Everard took a few bites of his spaghetti, glancing at Cordelia before casually inquiring. “So I hear you’re planning to take a dip in the pool tomorrow, learn to swim?”
Cordelia savored a bite of her steak.
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