The Messenger( Iva) novel Chapter 277

Meeting The Stells 2

Meeting The Scotts-2

She loved Attia.

She knew he felt something for her.

But love was not always enough.

Not when there were centuries of tradition and expectation standing in the way.

Lori pressed her hands to her face.

*I can’t lose him,* she thought. *I can’t.*

But even as she thought it, she knew the fight was far from over.

And she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to win.

Claim

The days that followed Iva’s visit settled into a strange, uneasy rhythm.

Lori attended her classes, took her notes, smiled at her professors. She met Attia in his office, filed papers, organized archives. They talked for hours-about everything and nothing, about their pasts and their hopes and the future they were trying to build together.

But something was off.

Attia was growing gloomier with each passing day.

At first, Lori told herself she was imagining it. That the stress of the fugitive situation, the pressure of the academy, the weight of everything that had happened was simply taking its toll. But as the days stretched on, she could no longer deny what her eyes were telling her.

The light in his eyes was dimming.

His smiles were rarer, his laughter almost non-existent. He seemed to be carrying a weight that was crushing him from the inside out, and no matter how many times she asked if he was okay, he always gave the same answer.

“I’m fine, Lori. Don’t worry about me.”

But she worried anyway.

Finally, one evening, she cornered him in his office.

The sun was setting outside the window, painting the room in shades of amber and rose. Attia sat behind his desk, his head in his hands, his shoulders hunched.

Lori closed the door behind her and walked to stand in front of him.

“Attia,” she said softly. “I’m going to ask you a question. And I want you to give me an honest answer.”

He looked up, his dark eyes heavy with exhaustion.

1/4

Meeting The

“What is it?”

“Are you good? Are you really good? Not a polite reply. Not a deflection. The truth.”

Attia stared at her for a long moment.

Then he let out a breath-a long, shuddering exhale that seemed to carry the weight of the world.

“No,” he admitted. “I’m not.”

Lori’s heart clenched.

She moved around the desk and knelt beside his chair, taking his hands in hers.

“Tell me,” she said. “Please.”

Attia’s jaw tightened.

“My family,” he said, his voice raw. “They are really making my life hell. They have been throwing challenges at every step since I broke the engagement. Political obstacles. Financial threats. They’ve even managed to ruin some of the programs I was developing for the academy.”

Lori’s eyes widened.

“Attia-”

“And Monica’s family,” he continued, his voice growing bitter. “They are a different type of headache. They have been spreading rumors. Questioning my fitness as headmaster. Trying to turn the Council against

me.”

Lori felt guilt wash over her like a wave.

This was her fault.

If she hadn’t entered his life, he would still be engaged to Monica. He wouldn’t be facing his family’s wrath, his reputation’s ruin, his career’s collapse.

Her face must have reflected her thoughts, because Attia’s expression softened.

He pulled her up from her knees and into his arms, holding her tight against his chest.

“Don’t,” he said gently. “Don’t let my words ruin your mood. I didn’t tell you this to make you feel guilty. I told you because I promised to be transparent with you. Because I want you to know everything that’s happening in my life.”

Lori pressed her face into his shoulder.

“But I’m the cause of all this-”

“No.” His voice was firm. “You are not the cause. My family’s cruelty is the cause. Their inability to accept that I have the right to choose my own life. That is not your burden to carry.”

Lori nodded, but she wasn’t fully convinced.

She pulled back and looked at him, searching his eyes.

2/4

Meeting The Scott 2

If there’s anything I can do-”

Just being here is enough,” he said. “Just existing. That is more than I could ever ask for.”

Lori smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

She left his office that evening with a heavy heart.

Claims

The days that followed were confusing.

Attia’s words had been reassuring, but his actions told a different story.

Each day, the bond between them grew stronger. Lori could feel it pulsing in her chest, a constant reminder of their connection. She could sense his emotions through it-the exhaustion, the frustration, the underlying warmth that he tried so hard to hide.

But physically, he was keeping her at arm’s length.

His touches were brief. His kisses were chaste. He never stayed too long, never let things progress beyond a certain point.

*Maybe he’s not sure about me,* Lori thought with a pang in her chest. *Maybe he’s having second thoughts.*

She tried to push the thought away. Tried to focus on her classes, her studies, the future she was supposed to be building.

But the doubt lingered.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify