"Come on, Hera, how can you not know?" Asher asked in an accusing tone. Hera couldn't believe her friends were blaming her. Andrew had been missing the school for the last week, and they thought it had something to do with Hera. Ever since Hera accused Andrew of his misconduct, all friends held different opinions. Though they knew Hera wouldn't lie and blame anyone falsely, her friends had a hard time believing such dirty accusations about Andrew.
"I bet, Hera, your boyfriend has something to do with it," Clara's voice chimed in adding more fuel to the fire.
"Isn't it how Nate disappeared a year ago?" Adeline asked while her question left a strong influence on Hera's friends. All of them knew Nathan had left the school after he and Hunter fought.
"And your boyfriend didn't come to school for a week now. I wonder why, though?" Adeline remarked, feigning curiosity. Hera gritted her teeth as she struggled to keep her anger at bay.
.Hunter had a fever and was still recovering from his injuries. He was alone at home under the supervision of Mathew and Jessica. Hera wanted to stay with him. But being the dictator he was, he refused and demanded she concentrate on her studies. Whining and begging Hera had requested him to let her see him after the school but he had blatantly refused.
She needed permission from the school if she wanted to leave the premises on the weekdays. But unfortunately, Mathew refused to help her because Hunter had asked him not to.
Hera missed him the most at the moment. No one would have dared to block her path or question her if her Hunter was in the school. She wondered why she even ever thought of considering those people as her friends. Could she really count them as her friends if they made her feel unsafe and needed someone to protect her?
"What do you know about Nate, Adi? Don't act like you know everything about my life, and besides, it's none of your business. So keep your nose out of my matter," Hera lashed out, but it didn't affect the other girl in the least. It angered her that they thought Hunter had something to do with Andrew's disappearance.
"I don't give a fuck about that Jerk, so don't bother me with it. Not that it's any of your business, but I was with Hunter this whole time, and he didn't come to school because he's unwell," Hera defended.
"Andy likes you, Hera. I'm not defending him against what you accused him of, but we all believe Ace did something to him. Nate paid the price for loving you. We're worried about Andy, Hera. So ask your boyfriend," Jarred said, and the rest nodded in agreement. The look in their eyes felt like a hard slap. Hera just wished for the weekend to come fast so that she could go back to her Hunter.
Masking the hurt in her eyes, Hera smiled arrogantly at Jared. "Good riddance," she said, shrugging her shoulders and left without waiting to see their response.
"You are a curse, Hera. Whoever loves you, you only bring destruction to them," she heard Clara say. She was following right behind Hera. Ignoring her ex-best friend, Hera walked briskly. They had a class together. "So your boyfriend is ill. Hope he dies soon," Clara wished, and Hera stopped in her track to glare daggers at her.
"I wish, Ace Hunter will die like a stray dog," Clara said and smiled in satisfaction at the hurt look that crossed Hera's features. "It won't come true just because you wished for it. You're not a witch, Clara or are you?" Hera asked. "And stop presenting Nate as a scapegoat at every chance you get. You and I both know he's not innocent," she concluded.
The rest of her day in school was less eventful until she reached her dorm. She didn't want to spend a second more in her room with her roommates. They no longer made her feel comfortable in their presence. When Hera went to Abby's room, he found her cousin on her bed, lying on her stomach, her face hidden in the pillow.
When Abby lifted her face, Hera gasped. Her cousin had been crying, her eyes swollen red. The girl had such strong will power it wasn't easy to make her cry.
"What happened, Abby? Why were you crying?" Hera asked. A fresh set of tears rolled down her cheeks at that. "She isn't telling us. I think I saw her fighting with your brother. I'm not sure though," one of Abby's friends replied helpfully. Hera wiped Abby's tears and hugged her, rocking their bodies slowly.
"Did you and Danny fight?" Hera asked. It was unbelievable, though. Her brother and her cousin never fought. They were like twin siblings, always taking care of one another. Abby's friends left the room, giving them privacy to speak. "Do you want to talk about it?" Hera asked. She waited for her cousin to make up her mind. Hera wouldn't force her if she didn't want to talk.
Abby hesitated for a while, crying some more. "Danny shouted at me, and he said some mean things, Hera," she spoke, struggling through hiccups. "He's into some bad stuff, Hera. I'm not sure, but I guess it's drugs," she said, and Hera gasped covering her mouth with her hand.
Hera was beyond shocked. She couldn't believe her brother would do something this reckless.
'Does Hunter know? They don't keep secrets from each other.'
Hera didn't think Hunter would hide it from her if Danny is into drugs. She would know if it was true. Abby might have made a mistake.
"He's in trouble, Hera. I know for sure. There was an older guy who was threatening him. They were speaking something about bringing a girl to the club. I don't know, Hera, I couldn't understand. Danny fought with me when I questioned him," Abby revealed. Hera was afraid to speak to Danny. If he was rude to Abby, then how would he react if Hera interfered?
They were never on good terms to have a friendly conversation with each other, let alone share their deepest secrets. Hera had to wait until Friday so she could ask Hunter about it. Maybe he could speak to Danny.
In the mansion, Hunter was bored to death. His fever had taken a turn for the better, and his injuries were healing right. He was waiting for the boys to come back from school. Jessica had been smothering him with her extra care these days. He couldn't blame her though she was acting on his mother's orders.
Thankfully everything went smooth with his father when they talked on the phone. Hunter revealed everything without hiding anything from his father. "Proud of you, Junior," his father had said admiringly after enquiring about the depth of his injuries. Hunter gave him the phone number he had taken from the bounty hunter.
"I'll take care of everything, Junior. Don't worry about anything," Alexander had said. Not that Hunter needed reassurance from his father. He knew whoever dared place that bounty on his head wouldn't get a chance to escape death.
Mathew had scolded Hunter for not informing on the right time, and he had another Deja vu moment convincing his buddy Matt.
"You should've killed everyone. I would've handled everything after. Why did you let those bastards go?" Mathew had asked, pissed at Hunter's generosity. Luckily, Alexander didn't grill him as much as he expected. Hunter had managed to defend Mathew and protect him from his father's wrath.
Hunter took responsibility for his mistakes and admitted it was his fault for keeping them ignorant of the situation. But he had heard his father's pissed off voice warning Mathew not to leave him alone on his own ever again.
It was a lot harder than he thought to console and to convince his mother. It broke his heart to see her beautiful face crumple while she cried. Her tears had hurt more than that cutter knife which sliced his flesh. She refused to believe when Hunter assured her that he was fine. She had ordered Mathew to show every inch of Hunter's body through the camera.
It both irked and amused Hunter when Mathew literally did what his mother commanded him to do. Though his father stayed quiet, Hunter could see his eyes following the camera movements just as his mother did. She was adamant on flying down to London as she couldn't afford to trust anyone with her son's well-being.
However, Hunter managed to convince her with his father's help, and she agreed to his request on condition that he should video call her twice a day. Hunter obediently followed her orders and called her every morning and night. She would scrutinise the progress of his recovery through the camera every single time.
The doctor had to report everything directly to his father. It might seem like his overprotective parents were suffocating him with their too much care and affection. But in fact, he enjoyed their attention. He was missing them so much that he actually felt thankful for his injuries, he got to bask in their love.
He had always been his father's pride and his mother's little trouble maker, and they were his entire world. He couldn't thank God enough for blessing him with their presence in his life.
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