The previous chattered instantly died due to Rebecca's bold request, the scene had gathered a lot of attention in a matter of seconds.

"Oh, shit" Micheal muttered under his breath, doing little to hide the shock on his face

Kai realizing what Rebecca had done instantly grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the classroom. a ripple of whispers and murmurs followed their departure, drawing the attention of their classmates.

"It looks like the gossip wasn't entirely false" Isaiah said with an amused look on his face

"Did you know anything about this?" he asked Alexandria

"Honestly, not much. Whenever I've brought it up, she's been pretty vague about the whole thing." she answered she was also slightly surprised by the ordeal

Amongst the commotion no one noticed the enraged look Damian was currently wearing, quietly clenching his fists as hard as he could

*******

Once outside the classroom, Kai released Rebecca's arm, his frustration evident in the sharpness of his gaze. "What do you think you're doing?" he snapped, his voice tinged with irritation

Rebecca remained silent, her expression impassive as she met Kai's gaze with unwavering determination. She knew the gravity of her request and understood the risk involved, but she was willing to take it nonetheless.

"We need to talk," she stated firmly, her voice steady despite the tension between them.

Kai's jaw tightened as he fought to control his rising frustration. "Talk? About what? The rumors? The lies spreading thanks to that damn photo?"

Rebecca's silence only fueled Kai's anger, his frustration reaching a boiling point as he struggled to comprehend her motives. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?" he demanded, his voice laced with exasperation.

Finally, Rebecca spoke, her voice calm yet filled with a sense of urgency. "I know exactly what I'm doing," she replied, her tone unwavering. "But we can't talk about it here."

Kai's eyes narrowed in suspicion, his mind racing with questions and doubts. "Fine," he relented begrudgingly, his tone conceding to her request. "But this better be worth it."

Without another word, Kai led the way to a secluded corner of the school courtyard, far from prying eyes and curious ears. Once they were alone, he turned to face Rebecca, his expression a mixture of frustration and apprehension.

"Now what?" he demanded, his voice tinged with impatience.

Rebecca took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation that was about to unfold. "I need your help," she began, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kai's eyes widened in surprise before bursting into laughter, " help?, do you seriously think you are in the position to ask anything of me?"

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Rebecca held Kai's gaze, her expression serious despite his laughter. "I wouldn't be asking if it weren't important," she insisted, her tone unwavering.

her voice taking on a softer tone, "At least to me"

Kai's laughter subsided, replaced by a skeptical glare. "So what do you want?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Let's make a deal"

Kai arched an eyebrow, "What Deal?"

"2 million credits, full access to my private training room in Luminary haven, rare skill books, and even special weapons. I'm willing to give you all of this". Rebecca explained

Kai's skepticism melted away, replaced by genuine surprise. All these could drastically change his school life, The allure of such resources was undeniable—they could drastically alter his school experience. Luminary Haven was the epitome of luxury, equipped with state-of-the-art training facilities and personalized V-pods for each student. And the thought of rare skill books and special weapons only added to the temptation.

However...

"In exchange for what?" Kai inquired, his skepticism returning in full force

Rebecca hesitated, her composure faltering for a moment as she struggled to find the right words.

"In exchange for... us pretending to be lovers," she blurted out

Kai instantly froze, never in a thousand years could he even imagine this outcome. The exact same thing he wanted to avoid is what is being asked of him now

"Pretend to be lovers?" he repeated incredulously, as if questioning the absurdity of the proposal.

Rebecca nodded, her expression serious despite the hint of vulnerability in her eyes. "Yes, pretend to be in a relationship," she affirmed.

A torrent of thoughts raced through Kai's mind, each one vying for his attention as he tried to make sense of the situation. But amidst the chaos of his thoughts, one question burned brighter than the rest, demanding to be heard.

" Why? "

"Long story short, It is simply out of spite" Rebecca replied

"Spite? I see. My life is already in enough danger as it is, and now the reason for that is because of sheer, bloody spite," Kai exclaimed, his voice laced with frustration and anger.

"I understand your concern" Rebecca started " but no one will harm you, they wouldn't risk it"

Kai laughed bitterly, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe this. You're out of your mind."

Rebecca ignore the insults and continued explaining " what I mean is the moment you defeated Damian that day you were already on a lot of people's radar and so naturally you were investigated and apparently...."

"You don't exist "

Kai's brows furrowed in confusion, his mind struggling to process the gravity of her words.

"There are no records of you anywhere, no birth certificate, no school records, there's nothing," Rebecca continued, her tone a mixture of astonishment and intrigue. "And yet you were still admitted into this academy. There are not a lot of people with the power to do this." she couldn't help to wonder about who the person standing before her truly was

Kai's confusion deepened, his thoughts swirling in a storm of uncertainty. The absence of his records pointed to one thing: the Order. The secretive organization that wielded influence far beyond what most could comprehend.

The director must have had a hand in this, Kai concluded silently. His interactions with the Order had always been shrouded in mystery, but this revelation added a new layer of complexity to their relationship.

He wasn't particularly phased by this revelation; after all, he had harbored disdain for the life he had led until recently. However, the question lingered in his mind: Why would the Order go to such extreme lengths to erase his existence?. What plans did the director have for him?

Despite the flood of thoughts, Kai remained composed, his expression unreadable as he considered the implications. He knew better than to reveal his suspicions to Rebecca.

Kai shrugs his shoulders " I don't know what to tell you, We all have our secrets."

Rebecca studied him intently, searching for any hint of vulnerability beneath his expression. Finding none, she pressed on, her voice tinged with urgency. "Look, I'm not intending to pry into your life," she assured him, her tone softening. "So will you help me?"

Kai met her gaze evenly, his resolve firm despite the uncertainty clouding his mind.

Kai's response was swift and blunt. "No."

Rebecca's heart sank at his refusal, her mind scrambling to comprehend his rejection. "What? Why?" she demanded, her voice tinged with desperation

"I already have enough problems in my life," Kai replied coolly, his tone unyielding. "Trying to fulfill one of your whims will not become one of them."

"Find someone else to help you with this facade, I'm late for class"

With that, Kai turned on his heel and strode away, leaving Rebecca standing there, stunned and distraught.

"Why?" she whispered, her voice barely audible

As Rebecca knelt there, her tears mingling with the dust on the ground, she couldn't help but reflect on the path that had led her to this moment. Memories of heated arguments with her father over her future flashed through her mind like lightning strikes, each clash leaving a searing mark on her heart.

The thought of the prearranged marriage loomed over her like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over any semblance of happiness she dared to envision for herself. A marriage to a noble she had never met, let alone had any desire to marry, seemed like a cruel twist of fate orchestrated by her own family.

Her family's complete disregard for her own desires and dreams in favor of their own political agendas weighed heavily on her soul. It was as if her identity, her entire life was being sacrificed at the altar of power and influence, leaving her feeling like nothing more than a pawn in their game.

Why? Why? Why?

As the tears continued to flow, Rebecca couldn't help but feel a sense of profound sadness and frustration at the unfairness of it all. She longed for the freedom to chart her own course, to make her own choices, but it seemed like an impossible dream in the face of her family's expectations

"Why can't they let me live my life?"