Chapter <b>106 </b>Had enough
Renee’s pretense of not knowing Marcelo had a different naturepared to when she was part of the crew.
They were not on speaking terms.
“Mr. King?” The Dean offered a strained smile. “That youngdy is charming, but she’s still quite young. You…”
Marcelo’s look fell on the Dean. His calm and striking features somehow showed his annoyance.
“Am I too old for her?” He asked.
“Mr. King, it’s not that. Age gap doesn’t matter in this day and age. But your generous donation of ab building to our school doesn’t mean we’ll just…” Mid–sentence, the Dean paused<b>, </b>realizing something. “Why do you seem so interested in her?Do you two…know each other?”
Marcelo just eyed the Dean and looked away.
As soon as Renee was out of Marcelo’s view, he turned away and mentioned, “About the library renovation, you can talk <b>to </b>my assistant.”
After the Dean left Marcelo, he was still off from the encounter.
“I was worried about offending Mr. King by not helping him meet that girl, but he still funded our library renovation.”
Was Marcelo’s main point really that he wasn’t too old for Renee?
The professor apanying them pondered and then suggested, Perhaps Mr King was acknowledging your integrity?”
“Integrity?” The Dean shook his head with a smile and a sigh. “If that’s what he thinks, society has its priorities wrong.”
He was only doing his duty as a teacher. How could that be considered integrity?
***
Meanwhile, Marcelo’s car was parked a short distance away.
Luke waited patiently. Even after Marcelo settled into the car, he remained silent.
Luke felt the need to break the silence and said, “Mr. King, I believe that was Mrs. King we just saw.”
“I can see, you know.”
Luke, ustomed to sharp responses, nced outside and remarked, “The forecast mentioned thunderstorms today. Mrs. King didn’t seem to have an umbre.The University is quite spread out. It’s a good ten–minute walk to the exit from here.”
Marcelo, who had just started using his tablet, turned it off abruptly and said with a cool tone, “Luke, you’re quite talkative today.”
“I apologize, Mr. King.”
Luke decided it was best to remain quiet.
As they hadn’t driven far, raindrops began pelting the car windows
It started raining.
Students were rushing around the campus. Some used their bags for cover, while others searched for umbres.
The Maybach moved slowly across the campus.
A young woman was forced to seek refuge under a thick tree. She looked up at therge raindrops, wondering when the rain might stop or how she could leave.
It <b>was </b>Rehee<b>. </b>
“Why isn’t she worried about lightning? Shecks basic sense hiding under a tree, “Marcelo whispered.
Luke kept his thoughts to himself, thinking, “There’s under <b>a </b>tree.”
no thunder or lightning for now. There’s no risk of a lightning strike
Soon after, Marcelomanded from the back seat, “Have the Dean drive her home.”
Luke didn’t question the oddity of asking the Dean to escort a former student. He simply nodded and agreed.
The ck Maybach continued on its way.
Renee, pretending to survey her surroundings, stealthily watched the car from the corner of her eye.
She recognized it as Marcelo through the customized te.
Raindrops fell from leaves onto her head, making her shiver and sigh. Her feelings were disoriented.
She hade to school only to run into Marcelo and get caught in the heavy rain without an umbre.
Just as she was deciding if she should go to the library to borrow an umbre in the rain, a campus shuttle bus stopped in front of her.
“Miss, where do you need to go? My boss asked me to offer you a lift.”
Renee recognized the man from the campus security. The downpour forced her to raise her voice as she inquired, “Who’s your boss?”
“Your professor. Hurry up and get on. The rain’s getting heavier,” the man replied.
The shuttle bus then dropped Renee off at the main road outside the university.
Once she arrived back at the house by taxi,Renee sent a thankful message to her professor.
Her professor called her, confused. “What shuttle bus? I didn’t arrange any ride for you. Didn’t you have an umbre?”
Renee pondered for a moment before suggesting, “Could it have been the Dean?”
“The Dean’s been in a meeting. He hasn’t left the conference room,” her professor informed her.
So, it wasn’t the Dean?
Then who could it have been?
Marcelo’s image crossed her mind, but she dismissed the thought as unlikely.
How would he have the authority to instruct the university’s security office?
He didn’t even stop his car when he drove past her, or maybe he hadn’t seen her. How could he be l gesture?
I the security office’s
In the following days, Renee was busy with work.
The KM Group had scheduled her for two high–profile magazine shoots. She also had to fly to the studio city twice for post- production work on the Peerless Grace costume. Her schedule was upied.
She only saw Marcelo in the evenings, but they exchanged no words.
The staff at the house sensed the tension between the two, casting a more solemn air over the house.
At KM Group headquarters,
“Mr. King, <b>you </b>need <b>a </bpanion for tonight’s economic g. Mrs King is working nearby today, “Luke said, ncing at Marcelo with a hint of disorientation.
<b>He </b>couldn’t understand why Marcelo had been fixated on a gray scarftely.
The <b>scarf </b><b>was </b>in and unremarkable, just <b>a </b>simple gray without any patterns. It had appeared out of nowhere beside Marcelo.
“Who said I was nning to invite her?”
Marcelo set the scarf aside and started to review the documents with an impassive face.
Only two seconds passed before he instructed, “Go tell Renee.”
Luke couldn’t find words to speak. He discovered that Marcelo’s previous refusal was nothing more than a pretense, as he didn’t genuinely mean it.
Returning ten minutester, Luke’s expression was filled with embarrassment. “Mr. King<b>, </b>Mrs. King is tied up with work tonight and can’t make it.”
Marcelo looked up, his looks sharp.
She was tied up with work?
He knew Renee didn’t have any obligations at the KM Group that evening.
Work was just her way of avoiding the situation…of avoiding him.
How long did she n to avoid him?
Does she have any idea how frustrating these past few days has been for him because they weren’t talking?!
“Call her again,” Marcelo ordered through clenched teeth, trying to hold back his irritation.
He’s had enough!