s
Norris didn’t even want to nce at Tracy again. Instead, he turned around and gently helped Erin up, his voice soft and caring. “Don’t worry. Nobody’s gonna mess with you. Let me take you to change your clothes first.”
“But…” Erin hesitated, her eyes flicking to Tracy, who looked pale and shaky in the pool. She seemed like she wanted to say something for Tracy.
Still, she couldn’t say no to Norris. Weak and worn out, she let him hold her as they walked away.
The others followed, naturally, but before they left, they all shot sneering looks toward the pool, their faces twisted with cruel enjoyment.
The water wasn’t cold, but Tracy couldn’t stop trembling.
She learned to swim here–Norris was the one who taught her, right in this same pool.
Back then, the younger Norris held the swimming ring for her, his eyes honest and steady. “Tracy, don’t worry. In this pool, I’m your knight. I’ll always protect you. I won’t ever let you drown!”
But now<i>, </i>it was the same pool–and the same guy who promised to protect her had kicked her in and told others to keep her from getting out.
The pain in her shoulder was worse than any punch Simon had ever thrown.
She bit her pale lips, trying to get out of the pool, but the bodyguards who’d been given orders wouldn’t let her climb up.
They pushed and kicked her even when she only wanted to lean on the pool’s edge to catch her breath.
Even the bodyguards knew Norris was deliberately making things hard for Tracy, so they made sure she never got a break.
The pool was deep, so Tracy had no choice but to keep floating on the surface.
Her injuries hadn’t healed yet, and after Norris’s kick, the long time in the water
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Chapter 47 Derek
was wearing her down.
Then, out of nowhere, her calf cramped sharply.
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Her face changed. Before she could say anything, her body lost control and started sinking below the water.
The bright lights bent and twisted through the waves, and the crushing pressure came from all around, filling her nose and mouth.
It was unbearably awful.
<i>I </i>don’t <i>get </i><i>it</i>.
<i>I’ve </i><i>already </i><i>given </i><i>up </i><i>hoping </i><i>for </i><i>anything </i><i>from </i><i>the </i><i>Jackmans</i>. <i>I </i><i>epted </i><i>my </i><i>ce </i><i>and </i><i>just </i>want <i>a </i><i>simple </i><i>life</i>. <i>Why </i><i>won’t </i><i>they ever </i><i>leave </i><i>me </i><i>alone</i><i>? </i>
<i>Fine</i>, <i>then</i><i>! </i>
<i>I </i>should’ve died <i>a </i><i>long </i><i>time </i><i>ago</i><i>–</i><i>after all</i><i>, </i><i>those </i><i>people </i><i>risked </i><i>their </i><i>lives </i>so <i>I </i><i>alone </i><i>can </i><i>leave </i>the Angelic <i>Etiquette </i><i>Academy </i><i>alive</i><i>, </i><i>even </i><i>though </i><i>I’m </i><i>not </i><i>worth </i><i>it</i>.
Guess I’ll just <i>die</i>..
Ssh!
Suddenly, a huge ssh erupted, and Tracy saw a blurry figure moving toward her.
“Ugh… cough, cough, cough!”
She spat out water and coughed hard, nearly gasping for air as shey there, exhausted on the ground.
?
A heavy, soaking wet jacket was suddenly thrown over her, nearly making her lose bnce.
She looked up and saw a dripping wet man staring at her with deep concern–the same guy who’d just jumped into the pool to pull her out.
His voice was soft, full of gentle worry. “Are you okay? Do you feel any pain? Need help?”
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Chapter 47 Derek
He acted like he really knew her, showing his fullest kindness.
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His sharp, handsome face and gentle expression made Tracy pause for a second. “Derek…
His face suddenly froze, the concern fading fast, and his hand gripping her shoulder tightened without meaning to.
“What did you call me?”
He grabbed right where Norris had kicked her, and the sharp pain pulled Tracy back to reality.
She pushed him away, looking down. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”
How <i>could </i><i>he </i><i>be </i><i>Derek</i>? <i>He’s </i><i>dead</i>.
He died <i>right </i><i>in </i><i>front </i><i>of me</i><i>. </i>
She told herself this quietly, but she couldn’t help looking at the man in front of her.
He looks just like <i>Derek</i><i>–</i>as <i>if </i><i>they </i><i>were </i><i>made </i><i>from </i><i>the </i><i>same </i><i>mold</i>.
Her gaze made the man’s eyes darken. “Ms. Yarwood, did you mistake me for one of your friends?”
Tracy didn’t deny it and looked at his face again. “Yeah, you look alike, but I know you’re not him.”
“Can I ask your name?”
He studied her for a moment, then smiled gently again. “My name’s Chris Woodward. I transferred here as a sophomore. If I’de back to Cloudville earlier, maybe we could have been ssmates.”
<i>Chris </i><i>Woodward</i><i>. </i>
<i>Derek </i><i>Woodward</i><i>. </i>
<i>It </i><i>really </i><i>is </i>him…
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Tracy’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Is that so? What a shame.”
s
Seeing that she wasn’t upset and even seemed willing to talk, Chris reached out boldly. “Let me help you up.”
Tracy hated anyone getting close.
But when Chris touched her shoulder, she clenched her fists and didn’t pull away.
Chris’s smile softened even more. “You’re soaked. Go change your clothes first.”
Tracy stayed quiet and instead looked at the bodyguards standing nearby.
Not long ago, they had orders not to let her out of the pool–not even to rest at the edge. Now, they didn’t stop her at all.
Noticing her nce, Chris reassured her. “Don’t worry. The Woodwards aren’t as powerful as the Jackmans, but these bodyguards aren’t dumb enough to mess with
us.”