<h4>Chapter 489: 489-I Feel Something With Her</h4>


    <strong>Haiden:</strong>


    This time, Ian nodded to himself after thinking it over.


    "I will make sure the Academy does not start again, and this time, I will make my father help me," he stated.


    His words made us look at him more seriously.


    "And if anyone pressures my father about the Academy, he will threaten to break the towers and their power. I am sure nobody will be foolish enough to risk that."


    When he finished, new hope rose in all of us. At that point, we were truly waiting for a miracle, and this threat might be the one thing that could give it to us.


    While we were cheering and talking happily, I saw Mariana appear in a ck dress. She looked through the crowd until she saw me, then walked toward us.


    I signaled Ian and Troy to be careful as she headed our way, and Troy quickly changed the subject.


    "Yeah, it is raining so much. I hate rainy weather," Troy remarked, then went quiet when she arrived.


    "I hope I am not bothering you three," she said, and we shook our heads.


    "What is it?" I asked, watching her calmly fix her earring before straightening her posture.


    "Haiden, I have been looking for Fauna. I do not know where she is. Can you please go and look for her? Sometimes she really does too much," Mariana exined.


    From the way she spoke, all of us knew she was just trying to get me to talk to her.


    "I do not know. She must be around," I replied with a shrug, not falling for her attempt.


    "Can you please go and look for her?" she asked again, more firmly this time.


    I was about to snap at her and ask why she thought she could order me around when Ian gently touched my elbow and stepped closer, almost turning his back to her.


    "Go ahead, talk to her. If she is having a hard time epting no, then you need to have a conversation with her. Just give her some closure," he urged, hinting that he understood the situation.


    They had talked before, and she must have told him that there were times when we had grown a little too close.


    "It will make her cry," I muttered, looking at Ian with my hands on my waist, still stubborn.


    "Well, crying is better than false hope," he insisted.


    I had thought he would tell me not to go, and I would exin that my words would hurt her. Even I was confused about why I did not want to talk to her. I was just tired of repeating that I did not want her anymore.


    "Fine, whatever," I said.


    When I noticed all of them watching me, I gave in and decided to finally go and talk to her.


    I stepped away from the hall, noticing that my uncle hade out just for this dinner. Music was ying. Some of the royal Betas and royal Gammas were there with their families.


    I walked down the hallway and went up to the second floor, where I knew her room was. I was ready to defend myself if she tried to y any games with me because I kept wondering why her sister had asked me to go and find her. She could have juste to speak with me. Why send me somewhere else, especially to her room?


    Maybe they were nning something that would make me look like a bad person. That was what I honestly thought.


    When I reached the door and knocked, I was ready to tell her that I had figured out what she was nning. However, she did not evene to open the door herself.


    "Come in," she called out, making me ce my hands on my waist in annoyance.


    "You cane outside," I replied. "Your sister was looking for you. She said you had disappeared," I added, pointing out the fact that she was right there.


    I knew this was their way of getting me to talk to Fauna alone, but I still wanted to call her out just to make her feel ufortable.


    "Well then, you cane inside and we can talk," she insisted again.


    "Are you afraid of something, Haiden?" she asked.


    Just like she intended, she got on my nerves, and I mmed the door open and walked in. I did not go all the way inside. I stopped in the doorway.


    She stood near the mirror, trying to put on a ne. After a few silent attempts, she gave up, lowered her hand, and turned to face me.


    "Can you please help me with it?" she asked, holding the ne out to me.


    I saw that she was wearing a red dress, and for a moment, I felt slightly stunned. She looked beautiful and gentle.


    I wanted to refuse, but instead I walked inside and took the pendant from her hand.


    "Easy, you will break it," she warned. "It is special."


    When she said that, I looked closely at the pendant and understood why. It was something I had given her. Then I noticed the bracelet on her wrist. She was still wearing it.


    "What are you trying to do?" I asked, not helping her with the ne yet.


    "I am just getting ready. Why? Can I not even do that?" she replied. There was no teasing in her voice, only hurt.


    Instead of arguing with her again, I motioned for her to stand still so I could help her with the pendant. I moved closer to her, a little too close for both of us.


    As she lifted her hair, my chest tightened with a strange agitation I could not exin. She exposed the line of her neck, and I brought the ne around to the front before guiding the chain into ce.


    My fingers brushed against her skin, and the contact sent a sharp wave through me. Goosebumps rose along my arms before I could stop them. I froze for a moment, irritated with myself.


    It was just skin. Just a simple touch.