Uriel walked up to Jane, who held her hand over her mouth. He hovered over her for a fleeting moment before walking over to Megara, whose hands were folded in fists. "See what your friends did to me, wonder woman? What do you suggest we do about it?" he inquired, his voice cold and sarcastic.
Megara's grey eyes held his piercing green eyes. "I can help you wash it for you if you like," she suggested, and everyone present laughed. "It's just a normal cloth, how hard can it be? If you can't do it, then I'll do it for you."
Uriel held her lower jaw in his hands, firm but not unkind. "You must be practically insane! This is a Swiss Voile cotton lace t-shirt I had Hermes custom make for me, and it can't be washed by hands or a machine of a pauper like you. It can only be done by professionals, and I don't wear clothes twice."
Megara was about to reply, but Hugo walked in, shielding her behind him. "That's enough, Uriel. I'm going to pay for the damage, and you're going to leave them alone." He said, tapping his phone. Uriel's phone chimed. "The money has been sent to you—thirty billion cash. Now please stay away."
Uriel chuckled wickedly. "You think I'm in need of money?!" He asked, kicking a chair, which flew across the room, crashing on a lunch plate. "It's more than the money, Hugo. I want her to leave this school; I can't stand her."
"Now you'll take your stupid money with you." He typed on his phone, and Hugo's phone chimed. "That's sixty billion pounds. Now get the hell out of my sight. I think I'm done for today."
Uriel took a baseball bat from the school baseball player and came down on any furniture he could find, rendering all of it useless before sauntering out of the cafeteria.
Zack walked in, his fiery red hair cascading over his shoulder. "If I find this on any social media platforms, consider your family done for." He threatened before turning to Megara, offering her a weary glance. "We'll meet again, Meggie, but it might not be this nice. Lay your head low and don't bite off more than you can chew."
When Zack left, Hugo turned to Megara, hugging her tightly as everyone left the cafeteria one after the other.
"How are you holding up? I hope he didn't do anything to you, or else I can't explain it to your father." He said, brushing her hair away from her forehead before kissing her forehead.
Jane offered a curt smile to Laura, who cleared her throat, breaking the spell in the air. "He couldn't bring himself to do it, and Megara, that was totally frightening. You really need to stop putting yourself in harm's way," Laura advised, and Jane nodded in agreement.
Megara pulled out of his arms before clearing her throat to ease the awkwardness. "Oh, about that, I can't watch him bullying my friends. Even if we just met recently, loyalty is everything to me, and I can never leave a friend behind." She declared, but Hugo palmed her shoulder, kissing her temples.
"What is wrong with you, Mr. Arnold? You're feeling touchy today, and it's not a good thing." She replied, patting his back as they walked away.
"Where are you guys going?" He asked, his voice reverberating across the room. "Can I come pick you up later, or is Tobi coming?"
"I'm heading to class, or do you have somewhere in mind?" She stopped in her tracks before elbowing Jane, who looked at her strangely before smiling at Hugo. "Tobi isn't coming, but Jane's taking me home."
Hugo scratched the back of his head before rubbing his face. "Yeah, it's okay. I've got golf practice with my family later tonight." Megara smiled, waving at him before walking away.
At the Hospital, Kelvin's Office
Kelvin's office at the hospital resembled a miniature living room, complete with comfortable armchairs and a glass table. Kelvin sat across from Uriel, who looked flustered and frustrated, his dirt-brown hair plastered to his flushed face.
"So, Uriel, why are you here instead of being in school today?" he asked, careful not to ignite Uriel's anger. "Can you describe your problems or symptoms?"
Uriel hissed, gripping his hair. "I feel angry and irritated all the time. Although I don't fight with my dad anymore, nor do I fight on the streets, that's not all, Kelvin. Since Megara walked into my life, I've lost all control." He complained, stabbing his pillow with a pen. "She always makes me feel like an inferior person. She is unapologetic, fierce, and always annoys me, even when we're not talking. Can you imagine, I got angry while she was smiling at Hugo?"
Kelvin's eyebrows rose in curiosity and surprise. "Are you serious right now? I mean, your symptoms aren't as fierce as before, which shows improvement. But the problem now isn't the illness." Uriel looked at him, intrigued, as he adjusted in his seat.
"Then if not, what the hell is it?" he asked, rolling his eyes. "If not the illness, then how do you explain the situation I'm in?"
Kelvin sighed, dropping his notepad on the glass table. "You want my honest answer and nothing else, or are you going to shout at me for telling the truth?" he asked, but Uriel shot him a displeased and desperate look.
"Tell me, mate, or do you expect me to find another psychiatrist? He would do a better job taking your f***ing place."
Kelvin laughed as if he'd just heard the biggest joke of the century, but Uriel didn't mind. "Good luck finding a better psychiatrist who'd tolerate you breaking their favorite antiques every visit." He scoffed when Uriel gave him a dead stare. "Anyway, as I was saying, the problem isn't the illness, nor her, but with you. I think you're in love with this girl without knowing it."
Uriel spat out the sip of water he had taken; the wall was covered in water as a testament to his assault. "I think you definitely need help, or did you not hear what I just said? I hate that girl like I hate a spider, which is literally why I haven't spotted one in years, or maybe more than that, but you get the idea."
"I'm just saying because all signs point to that. You get angry about the idea of her dating your best friend, and now you're jealous about a simple smile because it wasn't you?" Kelvin pointed out, and Uriel bit his lower lip. "I don't know how to explain it; maybe you tell me how."
Uriel scoffed, unable to believe it as he stood up, pacing the room. "This is outrageous! Have you ever seen her? She dresses like a tomboy, totally unattractive. She pounces on her lunch like a hungry lion. She always has a beautiful smile on her face." He explained, his voice turning soft, and Kelvin offered a knowing nod.
"That confirms it, Uriel. Maybe consider being nicer and perhaps talk to her; she will definitely like you back," he suggested, but Uriel's gaze hardened as he shivered in disgust.
Uriel stood up, his black leather jacket slung over his shoulder. "You're talking sh*t, Kelvin. I want her out of my school, and I'll stop at nothing to achieve it." He said before storming out of the office, slamming the door until Doctor Kelvin's portrait fell from its post.
"That's the hundred and fiftieth time you've ruined my portraits!" he screamed, but he knew Uriel was long gone. "I need to tidy up the place for the next client."
After school, Megara and the girls walked out of the building, instantly becoming the center of attention. Whispers followed them, and Megara overheard some girls in her classroom gossiping about her, blaming her for the rift between Hugo and Uriel, who had always been inseparable. She wished she'd never met either of them, feeling Uriel had become a thorn in her side, jeopardizing her peace for the entire school year.
Lost in thought, she didn't realize they had arrived at her workplace until Jane's voice broke through her reverie. "Hey Megara, we're here already," Jane said, her smile fading as she noticed Megara's downcast expression. "Girl, you better tell me what the hell is your problem, and it better not be you listening to what those ugly losers just said about you."
Megara looked at her, then offered a sheepish smile, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm just sad, that's all," she admitted, her voice low. "I wanted a calm schooling experience, but this isn't what I envisioned. This is why I always avoided high society."
Jane's expression softened as she took Megara's hand, covering it with her own. "It's okay to have expectations, Megara, but it's not good to be stuck in the past. What happened has happened, but it's time to move forward," she advised. Megara nodded silently. "I'm your friend, and you have me right here. I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. Even if we go to different universities, we'll still be friends."
"You never forced Hugo to be friends with you; he came on his own accord. So, if anyone's to blame, it's him for dragging you into his shameless circle," Jane added, pulling Megara into a hug.
"Thanks, Jane. You're a kind soul," Megara complimented, leaning into the embrace.
A few minutes later, Megara stepped out of the car and walked into the cafe, watching Jane drive away through the glass. She approached the counter, where Tobi pulled her into a bear hug. Tara, meanwhile, hissed, her jealousy evident, as she threw Megara's apron at her.
"Don't mind her; she's just jealous she isn't the one being hugged," Tobi teased, sticking his tongue out at the departing Tara before noticing Megara's gloomy face. "What's up, darling? Another tough day at school, or is it something else?"
Megara shook her head, disagreeing, and walked away from him towards the dressing room. "Nah, it's nothing much. Today was beautiful as usual. I made another friend, Laura, and she is an absolute darling."
Tobi rolled his eyes, a sarcastic gesture at her obvious lie about being fine. "Something is definitely wrong, babe, but I won't press for answers. I just hope Laura is a nice person who wouldn't work with others to harm you?"
"Nah, she isn't," Megara replied, shutting the door.
Tobi sighed, walking away to attend to a waiting customer. Megara was left alone in the dressing room, where she sobbed as she remembered her mother and the trauma she had to deal with alone because her father already had enough problems. She wished Nathan, her best friend, was with her, but he was probably out enjoying himself with her sworn enemy, who turned out to be his fiancée. Perhaps he wasn't even thinking about her.
Mr. Smith stood rigid in the semi-detached kitchen, his phone pressed to his ear, face contorted in a silent snarl. He fidgeted, his knuckles white, before his fist slammed onto the counter. A ceramic mug shrieked as it shattered on the floor, but he paid it no mind, his fury eclipsing the noise as he began to pace.
He hissed, a sharp click of his tongue punctuating his words. "Don't test my patience, Colonel Jackson! You guaranteed me two weeks with my daughter, and now, with barely a day's notice, you're ordering me back to base in seventy-two hours?" He barked, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Intelligence has accelerated the timeline, Captain Smith," Colonel Jackson's voice crackled through the line, devoid of apology. "The Japanese are demonstrating an unprecedented rate of advancement. Our latest intercepts from the CIA indicate a significant shift in their cyber offensive. They're not just probing; they're actively attempting to compromise our secure networks. We're seeing coordinated attacks aimed at the US and UK alliance bases in Afghanistan."
"Afghanistan?" Mr. Smith scoffed, his grip on the metal spoon twisting it into a pretzel. "Those 'pesky Japanese rats' are getting bolder than I thought. But what does that have to do with Afghanistan?"
"The Afghan government's 'Little Ben' initiative, as they call it, is proving to be a Trojan horse," Jackson explained, his tone grim. "Our intelligence suggests a faction within their own cyber command is preparing to launch a sophisticated internal hack on our systems, coordinated with the Japanese external assault. It's a two-pronged attack, Captain. If they succeed in compromising our base in Afghanistan, the ripple effect on our global intelligence infrastructure could be catastrophic. We're looking at a potential collapse of our critical data streams."
Mr. Smith chuckled, a humorless sound. "So, they're attempting to decapitate our intelligence operations. Bold. Very bold." His voice dropped, a dangerous edge creeping in. "Those 'rats' will regret this. But my daughter... she doesn't know I'm returning as captain of the new Special Operations Task Force. I want that information compartmentalized, Colonel. A military secret. No one is to breathe a word of it to her."
"Understood, Captain," Jackson affirmed. "Security protocols are already being tightened. We need you on the ground, Captain. Your expertise in counter-cyber warfare is critical. We move or Britain will be nothing but ashes in the wind."
Just as Mr. Smith's fury threatened to boil over, the distinct click of the front door opening echoed through the semi-detached house. His eyes, still blazing with a cold fire, darted to the kitchen entrance.
"Jackson, I have to go," he growled into the phone, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "And don't ever call this private line again unless it's a direct threat to national security. You understand?" Without waiting for a reply, he ended the call, his thumb a blur as he killed the screen. He then moved with practiced ease, sliding the phone into a barely visible compartment behind the gas cooker, the hidden latch clicking shut with a soft thud.
By the time Megara sauntered into the kitchen, dropping her backpack with a thump by the door, Mr. Smith was already at the stove, stirring a pan of what looked suspiciously like burnt pasta. He forced a smile, turning to face her. "Hey, pumpkin! How was school today?"
Megara shrugged, tossing her vibrant red hair. "It was fine, Dad." She didn't mention the hushed conversation with Uriel in the hallway, or the uneasy glance Amaya had given her across the cafeteria. Instead, her eyes brightened. "But guess what? I made a new friend! Her name's Laura, and she's super cool. She sits with Jane and me at lunch now."
A genuine smile finally touched Mr. Smith's lips. "Laura, huh? That's fantastic, sweetheart! You know what this means, right?" He winked, already rummaging in the pantry. "A friendship cake! And we can even make those matching bracelets you saw online. You can take them to school for your new friends."
Megara's face lit up. "Really, Dad? That'd be awesome!" She grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. "I'm going to hit the shower. Be down in a bit!"
As Megara's footsteps faded up the stairs, leaving only the distant sound of the shower running, the warmth in Mr. Smith's eyes vanished, replaced by a chilling resolve. He walked over to the counter, not to the secret compartment, but to where his personal mobile lay. He picked it up, his fingers dialing a number from memory.
"Mr. Davies," he began, his voice devoid of any previous emotion, "I need you to draft a will for me, effective immediately. If I do not return from my deployment with the armed forces within five years, I want my entire secret savings, the sixty million pounds, transferred solely to my daughter, Megara. Under no circumstances is any of it to go to my eldest sister, Milicent. Is that clear?"
"Understood, Mr. Smith," Mr. Davies's voice was measured, a hint of concern seeping through. "I'll draft the will precisely as you've instructed. However, if you don't mind me asking, why the secrecy regarding your considerable assets? Why not inform your daughter directly about the extent of her inheritance?"
Mr. Smith sighed, a weary sound. "Because, Mr. Davies, Megara has a profound aversion to wealth. You see, her mother… she eloped with a man of significant means. The trauma of that event, the feeling of abandonment, of being cast aside for 'high society' – it's still too deeply ingrained in her. I've worked tirelessly to ensure she has a normal, grounded upbringing, free from the kind of pressures and superficiality that wealth often brings."
He paused, his gaze fixed on nothing in particular in the quiet kitchen. "I don't want her to feel threatened by it, to believe it will isolate her or define her. And most of all, I don't want her to ever feel like she doesn't belong in any social circle, simply because of who her mother chose to be with, or because of the money I've accumulated. This is about protecting her peace of mind, Mr. Davies, and ensuring she grows into the strong, independent woman I know she can be, without the burden of wealth overshadowing her."
"Right then, Mr. Smith," Mr. Davies's voice was firm, "The will shall be drafted to your exact specifications. Consider it handled."
Just as the lawyer finished speaking, the soft thud of footsteps descending the stairs reached Mr. Smith's ears. He swiftly ended the call and, with practiced nonchalance, returned to the cutting board, resuming his attack on a head of cabbage he'd clearly forgotten about.
Megara entered the kitchen, her hair still damp from the shower, a fresh scent clinging to her. "Wow, you were quick today, kiddo," Mr. Smith commented, not looking up from his chopping.
"Just felt like a quick one," she replied, heading for the fridge. "How was your day, Dad? Anything exciting happen?"
Mr. Smith paused, a faint smile touching his lips. "It was actually pretty good, Megara. I spent some time down at the community field, kicked the ball around with the guys." He turned, leaning against the counter. "And guess who I bumped into? Mrs. Santiago – Nathan's mom."
Megara's eyes widened. "Really? Mrs. Santiago?"
"Yep. She actually dragged me to this ridiculously fancy restaurant," he chuckled, "where we ended up talking for ages. All about fashion brands, of all things, then soccer, and naturally, business. She's quite a character."
Megara gasped, pure excitement radiating from her. She sprang from her seat and rushed over to her father, wrapping her arms around his waist. Mr Smith kissed the top of her head. "She wants you and Nathan to stay best friends, Megara. Said Nathan's been heartbroken since you two separated, hasn't left his room much."
Megara pulled back, her face falling. "Oh, Dad, that's awful! I'll go see him tomorrow. It's my day off."
"That's a great idea, pumpkin," he agreed, his gaze softening. "I actually promised Mrs. Santiago I'd stop by as well, so we can go together if you like. To the Santiago mansion."
Megara's sadness instantly evaporated, replaced by a radiant smile. "Really? That would be amazing!" Their laughter filled the kitchen, a warm, comforting sound. Megara's beautiful smile always warmed his heart, but even as they shared this joyful moment, Mr. Smith's mind churned. He knew he had to tell her about his early departure, and the thought of how to break that news without shattering her world weighed heavily on him.