The next day, Jeremiah brought breakfast and knocked on Yvette’s door. He waited a long time, but there was no answer. Just as he was about to call, he heard a familiar voice.
“Looking for me?” Yvette asked.
Jeremiah paused, replacing his phone in his pocket. Turning, he saw Yvette in a white tracksuit. Her damp bangs and swaying ponytail gave her a youthful energy. He’d never seen her like this. Quickly concealing his surprise, he nodded, lifting the bag. “Yes, I brought you breakfast.”
“Come in,” Yvette said.
Jeremiah followed her inside. After closing the door, he reached for her wrist. Yvette instinctively grasped his hand. They stood there, holding each other, neither speaking. Jeremiah looked down; Yvette looked up, their eyes meeting with a spark of tension. He released her hand, his voice laced with concern. “You didn’t sleep well?”
Yvette let go, raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t get much sleep.”
Jeremiah dropped the subject, setting the breakfast on the table. “The flight’s a little after 3 p.m. Do you need to pack anything?”
Yvette shook her head, taking a bite of food. “No need. I only have one bag. I’m ready to go anytime.”
Jeremiah glanced at her worn black backpack in the corner, then said, “Okay. We’ll leave directly.”
Yvette picked up the morning’s newspaper, a rushed edition. The headline read: “Gang Leader Caleb Kerton and His Son Bradley Found Dead in Their Mansion. Both Died a Gruesome Death.”
That morning, Kransbay was shocked. Caleb, head of the city’s largest gang, and his son, Bradley, were found murdered at home, along with most of their associates. Caleb’s death caused a massive upheaval, especially since Bradley was also killed. With both dead, their subordinates were in turmoil. Caleb’s vast empire had no heir, leaving everyone vying for a piece. Even smaller, unaffiliated families were eager to seize the opportunity.
As some smaller families attempted to consolidate their power, Caleb’s illegitimate children emerged, demanding paternity tests and inheritance rights. Even Kransbay officials who had dealings with Caleb were apprehensive.
At 3 p.m., they boarded the plane. Yvette napped during the flight. Jeremiah, noticing she was asleep, gently draped his jacket over her.
Yvette, half-awake, glanced at him, pausing before murmuring, “Thank you.”
Jeremiah smiled softly. “You’re welcome. Sleep. I’ll wake you when we land.” She fell back asleep, her breath against his arm. He leaned closer, gazing at her, his eyes full of emotion, then returned to his book.
Emmett, witnessing this, sighed. Jeremiah had clearly fallen for Yvette, the future lady of the Chavez family. He wondered if she could handle the responsibility, anticipating the challenges she would face in Betrico. How could the daughter of a small family from a second-tier city be worthy of the commander’s grandson, the Chavez family’s sole heir? The road ahead would be difficult, but with the old commander’s affection for Jeremiah, nothing could stop him. Everything was uncertain.
After a four-hour flight, they landed in Seacrity. A car awaited them. “Let’s take you back to the university first,” Jeremiah suggested, carrying Yvette’s backpack.
Yvette nodded calmly. “Okay, thank you.”
At Argrol University, Yvette exited the car, waving. Jeremiah nodded from the window. “See you tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she replied, as terse as ever. She looked like any ordinary student, aside from her striking beauty.
Only after Yvette disappeared did Jeremiah instruct Emmett to drive away. Barely ten minutes later, the campus forum exploded with activity. Photos of Yvette appeared, accompanied by overwhelmingly positive comments, with only a few dissenting voices.
[Has our campus belle returned? Wow! She’s still as stunning as ever.] [After winning the piano competition, she disappeared. She keeps a low profile. We finally see her again.] [With Yvette’s return, our campus will be lively again!] [Stop pretending. You know Winona’s apprenticeship ceremony is in two days, right?] [Oh yeah, I forgot! Sunday is Winona’s apprenticeship ceremony and Yvette’s welcome home party. Too bad we can’t attend.] [I saw it in the entertainment news. Why did the Chambers family schedule both events on the same day? Recipe for disaster!] [Honestly, I think so too.] [I’m sad. I wanna watch.] [You guys just love drama. But same here! Haha.]
Yvette entered her dorm room. It was silent; Bonnie wasn’t there. After unpacking, Yvette showered. Bonnie arrived just as she emerged.
Bonnie squealed, embracing Yvette. “Yve, you’re back! I’ve missed you! I’ve lost three pounds!”
Yvette pulled away, hanging up her towel. “Yeah, you lost weight. Should I get revenge for you and beat up Andrew?”
Her serious tone stunned Bonnie, until she saw the teasing glint in Yvette’s eyes. “Just kidding. You seem to care about Andrew a lot,” Yvette commented.
Bonnie, flustered, shook her head.