Chapter 79: Look Into Him For Me

Benjamin’s POV:

I spotted Hayley talking to that beta named Thomas. They were far enough away that I couldn’t hear their conversation. After opening the car door and exiting, I glanced back, but Thomas had already left. It seemed like the two of them were more familiar with each other than I had thought.

I walked over to Hayley, pretending I didn’t know anything. “Y–You haven’t gone home yet?” she asked panickedly when she saw me.

I remained silent, my gaze fixed on her, studying her intently. After a long time, I said, “I happened to pass by that taco place and thought you might like one, so I picked it up for you.”

Hayley looked surprised and pleased. “Thank you! Once this close-in training concludes, I’ll treat you to dinner as a thank you.”

I nodded. “That works.”

“Then I’ll leave now,” she said.

“Alright.”

As I handed the takeout taco to Hayley, she thanked me again before heading inside. After she disappeared, I turned my gaze toward the direction Thomas had left.

It was clear from that brief scene that Hayley and Thomas had a good relationship. Moreover, from what I had seen, Thomas, being a beta, had been quite respectful in front of Hayley. They were both part of the Shadow Pack, so was his deference to her because she was from one of the ruling families?

I recalled seeing them together at the party, where Hayley had claimed they had only just met and weren’t very close. With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I took out my phone and called my assistant. “Find out everything about Thomas Somer. I want to know all his connections.”

“Yes, Alpha,” came the respectful reply from the other end.

After hanging up, I glanced at the school entrance before turning back to my car, driving away with a sense of determination.

Hayley’s POV:

The next day marked the official start of the training. Trista, Lillian, and I arrived early at the classroom. Before long, Grant walked in with the tests from yesterday. The room fell silent as everyone held their breath.

“Yesterday, we had a little test. I stayed up all night grading them. While the test was fairly difficult, I was shocked to find out that one of you achieved a perfect score.”

A wave of murmurs swept through the room. Most eyes turned toward a boy sitting in the middle of the front row. I asked Trista who he was and learned that he was the legendary Jeremy. Two boys in front of me tried to strike up a conversation with him.

“Jeremy, nice work! Just yesterday, you humbly told us you did okay. ‘Okay’ turns out to be a perfect score for you!”

“Seriously! We thought you meant it, but you were just holding back! Either way, you owe us lunch today.”

Jeremy replied, “The perfect score isn’t mine. I didn’t finish the last problem.”

“What did you say?”

“Are you kidding me?”

Both boys gasped in disbelief. Grant adjusted his glasses and announced, “Hayley, you received a perfect score.”

When he called my name, the room fell into stunned silence. No one knew that Hayley was me. As anticipation filled the air, I slowly stood up. All eyes turned toward me. The moment they realized I was Hayley, their expressions shifted to disappointment.

“Oh my gosh! This is what Hayley looks like! She’s plain!”

“Yeah, I thought she’d at least be a beta; turns out she’s just an omega.”

I didn’t care how they viewed me; I just hoped they wouldn’t think of bullying me because I was just an omega. If they tried anything, I wouldn’t let them get away with it.

“Hayley, come get your test,” Grant called.

I walked to the front of the classroom to collect my paper. Mandy was occupying a seat in the front row, and when she saw me, her face turned pale. She hadn’t expected me to be Hayley!

“Hayley, you’re impressive! You got a perfect score!” Trista exclaimed in awe. Lillian chimed in, “Hayley, this is incredible! You’re a genius!”

After thanking them for their compliments, I returned to my seat with a calm demeanor.

Grant continued, “Besides Hayley, two other students did well too. Jeremy scored 92, and Mandy scored 90.”

When Mandy heard her score, her expression finally brightened a bit.

After class, many classmates gathered around me. “So, you’re Hayley! Our teacher has been saying how impressive you are, winning first place in the city competition. We had no idea you were this strong!”

“Hayley, you’re my idol! You wouldn’t believe it, but Jeremy was always the top student in our city’s Math Olympiads. This time, you’ve surpassed him! It feels so satisfying to finally see him taken down a peg.”

As one student spoke, I noticed Jeremy standing right behind him, oblivious to their words.

“Excuse me.”

When Jeremy spoke, the room fell silent. Everyone quickly returned to their seats. I looked up at him. When our eyes met, he spoke to me coldly, –