AFTER NEVER (Charlotte's Story)

Chapter 27/99: Familiar Saviour

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I swayed for a second, but the hand over my shoulder gripped tighter.

I let out a shaky breath, as I hugged my shoulders vulnerably.

"I..." I glanced at the Adam, now standing beside me, and found him giving me a questioning, deep cold stare.

I let out another breath.

"Uh... M-My legs just shivered a bit, I..." I held one hand in the other, nervously.

As I held my right hand, palm facing upwards, in my left hand, I noticed his look following there, and glanced down at my palm.

Holy, the palm contained the places where my nails had grounded and injured!

Slight blood traces were left there, and they looked new.

I looked up to him again, and found that he'd come a step closer.

As he came closer, I could feel that the commotion about the sold secretary had ceased, and the dinner was back to normal.

Meaning, eyes started fixing over us again.

His left hand shot out to grab my left hand─holding my right hand over it, as he gazed into the blood traces.

"Those are new." He muttered, coldly and thoughtfully, "Where did you injure your hand?"

I pursed my lips, and let out a soft breath, as I raised my eyes to meet his, demurely.

"Uhm, they say pain stimulates movement." I whispered, softly, "So, I tried hurting my hand in order to get my body to move away from... uhm, the chairman," I continued, mumbling, "His presence had rendered my muscles numb."

I watched as he blinked for a second, but then his eyes darkened, and his hand tightened around mine.

I saw his jaw clench, as he let go of my hand, and took a step back, something glinting in his eyes as he looked away.

"I have used my aid, and my advance." He clarified, arrogantly, "You have," he eyed his right hand wristwatch, "Fifty-one minutes and seventeen seconds on your own until the last test."

As he started turning away, I saw something clearly glinting in his eyes.

Something like determination.

"Dare not be revealed by someone else."

He turned completely at that, as he walked away.

I blinked naïvely at his back.

Huh? What did that even mean?!

I sighed, and turned, as I started walking in an opposite direction.

Holy, fifty more minutes to go.

*******

The last forty minutes passed without anything much noteworthy.

I simply tried avoiding trouble as much as possible, while eying the time almost every minute to see how much was left to the final test thing.

I sipped my carrot juice, for the second time tonight, calmly as I strode between the tables. Holy, my legs truthfully hurt from the heels, come on, time, pass fast!

I suddenly turned to look towards Tavolecci, back in the farthest end of the hall, he was eying me.

I averted my gaze directly, and walked away.