Hutchison's Heiress (TMSP)

Chapter 47: Her hunch

┍━━━━━━━☆━━━━━━━┑
ACE’s POV
┕━━━━━━━⋯━━━━━━━┙

･･･ADAMSON UNIVERSITY･･･

The following day, fate led me back to the library, the place where our paths had unexpectedly converged. As I entered the hushed sanctuary of books, my heart raced with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. This research collaboration had become the thread that connected us, leading us to spend more time together.

I found Princess at a corner table, her attention focused on the pages before her. The soft glow of the reading lamp illuminated her profile, casting a warm halo around her. She looked up as I approached, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips– a welcome sight that sent a rush of warmth through me.

"I found a quiet nook," she said, gesturing to a hidden corner with two plush chairs and a small table. "Thought it might help us concentrate better."

I nodded, grateful for her thoughtfulness. As I settled into the chair beside her, I couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort in her presence.

The tension that had defined our first encounter was now replaced by a shared purpose, a sense of camaraderie that bridged the gap between us.

The hours melted away as we delved into our research, flipping through pages and taking notes. But every so often, our eyes would meet— stolen glances that spoke volumes without a single word. I can sense na may gusto siyang itanong o sabihin but she's hesitating. What could it be?

I watched as a strand of hair fell across her brow, and instinctively, I reached out to tuck it behind her ear. She glanced at me, surprise flickering in her eyes before it was replaced by a soft smile that made my heart skip a beat.

"Thanks," she murmured, her voice a gentle melody.

As the afternoon sun painted the library in a warm glow, I found myself stealing glances at her more frequently, unable to resist the pull she had on me. Our silences were no longer awkward; they were filled with a quiet understanding, a knowledge that we were both opening up in ways we hadn't before.

She caught me studying her, a playful gleam in her eyes. “Alam kong maganda ako pero ‘wag kang tumitig.”

I chuckled, the sound echoing softly in the intimate space. “I was just thinking about how unexpected life can be. A week ago, we were practically strangers, and now we're collaborating on research and stealing glances in a hidden corner of the library.”

“Don’t misunderstand. This is my only way out from Ash and his friends.” Ismid niya.

“But aren't you close with them? Especially with Ashton.”

Tinitigan niya lang ako. Hindi ko alam kung anong nasa isip niya habang ginagawa ‘yon. Maya maya ay nagsalita siya para ibahin ang usapan.

“You know about Kyle’s brother right?”

I can tell from her piercing gaze na alam niyang alam ko ang nais niyang iparating so there's no use of lying at her.

“Yeah. An aspiring Shadow Reapers that died during his final mission. That might be Kyle’s reason for joining the HM too, to investigate what really happened back then.”

Carl, Kyle’s brother, looks like him. Kaya nung una pa lang na makita ko si Kyle ay alam ko nang siya ang tinutukoy ni Carl na kapatid niya. How can I forget? He showed Princess a photo of him before at sinabing bagay sila.

She murmured something na hindi ko narinig ng maayos. “Ano ‘yon?”

“I said can you take off your face mask? I wanna see your face.” She said that caught me off guard.