Scars To Your Beautiful : A Modern Beauty and the Beast retelling ✔

47. The depth of trust

Damien Pierce waited for the last person to leave the school's paper office but it didn't seem like anyone was planning to leave. Suppressing a low growl, he entered the place with a bright upbeat smile. "Hey, guys."

Everyone in the room paused, looking shocked to see someone like him in their office. Naomi wore a wary look, almost like she could sense why he was here.

"What are you doing here, man? Did you miss your way?" A certain dark haired guy barred his route, and Damien Pierce instantly recognized him from English class. Tony, the school paper's editor, wore a disarming grin on his long face.

Shifting his eyes from Naomi standing at a distance, he gave Tony a charming smile that easily worked on people. His relaxed demeanor sent waves of comfort over everyone else in the room. "I'm here to see Naomi. Hope you don't mind."

Tony's gaze touched Naomi's scowling face for a moment, then said to Damien Pierce in a low whisper. "Are you sure? Cause the look in her eyes makes it seem like she wants to cut you open."

Damien Pierce chuckled. "I'm sure. It'll only take a minute."

"Pfft. Take all the time that you need. You're Damien freaking Pierce. You're royalty around here."

Tony's words made him grimace. He hated hearing stuff like that, but once again, Damien Pierce swung his usual quick grin that everyone loved to see. His pale-set blue eyes twinkled almost as brightly as the bulb in the room. "Thanks, man. You're the best."

Patting his shoulders gleefully, Tony walked back to where he came from. Damien Pierce lunged towards Naomi, but the closer he got, the more Naomi's scowl deepened.

With his grin still glued on his face, Damien Pierce stood right in front of her desk. "Hey, Naomi. Can we talk outside for a minute?"

Naomi grumbled under her breath. "Why does everyone keep coming here while I work?"

Damien didn't seem to catch her words. An expectant look quivered his face. "Well?"

"Fine." Her jaw set hard. "Just make it quick."

Ignoring the curious looks on her coworkers' faces, Naomi followed him out, resting her back against the school's brick walls. "This better be good, Pierce."

Damien Pierce opened his mouth, and Naomi cut in. "And stop smiling so much. It's annoying. You're not a gameshow host."

His smile slipped. Right. He should have expected it from her. He knew Naomi didn't like him, but he had information that could bring her easily to his side. "I have something to tell you. It's about Callie."

"Well don't put me in suspense. Spill it." The whooshing wind picked up, and strands of her blonde hair started to sway to the motion.

Ever since Viola told him about Callie having feelings for someone else, Damien Pierce hadn't been able to get it out of his head. But when he found out who it was, the details that came with it shocked him. "Does the name Larkin Hammell ring any bell?"

Naomi's lips pressed down. Her face looked taut in concentration, as if she was searching through her memories. "It feels vaguely familiar, but why's that any of my problem?"

"He used to go to our high school but he graduated two years ago. His family was involved in the scandal of buying the empty land in front of our school and never using it. It made a lot of people angry." Damien attempted to jog her memory, and instantly, her grey eyes widened when it sunk in.

"I remember. The douchebag family that took away the plot of land from our school before we could get it. Everyone knew how badly Gordon Newt prep. wanted that place."