Art of Lies

Liora stumbled toward her residence, still dazed by what had just happened. 'What the hell was that?' Her thoughts raced, unable to make sense of what Donovan had done—or rather, what he'd done to her.

Her cheeks still felt warm, the flush refusing to fade, and her heart thudded wildly in her chest. She couldn't tell if it was anger or embarrassment.

She reached her door and froze. Her hand instinctively went to her side, searching for her bag. But it wasn't there.

"Crap," she muttered under her breath. A frown etched across her face, and a spark of anger flared in her eyes. "It's all because of that Psycho Bear."

Her simple goal for the day had been straightforward—follow Sven, eavesdrop on his conversations, and gather useful information. But now, here she was, staring at her door, bagless, keyless, and completely dishevelled.

She glanced down at her clothes, smudged with dirt and her wrists, where faint red marks lingered from Donovan's grip. 'That arrogant—!' She cut off her own thought, running a hand through her messy hair and biting her lip in frustration.

With a huff, she made her way to the warden's office. Her steps were heavy with irritation. When she reached the door, she knocked twice before entering.

The room was small and functional, with a simple desk, a computer, and a corner setup for tea and coffee. Ms. Sandra, the residence warden, looked up from her desk. Her sharp eyes immediately scanned Liora's appearance.

"Ms. Sandra," Liora began in her most polite tone, trying to keep her frustration in check. "I left my bag in my locker, and my keys were in it. Could you please give me the spare key for today? I'll return it first thing tomorrow morning."

Liora preferred not to discuss the incident regarding her lost bag. Stating that it was in the locker appeared to be the most secure excuse. Liora considered that if she continued with her deception, she would eventually excel at the art of lying.

Sandra's gaze lingered for another minute on Liora. She was clearly taking in Liora's rumpled clothes, flushed face, and messy hair. Without a word, she reached for a form and slid it across the desk. "Fill this out," she said briskly.

Liora grabbed the pen, scribbled down her information, and handed it back. Sandra examined the room briefly before unlocking a drawer and handing over a spare key.

"Don't lose this one, or you'll face a hefty fine," Sandra warned her tone curt.

Liora pressed her lips into a thin line, nodding. "I'll be careful," she replied, barely masking her annoyance.

With the spare key in hand, she left the office and trudged back to her room. As she unlocked the door and stepped inside, she couldn't shake the lingering heat in her cheeks—or the way Donovan's voice echoed in her mind, taunting her without even trying. To calm herself down, she decided to take a bath. It was necessary first.

Back at the university, Caspian had been on edge since morning. Even though he sat with James and Pearl in the cafe, The name 'Liora' echoed in his mind, an unrelenting distraction that made it nearly impossible to maintain his composure, especially around Pearl.

He needed to know which department Liora was in. Unfortunately, Quantum Future Administration wasn't known for its friendliness. The Valtham Royals personally hired them, and their air of authority was impenetrable. The administrators and the professors made it very clear that anyone outside their circle was beneath them.

Neither his grandfather nor Robert would give him any information about Liora. The only clue he had was that Liora was somewhere on this campus, hidden in plain sight. And Amara… Amara. He clenched his jaw at the thought of her. Her professional skills in disguise—her ability to transform someone into a completely unrecognizable version of themselves—were infuriatingly effective. Liora could be anyone among the freshmen, and the thought drove him mad.

By the time he arrived on campus, he was already scanning the crowd. His white Givenchy T-shirt clung to his shoulders, paired with tailored pants and Tom Ford sunglasses that shielded his eyes from the glaring sun. But despite his polished appearance, he felt ridiculous. 'Gosh, I look like a pervert,′ he thought as he scrutinized every brown-haired girl he passed, his gaze flicking from face to face.

When he finally reached his locker, he swung it open, only to be assaulted by a wave of cloying fragrances. Inside, a pile of letters spilled out, all in different shades of pink, red, and white, each one emitting its own strong scent.

Caspian sighed. ′The fan club strikes again.′

Despite his lack of interest, he still had a following on campus. Most students steered clear of him, thanks to Pearl's looming presence, but that didn't stop them from slipping notes into his locker—anonymously, of course. Some even dared to write their numbers.

With a resigned shake of his head, he gathered the letters and dumped them into the nearby recycling bin. He was about to walk away when something caught his eye. Among the discarded notes was one that stood out—a pink envelope with Liora's name crawled across the front in bold letters, and his heart stuttered.

He grabbed it and tore it open to read.

Caspian, I hate you! Caspian blushed. The words sent a warm, tingling sensation, making his breath hitch.

And I will keep hating you until you find me in Quantum Future. I've decided to study here, so let's continue with my complaints. Caspian couldn't help but smile.

I never knew you could be so mean and heartless. Did you not think of me even once in the last four months? I waited every day like a fool, staring at my phone, hoping you would call or message me. But there was nothing. Not even an update on your Instagram. You just disappeared.

Do you know how scared I was? I thought something had happened to you. When I finally reached out to Robert, he told me you were fine, just needing some "time alone." Do you know how much that irked me?

Because if you were struggling, you should have come to me. Instead, you shut yourself off, leaving me in the dark.

So, this is your punishment! find me! I'm not coming to you until you do. Find me without accessing much information from the administration department.

NO CHEATING!

I miss you! I want to...... '

Love,

Liora.

A low chuckle escaped Caspian's lips, quickly morphing into a rare grin. His fingers brushed over the paper as if her voice lingered in the ink. ′She's here. She's really here! Since when did you become so cheeky, Ora? but I love it. Challenge accepted!′

"Caspian! You're back!"

Pearl's cheerful voice cut through the corridors, and before he could react, she rushed through the crowd, wrapping her arms around him in an eager hug.

Caspian's grin vanished. He folded the letter hastily, slipping it into his pocket as he turned to face her.

"Pearl," he said coolly, his voice even, his demeanour perfectly masking the storm brewing inside him.

Caspian gently untangled himself from Pearl's grasp, maintaining a polite distance while keeping a warm, practised smile on his face.

"I thought you left me without a word and went back to Italy," Pearl accused him, yet her tone held worries in it. "But then we found out you were also not in Italy. We thought you were—"

"Dead?" he interrupted, his voice low, almost teasing. "You should know better than that. I always come back."

Pearl huffed, crossing her arms. "It's not funny. I thought you cared about us."

"My plans changed," Caspian replied evenly, his voice betraying none of the internal chaos he felt. "I'll be studying here this year."

'What choice did I have?' he thought bitterly. His original plan had been to return to Avalon to see Liora, but he discovered that she had come to Valtham City instead. He still couldn't wrap his head around how she had made such a sudden decision. Regret gnawed at him. If he hadn't kept his phone off for so long, he might have known sooner.

He'd deliberately avoided calling her during those months. He feared he would soften his punishment toward the people Liora called beasts. His silence had backfired spectacularly. Now, here she was, in Valtham City. And he still didn't know the real reason why.

Pearl's hand shot out, delivering a playful but forceful punch to his shoulder.

"Where were you for four months?" she demanded, her voice sharp. "I left countless messages—Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram—you name it! I called you a gazillion times! James even tried to track you down, but your number was off. Do you have any idea how worried we were?"

Her face was tight, and her expression was a blend of anger and concern. Behind her, James stood silently, his arms crossed, wearing his usual composed look.

In any other situation, Caspian would have smoothed things over with a kiss, but this time, he couldn't afford to. 'Not with Liora here.'

"You shouldn't have worried so much, Pearl," he said softly, reassuringly. "You know I always come back to you." He placed a light hand on her shoulder, the gesture more for show than sincerity.

He had to tread carefully now. Keeping a low profile on campus was essential, especially with Liora enrolled here. Pearl's tendency to cling to him publicly had always been an annoyance, but now, it was a potential disaster.

If Liora saw them...

His chest tightened. Caspian rarely felt fear and panic in any situation, but they both existed when it came to Liora. The thought of what she might do if she discovered Pearl's open affection for him sent chills down his spine.

Part of him was thrilled that Liora was nearby, desperate to see her again. The other part resented her presence, the chaos it brought to his carefully managed life. ′It would've been so much easier if she stayed in Avalon—or anywhere else.′

The worst part? Everyone on campus already knew about his supposed "relationship" with Pearl!

Pearl crossed her arms. Her irritation was evident. "You vanished without a trace, Caspian. We thought you abandoned us."

"I know," he said softly, his hand squeezing her shoulder gently."And I'm sorry for putting you through that. I had things to take care of, but I'm here now, and everything's fine."

James stepped closer, his tone calm but pointed. "Next time, just give us a heads-up, okay?"

James's knowing look met Caspian's. He knew where Caspian had been these past months but not the why. He had kept his silence, and for that, Caspian was grateful.

"Well, I'm glad you're back!" Pearl said, her voice dripping with excitement. "I was already missing you! The three of us can spend a....a wild night today!"