Europe Power House

Liora carefully turned her head to see who it was and found Harper, Kai's girlfriend, standing beside him. Behind them were Donovan and Logan, along with his girlfriend, Elena. Rihana was nowhere to be seen. Liora thanked the god for it.

Liora swore she had scanned the area thoroughly before touching the bike. Where had they all appeared from? She felt incredibly unlucky in that moment. She avoided Donovan's gaze. It was a conscious choice. She didn't want to confront the contempt he must feel for her after slapping his girlfriend. So, she focused her attention on Harper instead.

"I was admiring the bike," Liora said without hesitation. Admiring bikes surely couldn't be a crime, she thought to herself.

"How dare you touch my boyfriend's bike? Are you trying to get his attention? Is that why you spoiled Rihana's dress to get Donovan's attention and then slapped her for ruining it?" Harper accused Liora. Her voice dripped with disdain. Before Liora could even respond, Elena stepped forward, crossing her arms and standing beside Harper, clearly ready to teach Liora a lesson.

Liora felt her mouth twitch in irritation at how effortlessly Harper twisted the incident, portraying her as a woman who liked to steal guys from their girlfriends.

"I only looked at the bike," Liora repeated, hoping to drill this simple fact into their heads.

"Oh my God! Look at her audacity. Now, she's trying to get Kai's attention! Desperate girls like you just want to grab the attention of rich guys, don't you?" Harper spat, her tone dripping with disdain. "People have names for girls like you!"

"It's called gold digger!" Elena chimed in, pushing Liora with force. "Go find someone else, you whore!"

The weight of Liora's bag threw her off balance, and she fell to the ground, her belongings scattered on the ground.

"Gold digger?" Liora muttered under her breath, anger bubbling within her as she prepared to unleash the Kali martial arts techniques she had learned back in Italy. But just as she gathered her courage, Caspian arrived with his friends, interrupting her thoughts before she could take action.

And her courage took a dip in the well and vanished.

If she spoke, Caspian would recognise her voice. So, she chose to stay silent, unwilling to make it easy for him to identify her, even if it meant enduring the insults for now. Liora took a deep breath, focusing on collecting her scattered belongings while suppressing the frustration coursing through her veins.

Kai immediately rushed to Liora's side, standing between her and Harper and Elena. "Sweety, she didn't mean any harm," he tried to calm Harper.

But for some reason, Logan's girlfriend, Elena, felt she needed to say something, "Kai, don't interfere when we're handling matters. Girls like her will go to any lengths to get a guy's attention." 

Harper glanced at Liora from toe to head. "They want to be pampered with money and gifts. Isn't that right, Miss Gold Digger, or do you prefer a name whore?" 

Liora found herself transported back to her school days, now facing accusations of being a gold digger and a... whore from a group of mean girls. Harper and Elena's words pierced her like daggers, stabbing at Liora's heart. Still, she remained composed and dignified, even as she felt an overwhelming urge to plunge into the water and disappear. The thought that Caspian might hear all this about her mortified her even more.

"I—I had no other intentions," Liora said softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she spoke. She hurriedly gathered her scattered books and placed them neatly into her chic tote bag before standing up. She carefully dusted off her clothes and hands and was ready to leave.

Caspian and his friends watched from the car, observing the scene unfold. He recognised her from the cafe, and he couldn't bring himself to start the engine and drive away for some inexplicable reason.

'Could this girl possibly be Liora?' Caspian thought. He was unsure why, but he sensed that this girl might be Liora. Why was that? And the thought of those girls pushing Liora to the ground made his blood boil. 

Caspian debated whether to intervene as Pearl sat beside him in the car. But then it would be worth it if that girl were Liora. Before Caspian could leave the car, Kai erupted, "Stop calling her names, Harper."

"Why? Did she steal your heart already?" Harper shot back, glaring at Kai with derision.

"You're crossing the line," Kai warned in a serious tone. Donovan and Logan stood by, watching the scene in silence. 

Donovan and Logan stood silently by, watching the scene unfold but choosing not to speak. Neither wanted to be dragged into a girl's fight, preferring to avoid any further escalation.

Finally, unable to tolerate the situation any longer, Caspian stepped out of the car, leaving Pearl and James behind to rescue the girl, who could very well be Liora. "That's enough," he said firmly, striding toward her and drawing everyone's attention.

Students in the parking lot fixed their gazes on the unfolding drama, captivated by the rare sight of the Trio and their girlfriends clashing with someone outside their circle. They had never seen Caspian standing up beside the new girl, who was usually seen only with Pearl and rarely interacted with other girls. It quickly turned into the news of the day.

Caspian, who had never interfered in the matter of Trio, even though sometimes he wanted to stand against them, found himself rescuing a girl from the Trio's girlfriends. He could not believe himself.

"It's merely a minor issue; there's no need to blow it out of proportion. I believe she feels remorse for her actions," Caspian remarked, despite not being aware of the complete story. He wanted to save the girl, who could potentially be Liora.

Standing so close to Caspian, Liora suddenly forgot everything that was happening around her. She breathed in his fresh and invigorating scent and found it almost intoxicating.

Oh my god! She could barely manage to stay still. It was her first time in years standing so close to him, and she couldn't believe her eyes. Here was Caspian, standing up for her, and for the first time, she could smell his warmth and strength enveloping her.

Every insult hurled by Harper and Elena faded into the background, overshadowed by the reality of Caspian defending her; she was living in a moment straight out of a fairy tale. In that instant, he was her true hero, willing to face the odds to support her.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop blushing, and now that Caspian was so close to her, she desperately wanted to hold his hand. She bit her lip, her toes twisting on the ground like a graceful dance.

Donovan watched how Li blushed to be next to Caspian, making him uncomfortable for an unknown reason.

Kai immediately stood next to Liora, not giving Caspian a chance to keep the moment from them. He wants to make a good impression in front of Liora for Don's sake, who, for some reason, decided to stay quiet.

"You could have broken her legs or hips, Elena?" Kai had a serious expression, which he rarely had. "Elena and Harper kindly apologise to her. She did nothing wrong."

"Kai is right." Said Logan, supporting his cousin.

"I am not apologising. Just compare her social standing to mine. Also, take a good look at her attire. I wonder why such people are admitted to such a prestigious college," Harper said, sighing in exasperation.

Liora quickly glanced down at her outfit—a loose pair of blue jeans paired with a simple matching T-shirt. 'What is wrong with my clothing?' she did not feel anything wrong about her dress.

Caspian felt irritation wash over him. He closed his eyes and tightened his jaw, taking a deep breath. 'Pray, girls, that she is not Liora,' he thought, anxiety creeping into his mind. 'Because if she is, you will regret this very moment.'

With a heavy sigh, Caspian turned his attention to the girl, who could be Liora. "Are you okay?" he asked in a gentle tone, making Liora's heart race. It felt wonderful, a moment she had always wanted. She nodded and flushed with warmth.

Elena, not one to let things go quickly, taunted, "Do you think if it were Pearl instead of me, she would have just spoken to her, Caspian?"

"Pearl?" Liora whispered, her voice barely audible. 'Who is Pearl?' She looked at Caspian for an answer. He briefly glanced at Liora, and then the atmosphere shifted suddenly, drawing Caspian's attention back to Elena.

His gaze now mirrored the same dangerous spark that had earlier danced in his eyes for his ex-classmates. It radiated the same wild, almost frantic energy that appeared when his friends toyed with their limits around Liora.

Elena's confidence wavered briefly, but she soon concealed it. Nonetheless, she couldn't overlook how the men defended this woman because these weren't just any men. They were known for minding their own business, never interfering in petty drama. And yet here they were, rallying around a fresher. Why?

The sight not only irritated Elena and Harper, but it annoyed Pearl even more. Standing near Caspian's car with James, she watched the scene unfold with a stony expression.

This entire situation unsettled Donovan. He couldn't understand what his cousins were doing. They were defending a girl simply because she was Kai's junior? Their girlfriends of an entire year were being disregarded for a newcomer. Was he missing something? And why was Caspian getting involved?

The tension escalated, and Liora, overwhelmed, bolted from the scene. She didn't wait for an explanation or a resolution. She simply ran. It was what she did best. Once she ran, no one could catch her unless they were on a bike or in a car.

Caspian's gaze followed her, watching how effortlessly she disappeared.

'She is a runner,' he noted, intrigued. After Liora's disappearance, Caspian gave one final, contemptuous look at Elena before turning and walking away.

Seething with disappointment and anger, Kai turned to Harper. His voice was cold, final. "We're done."

The affection that once filled his eyes was gone, replaced by sharp disillusionment. "If I had known you had such a low opinion of others, I would never have let you near me. It's over between us." Without another word, Kai stormed off on his bike.

Logan's sharp gaze turned to Elena. "We're done as well. I'm blocking you everywhere. Don't even think about approaching me again. This is your first and last warning." Without waiting for a response, Logan left on his bike.

Harper, her face flushed with humiliation, clenched her fists. "I can't believe this," she whispered, disbelief choking her words.

Elena, now the centre of the storm, seethed. "This is all because of some random girl? Who is she?" Her tone was sharp with frustration and confusion. Her frustration boiled over. "And Caspian—of all people—came to defend her. Caspian! In front of Pearl, no less. Was he actually supporting another girl? This is insane!"

Harper's expression twisted with anger. "Do you know how hard I worked to get Kai's attention? And in just a few minutes, he broke up with me? Everything I built is gone."

Her mind spun, panic setting in. 'What am I going to tell my family? They were hoping to have Kai as their future son-in-law. Our families were supposed to merge through business ties. We were on the verge of sealing an essential deal between our companies.

Magnum, Rothschild, Wolfgang, and Glacier weren't just names. These were the powerhouses of Europe. Losing Kai meant losing everything she had carefully set up.

Fate, or sheer misfortune, had made Liora a target. And whether she wanted it or not, she had just made powerful enemies.