Chapter 22 – Unraveling the Mystery

Nathan took a deep breath as he walked alongside Lilian in the quiet hallway. The morning sun filtered through the large school windows, casting a golden hue on the polished floors.

He had been trying—really trying—to be more present around her. No more sudden disappearances, no more vague responses. If he wanted to fix what he broke, he had to be consistent.

Lilian seemed distracted, flipping through her notes absentmindedly. Nathan smirked to himself before casually nudging her shoulder.

"Hey."

Lilian glanced up, unimpressed. "What?"

"Nothing. Just making sure you're still awake."

She rolled her eyes, but there was the smallest twitch at the corner of her lips.

They stopped at the classroom entrance, and Nathan hesitated for a second before leaning slightly closer.

"I'll see you later, alright?" His voice was lower, smoother, with a hint of something warm underneath.

Lilian blinked, caught off guard. The way he said it—almost like he genuinely wanted to see her later—made her heartbeat stutter.

"...Yeah, sure," she muttered, turning away quickly before he could see her reaction.

Nathan chuckled under his breath and walked off. He had other things to deal with.

---

Nathan spent the rest of the day keeping a low profile, his focus shifting toward a small group of students who had been acting oddly. He had already noticed them whispering about Nathan Smith yesterday, but today, they were even more secretive.

During lunch, he positioned himself a few tables away, pretending to scroll through his phone while listening intently.

"...It doesn't make sense," one of them muttered. "Nathan Smith just disappeared, and suddenly this rich heir shows up? There's no way it's a coincidence."

"He has to be connected somehow," another added. "And if he is, we need to find out why."

Nathan's eyes narrowed slightly. Someone had sent these guys to investigate him. But who?

When the final bell rang, Nathan didn't head straight home. Instead, he trailed behind the group as they exited the school gates, his steps light and calculated.

---

The group led him to an isolated part of the campus—an abandoned gym storage near the old track field. Hardly anyone came here anymore.

Perfect.

Nathan stepped forward, finally making his presence known.

"You guys seem really interested in me," he said lazily, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Mind telling me why?"

The group of three froze. One of them, a taller guy with messy brown hair, narrowed his eyes.

"You—"

"Nathan Cole," Nathan interrupted smoothly. "I believe you were looking for someone else, though. Nathan Smith, right?"

Their expressions darkened.

"Why do you care?" one of them spat.

Nathan tilted his head. "Because I find it interesting that a bunch of students suddenly want to dig into a guy who doesn't exist."

The brown-haired guy clenched his fists. "If you've got nothing to hide, then why does it matter?"

Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "The way you're all acting tells me you already know something. I'm just wondering who gave you the idea to start looking into this."

The group exchanged glances. They weren't expecting him to be this direct.

And then, in a flash, one of them lunged.

Nathan reacted instantly. He side-stepped the attack effortlessly, gripping the guy's wrist and twisting it behind his back in one smooth motion.

"Try again," he murmured, tightening his hold slightly. The student groaned in pain.

The other two hesitated before charging at him together.

Nathan sighed.

Within seconds, one was flat on the ground, groaning, while the other stumbled back, clutching his stomach where Nathan had precisely struck him.

It wasn't even a fight. It was a lesson.

Nathan dusted off his uniform, his expression unreadable. "You done?"

The brown-haired guy, still panting, finally raised his hands in surrender. "Damn it..."

Nathan crouched in front of him, his voice turning dangerously quiet.

"Talk."

A beat of silence.

Then—

"...We don't know who it is," the guy admitted. "We just got a message. No name, no number. It just said to look into Nathan Smith."

Nathan frowned. That complicated things.

"But," the student added hesitantly, "whoever it is... they know something. They knew when to contact us. They sent the message right after you left."

Nathan's jaw tightened.

So someone had been watching him.

Someone who knew exactly when he abandoned his fake identity.

And that meant this was far from over.

---

Nathan exhaled slowly, his mind running through possibilities. There were too many variables, too many unknowns. But he had one thing to work with now—someone out there was pulling the strings.

Standing up, he adjusted his sleeves and glanced down at the students he had just taken down.

"Word of advice?" he said, turning to leave. "Next time someone asks you to poke around in things you don't understand, maybe think twice."

And with that, he disappeared into the night, leaving them in stunned silence.

Whoever was behind this had just made their first move.

Now, it was his turn.

Nathan moved swiftly through the dimly lit streets, his mind replaying everything he had just learned. Someone had been watching him. Someone who knew exactly when Nathan Smith ceased to exist.

And now, he had a choice to make.

As he neared the school dormitories, he pulled out his phone and typed a quick message.

Meet me behind the dorm. Now.

A few minutes later, Lucien emerged from the shadows, hands tucked in his jacket pockets. His sharp blue eyes flicked over Nathan with mild interest.

"You look like you found something interesting," Lucien remarked.

Nathan smirked. "You could say that. Ran into some students digging into Nathan Smith."

Lucien's gaze darkened slightly. "And?"

"They didn't know much, but someone's been feeding them information. No name, no number—just a message telling them to investigate me. And the timing? Too perfect. Whoever it was, they knew exactly when to strike."

Lucien remained silent for a moment, his mind working through the implications. Finally, he spoke.

"This isn't random," he said coolly. "Someone is moving pieces behind the scenes. We need to find out who."

Nathan exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, I'll leave that to you."

Lucien raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

Nathan grinned. "I've got something more important to do tonight."

Lucien stared at him. "You're joking."

"Nope. I promised Lilian I'd be better, so I'm dropping by her place. Figured I'd surprise her."

Lucien sighed. "You're dealing with a possible enemy tracking your every move, and you're prioritizing that?"

"Hey," Nathan held up a hand, "you've got this covered, right? You're the super soldier or whatever. Me? I've got a girl to impress."

Lucien scoffed but didn't argue. "Fine. Go. But don't do anything reckless."

Nathan winked as he turned to leave. "No promises."

---

Nathan took a detour through the city, heading towards the wealthy district where Lilian's mansion was located. The evening air was crisp, and he felt strangely at ease.

But as he approached, something felt... off.

His footsteps slowed as he noticed a black car parked near the estate—one he didn't recognize. The tinted windows, the unmarked plates—it screamed suspicion.

Nathan's instincts flared. He moved quietly, slipping through the shadows until he was close enough to see the figures inside.

Two men. Dressed in suits. Talking in hushed voices.

Nathan couldn't hear everything, but he caught fragments.

"...tonight... confirm her schedule..."

"...shouldn't be a problem... make it look natural..."

His blood ran cold.

This wasn't just a random car. These men were watching Lilian.

And whatever they were planning—it wasn't good.

Nathan clenched his fists, his earlier excitement replaced by something else entirely.

This night just got a whole lot more complicated.

End of Chapter 22.