CHAPTER 333: CHAPTER 333: CONGRATULATE

The only thing she saw was his bleeding hand. And the only thing she cared about was helping.

That small act touched him more deeply than he could have expected.

He wanted to meet her again, to invite her properly, to share a moment that was not bound by pain and blood. But at the same time, he could sense something about her.

Adeline was the type of person who would dive into the sea of knowledge without hesitation, who would rather drown in books and studies than swim in a pool of fame, wealth, and power.

She did not belong to his world, and perhaps she did not want to.

With a soft sigh, Alex forced himself to let her go. "Maybe... it is better this way," he whispered to himself. "If fate wishes it, I will see her again."

He stepped into the car, his driver quickly closing the door behind him.

The driver glanced at his boss through the rear-view mirror, raising an eyebrow at Alex’s quiet expression.

"Sir," the driver asked carefully, "are you alright?"

Alex leaned back against the seat, his eyes still staring at the direction Adeline had disappeared. His voice was calm but heavy. "I am fine. Let’s go."

The driver nodded, though inside he could not help but feel that something unusual had just happened. His instincts told him that this moment might not end here.

Something was about to unfold. But he kept his thoughts to himself and started the engine.

The car drove away, leaving the road silent once again.

........................

Far away from Alex, in a bright classroom filled with soft chatter and scratching pens, Olivia sat at her desk.

The sun streamed through the large windows, casting a golden light across her table. Her notebook was open, and her pen moved steadily, line by line.

Around her, however, the air felt tense. Many students kept glancing in her direction, their eyes filled with worry, pity, or even admiration.

Olivia seemed calm, her face steady and composed as if nothing in the world could disturb her peace. But the reason behind everyone’s stares was clear.

Her best friend, Eleanor, was currently sitting just a few rows ahead. And next to Eleanor was Mateo, Olivia’s old admirer.

The two of them were sitting close, whispering to each other, laughing softly, their faces glowing with the warmth of young love.

Eleanor leaned her head on Mateo’s shoulder, and Mateo wrapped an arm around her with ease, showing their closeness openly.

It was bold. Too bold. And many students found it distasteful. To act so lovey-dovey in front of Olivia, who was Eleanor’s best friend and Mateo’s former love interest, was simply cruel.

Yet Olivia did not react.

Her pen kept moving. Her notes were neat, her letters even, as if the sight before her did not exist.

The other students whispered quietly among themselves.

"She is so calm. How can she be so calm?" one girl said, shaking her head.

"If it were me, I would have already left the room," another admitted. "But Olivia... she is just sitting there, still studying."

Their whispers carried hints of admiration. The more Eleanor and Mateo clung to each other, the more people looked at Olivia and respected her silence.

On the other hand, disgust began to build in their hearts toward Mateo and Eleanor.

Mateo, however, noticed the stares. He saw the way people looked at him with disapproval, but he did not care. In fact, he smirked inwardly.

’They only dare look down on me because they don’t know my background,’ he thought coldly. ’Once they find out my family’s status, they will stop sneering and start begging. They will crawl at my feet.’

But his mind was not focused on the classmates. His thoughts circled around Olivia.

He knew that she must already be under pressure. The Hawthorne family had likely targeted her by now. She must be scared, desperate, and close to breaking down.

That was perfect.

His plan was simple. He would continue to date Eleanor openly, flaunting their relationship in front of Olivia. He would make Olivia feel envious, jealous, and most of all, abandoned.

Then, when she reached her lowest point, when the Hawthorne family had crushed her completely, he would step forward. He would offer her money, comfort, and a place to stay. He would become her savior.

But of course, Olivia would never receive an official title.

Mateo’s eyes glinted darkly as he glanced at Eleanor. She would be his wife, the one recognized in public. Olivia, on the other hand, would live in the shadows, hidden and dependent on him forever.

’Let her pretend to be calm now,’ Mateo thought, a smirk tugging at his lips. ’When the time comes, she will have no choice but to come to me.’

Meanwhile, Olivia continued to write in her notebook. Her calm expression never wavered, but deep inside, her thoughts were sharp.

The room had grown so quiet that even the sound of a single pen dropping could be heard. Everyone was curious. Everyone was waiting. It was almost like the whole class had been holding its breath.

Inside, Olivia already knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to take a picture of Eleanor sitting so close to Mateo earlier and send it straight to Theodore.

He had always spoken of Eleanor with soft admiration, and Olivia could tell that he was slowly falling for her. But the truth was right in front of her eyes. Eleanor had no real interest in Theodore.

She had been glancing at him only for fun, almost like she wanted to keep him as a backup. To Olivia, that was cruel.

It was Theodore’s delusion that Eleanor was special, or maybe Eleanor was a smart player who just knew how to keep her options open. Either way, Olivia thought it was better that Theodore learned the truth quickly.

"Why is the storyline not the same as what I knew?" Eleanor asked the system quietly inside her thoughts.

The system answered her in a flat voice.

[There may be bugs. Some parts of the story have changed, but the important lines will remain the same. You will still become Matteo’s first girlfriend. You may not get much money right now, but you are dating the main lead. That is already an advantage.]

Eleanor felt a little relief hearing that. She nodded inwardly and told herself that the system was right. Matteo had already promised that if she wanted something, he would give it to her.

She remembered how he had asked her to be his girlfriend. He had said very clearly that he was not doing it for love but because of Olivia. Eleanor had lowered her head then and said she understood.

Outwardly, she had acted shy and humble, saying she wanted nothing from him, only the relationship itself. But inside, she had felt victorious.

She believed that once she and Matteo were tied together, Olivia could only stand in the shadows. Even if Olivia went abroad and returned three years later, Eleanor would still be the official one.

Olivia might come back more beautiful, more educated, even richer, but she would only ever be a side chick. Eleanor smiled secretly at the thought, hiding it behind the fake look of a fragile best friend about to cry.

The teacher soon walked into the classroom, breaking the tension for a while as lessons began. But Eleanor’s heart still raced. When class ended, her system suddenly gave her a new mission.

[Make sure everyone knows Olivia never had feelings for Matteo,] the system ordered. [This is important. If you do not, everyone will keep seeing you as the third party who stole him away.]

Eleanor froze for a moment, then nodded. That was true. From the outside, it did look like she had stolen Matteo. But if Olivia herself said in front of everyone that she never liked him, then no one could blame Eleanor. They would stop looking at her with disgust.

So she stood up and walked straight to Olivia’s desk. The room filled again with buzzing excitement. People straightened in their chairs, trying to act as if they were still studying, but their ears were wide open.

"Olivia," Eleanor said in a voice that was soft but loud enough for all to hear, "are you angry with me?"

The entire classroom grew still. Everyone wanted to know what Olivia would say. Olivia simply looked at her and gave a calm smile.

"Why would I be angry?" Olivia replied, her voice steady.

Eleanor bit her lip again, trying to act more pitiful. "I got together with Matteo this morning," she said. "But you have not even congratulated me."

Olivia let out a soft chuckle, not cruel but clear enough. "Why should I congratulate you?"

The class gasped softly at her words. The atmosphere grew thick, and people glanced between the two girls like they were watching a play.

Eleanor’s face tightened, and she asked, "Are you jealous because Matteo chose me?"