you, me and what a pity

chapter 9

"I've been waving my hand for a while! What caught you for so long?" Nancy immediately spoke as soon she sat down.

To avoid her questions she placed the brownie box in her lap and smiled in return.

"What's this?" Nancy asked in confusion.

"It's for you, I'm sorry I didn't intended to be mean yesterday, I was not just feeling okay. And today I bought you these brownies to make it up to you" she told her truthfully.

"Well if that's to make it up to me then I can tolerate your sour behavior everyday!" Nancy couldn't help but laugh more as she opened the box and found the most heavenly delicious brownies inside.

While Nancy drooled over brownies, Veronica's eyes were fixated on the stage although she couldn't see him now. Somewhere she was feeling that someone was watching her. She looked around herself and found no one particular. Listening to the boring seminar and enjoying brownies made three hours bearable.

He could clearly figure out her turtle neck from afar. She was not that far though. His eyes continuously stared as she laughed and chatted with her friend. Eating brownies while hiding from the supervisor and enjoying the time as if they didn't care. Somewhere he could feel in her movements and actions that she was lost. It felt like as if she was struggling to live her life to the fullest. Something about her was weird to him. He didn't know but she stood among all. He was not fantasizing her beauty neither his priorities were limited to beauty because he knew he can get every girl at his fingertip. But something about her was contrasting and he couldn't help but think about her. She somehow managed to attain his attention and he was mad at the fact.

He stood up from his seat when the host called his name and invited him to share few words on the topic.

Everyone stood up in respect and he could see how confused and surprised she was because she didn't know who he was actually and she heard his name for the first time ever. And it kept ranging in her ears loudly

"Bernard Anworth"

And he had no intention of disclosing it anytime soon.

He said a few words regarding the topic and ended the speech by saying, "just remember you came alone, you'll live alone and you'll die alone. Don't trust anybody more than yourself. Be your own best friend and your own worst enemy to keep the balance of life. Never underestimate yourself and never look back to the people who stab you. They are not worth it, and loyalty is rare. So raise your standards and wear your self respect as the most valuable outfit but ever undress it in front of anybody especially not in love"

Students raised clap throughout the auditorium and he walked away from the stage. Leaving the auditorium and his men followed him behind.

Veronica stood up from her seat too and grabbing her bag, she ran in the direction of exit from the back door.

She could hear Nancy calling after her but she didn't stop. She had to confront him, she needed to or else she will lose the chance. She ran towards the corridor which he was most likely to cross before heading towards his parked car.

As soon she stepped into the corridor, she saw him walking in the opposite direction from the other end of corridor. Her heart was beating very loud, probably due to her erratic breaths. Her chest was heaving up and down at a dangerous pace as she was exhausted.

She couldn't wait till he come towards her. So she started walking towards him, taking quick steps.

He saw her coming in his direction yet he didn't lay his eyes towards her. He walked as if she was some unknown passerby.

"Sir!" She called out when he went past her by three footsteps.

He turned around to see her and she was already facing him with a red face.

"I have to give you something" she coerced out the words as she blinked twice nervously. His stare was something unbearable for her and she couldn't stand him giving her utmost attention.

He was clearly mocking her nervousness with his stare because he always enjoyed when people fear his presence. But she looked more like as if she was embarrassed. She took out a blazer from her bag which was wrapped in a paper bag, forwarding towards him to take.

"Thankyou for lending me this and I've been trying to give back to you but didn't got the chance. And I've dry cleaned it, so...no worries." She said everything under one breath, looking straight into his icy cold eyes.

"I don't want it back" it was the first time this man spoke to her and his voice seemed to be heavy and deeper than she imagined.

"I'm sorry sir but I can't keep it either, it belongs to you. Please take it back or throw it away but it's not my property" she sounded so confident and firm about her statement that for a moment she was astonished at her own words. She didn't know from where she grew these nerves but she was sure about one thing that she had no intention of keeping anything that belongs to him neither wants to develop any relations with him. She wanted to distant herself from him as far as possible. And her words were the correct reflection of it.

He didn't minded her guts although he hated people who talk back. Internally he smirked and felt a little surprised that she was not as fragile as he was thinking. She was maybe tough, or was just trying to be. But he understood the meaning behind her words very well how she wants to run away from him and that's probably because she has developed a hatred for him.

"Andrew" he motioned the man who looked like his bodyguard with a well maintained suit and military haircut with two pistols loaded and stucked in a belt.

The man came forward and took the blazer from her hands, and instantly throwing it into the nearest bin in a matter of second.

Bernard glared at Veronica and turned around to leave as if he mocked her for her behavior. But she felt herself insulted. He clearly insulted her by doing it and he didn't care because that's what he wanted.

The hate which started to rise from the existing fear was prominent now. And she fisted her hand tightly, feeling the urge to punch out his ego. But after all she was not at the place of doing it, he was way too much strong and powerful than she could imagine. And she had no idea that Bernard Anworth belonged to the biggest mafia in state.

And just then, she felt a tap at her shoulder. She turned around to find Nancy exhausted and taking long breaths, as if she was running for too long.

"Gosh where did you disappear all of sudden? I was finding you everywhere and thank god you're here!" She exclaimed with happiness while complaining.

"I'm sorry! I just had to do something. You finished your brownies?" She tried to change the topic as she looked at the brownie box in her hand.

"No, I've saved some for you! Let's go to cafe! Finally Seminar is over" she pulled her arm and dragged her in the direction of cafe, and she didn't resisted.

They both sat in cafe, sipping onto their regular cappuccino.

"Gosh I can't even survive in university if they didn't have this amazing coffee!" She gleamed in pure pleasure as she tasted the aroma of coffee beans on her tongue.

"You're getting addicted!" Veronica told her the bittersweet truth which she didn't like to hear.

"I won't mind you today because I have something else to tell you, a very big news!" Nancy sparked her with interest because her eyes could that it was really something blasting.

"What?" Veronica asked.

"You saw that handsome guy at Seminar who gave thag speech in end? The one who was wearing a suit! Who looked mature yet so handsome....." She was going on and on when Veronica interrupted in.

"What about him?"

"He is the owner of this university!" She screamed so loud that the people turned their heads in their direction involuntarily.

Nancy's face became red with shame and she placed both hands on her mouth to shut herself but news already passed through Veronicas ears and she didn't take it well.

For Veronica it was hard to believe that the man who seemed to be looking down on her since their first meeting is actually the owner of her university in which she is studying on a scholarship.

Which meant she could be in trouble? What if he cancelled my scholarship or cancelled my admission?

Fuck! She mentally cursed herself loudly.

She shouldn't have shown guts to him! f**k she was screwed!

Her eyes were on table and she sat across Nancy but mentally she was somewhere else and completely absent minded. She didn't know if she should pray for herself or wait until he do something to her!