Angel Last mission is love

37. Doubts Growing

Another week slipped by, and Clara’s absence from the university became more and more noticeable. While she spent every waking moment tending to her father in the hospital, life on campus went on—but not without leaving questions behind.

Adrian found it harder and harder to focus on his studies. Every time he walked into the classroom, his gaze would unconsciously drift to the empty desk that used to be Clara’s. At first, he had told himself he was angry and done with her; the edited video had felt like proof enough, and Stella’s words had seemed to confirm it. But as days turned into weeks, the sharpness of his anger began to fade, replaced by a growing sense of unease. Something in his heart kept whispering that the whole story did not feel quite right.

He remembered how Clara had always been—honest, gentle, and careful in everything she did. The girl he knew would never act recklessly or bring shame upon herself, let alone lie about it. The more he thought, the more doubts began to creep into his mind. If she really did what the video showed, why hasn’t she come back? Why hasn’t she tried to explain herself or even defend her name properly? he wondered. And why did she say she could not remember anything at all?

Stella, meanwhile, noticed Adrian’s divided attention and worked even harder to keep him close. She would sit beside him during breaks, bring him snacks, and talk to him about future plans, all the while making sure to paint Clara in a negative light whenever she could. “You’re better off without someone so unreliable,” she would say softly. “She left without a word, just like she left you wondering.” But her words no longer settled in Adrian’s mind as easily as they once had.

Leo, too, was growing restless. He had followed Stella’s plan out of fear and persuasion, but the weight of guilt was becoming too heavy to bear. Seeing the whole campus talk about Clara in whispers, hearing how her reputation was being destroyed, and knowing deep down that the truth was very different made him feel sick. He kept replaying that night in his head—how confused and weak Clara had looked, how she had not been in control of herself at all, and how Stella had edited the footage to hide the facts. Every time he saw Adrian looking troubled, he wanted to speak up, but fear of Stella and her powerful family kept his mouth shut—for now.

Back at the hospital, Clara remained completely unaware of how things were shifting at the university. Her whole world had shrunk down to the four walls of the small room, the sound of the heart monitor, and the quiet hope that her father would recover fully. He was slowly getting better; his color had returned, and he could sit up and speak a little longer each day. But the doctor’s warning still hung over her like a shadow—no stress, no bad news, complete rest. So Clara kept her own pain locked away. She did not tell him about the video, about the rumors, or that she had lost Adrian. She smiled through her tears, spoke only of good things, and prayed that soon they could go home and leave all the trouble behind.

One evening, as Adrian walked home alone, he stopped under the same old oak tree where he and Clara had shared so many quiet moments. The wind rustled through the leaves, and for a moment, he could almost hear her voice. He pulled out his phone and stared at her name in his contacts, his thumb hovering over the screen. Part of him wanted to call, to ask her where she was and what was really going on. But another part still held back, afraid of what he might hear or learn.

He did not know it yet, but his doubts were the first crack in the lie that Stella had built. And far away, the truth was only waiting for someone brave enough to look for it.