Shimmer Between Us

Chapter 17 : Under the Spotlight

The tiled walls of the girls’ bathroom seemed to echo Zora’s quiet sobs back at her, each drop of her tears hitting the porcelain sink like a soft, accusing note. Her reflection was a mess...red eyes, trembling lips, and the kind of hollow stare that came when you’d been holding too much in for too long. She splashed water on her face, but it didn’t wash away the ache in her chest.

She fished her phone out of her bag, her hands still shaking. A new message popped up

Kamari.

Kamari: Hey. How are you doing?

She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the keyboard. She didn’t want to dump her sadness on him, but the truth pushed its way through her fingers anyway.

Zora: I’m not fine.

It didn’t take him long to reply.

Kamari: Where are you?

Zora: Lecture corridor. Just came out of the bathroom.

His next message came fast, direct.

Kamari: I’m coming.

Zora blinked at the screen, startled. She didn’t know if “coming” meant now, but her heart started pounding anyway. She leaned against the corridor wall, hugging herself, trying not to think too much.

Forty minutes later, the sound of an engine drew curious heads toward the window. Outside, a sleek obsidian-black Aston Martin DB11 rolled up in front of the lecture building, its polished surface gleaming under the afternoon sun like liquid midnight. Students immediately started whispering.

“Who’s that?”

“Maybe a guest lecturer?”

“No way...look at that car! That’s billionaire energy.”

Zora’s stomach flipped when she recognized the figure stepping out from behind the wheel. Kamari. His white shirt caught the sunlight, his tailored trousers sharp enough to belong on the cover of a magazine. He spotted her instantly and walked toward her without hesitation.

Gasps spread like wildfire through the corridor.

“Wait...he’s coming here?”

“Oh my God, is he here for Zora?”

“She’s so lucky!”

When he reached her, Kamari didn’t stop to think about the dozens of phones already pointed their way. He pulled her into a hug, his hand settling gently but firmly on the back of her head.

“What happened?” he murmured, low enough for only her to hear.

She pulled back just enough to see his eyes. “It’s… it’s the lecturer. He sent me out of class for coming late, but...” her voice cracked, “...I wasn’t even that late, Kamari. And it’s been a horrible day already.”

Something dark flickered in his gaze. He straightened, scanning the hall, and almost on cue, the lecturer in question stepped out of the classroom. His eyes widened in confusion and recognition.

“Oh! Mr. Kamari Donalds!” the man stammered, his voice betraying both awe and unease. “What a… surprise to see you here. Is… is there a problem?”

Kamari stepped forward, his presence commanding.

“My fiancée called me to say you sent her out of the lecture hall for arriving late,” Kamari said, his tone cold enough to chill the air. “I find it strange that after the donations my father and I have made to this school, you still think humiliating students is acceptable.”

The word fiancée rippled through the crowd like an electric shock. Students’ eyes went wide; a few girls clutched their chests dramatically.

The lecturer paled. “I...I wasn’t aware she was...”

“You weren’t aware she was human?” Kamari cut in, his voice sharp. “Whether she’s connected to me or not, she’s here to learn, not be treated like an inconvenience. I expect this never happens again.”

The man nodded quickly. “Yes, of course. My apologies, Miss Zora. It won’t happen again.”

All around them, students were capturing the scene on their phones. Someone whispered, “Oh my God, this is going viral.” Within minutes, short clips were already spreading through campus group chats and social media:

[Caption: “Zora’s mystery billionaire fiancé shows up to defend her at school 😍🔥”]

In the background of the videos, girls could be heard squealing:

“He’s so fine!”

“Look at that jawline!”

“She’s living my dream life!”

Kamari ignored the noise. He turned back to Zora, his expression softening instantly. “Do you want to hang out a bit? Have lunch?”

The truth was, she did. She needed to breathe away from the staring eyes and buzzing phones. “Yeah,” she said quietly.

“Then let’s go.”

He placed a protective hand on her back as they walked toward the car, the murmurs and camera clicks following them like shadows. The moment they slid inside, the Aston Martin purred to life and glided away, leaving a trail of envious stares.

But the story didn’t end there.

Within an hour, one of the videos landed in the hands of Mr. Donalds himself. The older man sat in his office, the muted sound of the clip still playing on loop as he leaned back in his leather chair, frowning.

“Fiancée,” he repeated under his breath, his voice carrying both disbelief and irritation. He didn’t like surprises especially when they involved his son’s personal life splashed across the internet.

He reached for his phone and pressed a single button. “Get the car ready,” he told his driver. “I’m going to handle some… issues.”

Outside, the sky had begun to darken, as if foreshadowing the storm that was about to come.