Fatal Attraction

~~Canon University Dorm~~ The campus buzzed with excitement as students packed their belongings and prepared to leave for spring break. Cars filled the parking lots. Suitcases rolled across the sidewalks. Friends hugged goodbye, already making plans for when they would return. Yet, inside one of the dorm rooms, a female student wearing a pair of jeans and a white top sat quietly by the window. Her brunette hair was packed into a messy bun, and the sunlight hitting her tan skin gave her a beautiful glow. She watched everyone leave. She should have been packing too. Instead, she was wondering how she was going to survive another break at her aunt's house. “Rielle,” her roommate and best friend, Zoey, called out. “What now?” “Aren’t you supposed to be packing your stuff? You’ll be left alone in the whole dormitory if you don’t hurry up.” “I will,” she replied lazily. She didn’t really want to go home—or, more accurately, she didn’t have a home. She lived with her aunt and cousins after her parents’ death, and they treated her like she was nothing. Her aunt had been nice to her before her parents’ death. After they died, she volunteered to take care of Rielle because of the monthly support she received. The moment Rielle started living with them, her aunt changed toward her, mistreating her. That treatment extended to her children as well. Her mind flashed back to a moment that had truly broken her heart. It was Christmas. She was eleven years old. Everyone got a present except her. “Aunt Anna, what about my present?” she asked timidly. “You don’t deserve one. I’m not your parent.” “But—” “Shut up. Go back to your room.” She reluctantly went to the attic. Her mind then drifted to Theodore Meret—her crush. She hadn’t seen him since the last break. The thought of Theodore instantly pushed the painful memory from her mind. After months of missing him, she was finally going to see him again. She immediately stood up and began packing her things. She couldn’t wait to finally see Theodore after months of deeply missing him. Theodore had been her crush since she first saw him when she was sixteen. He had stood up for her when she was being bullied by her classmates in the alley near where they lived. He had constantly defended her, even from her aunt and cousin. He was the only person who made her feel human after her parents’ death. Since then, she had fallen in love with him. She wrote about him all day in her journal, fantasizing about what their life would be like when they got married. All of this was known to Amanda, her cousin, who was Theodore’s girlfriend. Amanda, who had never liked her and had always treated her badly, became even worse after discovering her feelings for Theodore. Now, she was twenty, and she was still head over heels for him. Zoey was shocked by Rielle’s sudden motivation to pack. “What came over you? Why are you so eager to leave now?” she asked in surprise. “Nothing.” Rielle could barely hide her smile. “Ohhhhhh, you can’t wait to see Theodore,” Zoey teased. Rielle’s cheeks flushed red. “No, I’m not.” “Keep on lying to yourself. Your face already gave you away.” Rielle immediately covered her face with her palm, and Zoey burst into laughter. “Lover girl.” Rielle kept blushing. “Hurry up before we miss the metro.” They hurried to the metro station. Luckily, they got there in time. Zoey alighted along the way, leaving only Rielle and a few other passengers. Rielle leaned against the window, smiling as she thought about Theodore. She wondered what he looked like now. Would he have changed? Would he still smile the same way? Soon, she reached her destination. She dragged her suitcase with her as she walked down the street. She arrived at her aunt’s house and pressed the doorbell, but she was met with silence. “Aunt Anna,” she called out. Silence. “Amanda.” “Cassandra.” “Amber.” Nothing. Still silence. She brought out her phone and called Amber, her only cousin who liked—well, tolerated—her. It rang a few times before Amber answered. “Amber?” “Hello, Rie.” “I got home, and there’s no one here.” “Oh my God, Rie! How could I forget? We went on vacation. We won’t be back until tomorrow. I forgot to inform you. I’m sorry,” she apologized. “It’s okay. Bye.” “Bye.” She hung up. Rielle sighed. She called Zoey, and she answered almost immediately. “Missing me already?” Zoey teased. “You wish. Can I stay over at your place?” “Sure, why not?” “Thanks. See you soon.” “Yeah.” She hung up. “I’m so lucky to have Zoey,” she said. She dragged her suitcase and made her way back to the subway. ~~D’AVERON EMPIRE~~ In front of a high-rise building, reporters swarmed the entrance, trying to get inside and gather information about the ongoing rumors. The security guards were doing their best to protect the company. A six-foot-tall man wearing a black tuxedo suit and a long jacket stood near the entrance. His black hair was perfectly styled, and his dark-blue eyes scanned the chaotic environment with clear disgust. He was Kyren D’Averon. The moment he appeared, several employees instinctively lowered their heads. Even the security guards seemed to straighten. Kyren didn’t need to raise his voice. His presence alone was enough to command attention. “Why are they still here?” he asked his assistant. His baritone voice made the assistant swallow hard. His neck tightened against his collar as he clutched the tablet to his chest. “I... I tried making them leave, but they wouldn’t.” “Then you haven’t tried hard enough.” He walked toward the reporters. As soon as they saw him, they rushed toward him. “Mr. D’Averon, what do you have to say about the Mac Corporation going bankrupt?” a reporter asked. “Were you involved in the situation that caused them to go bankrupt, given that you and Mr. Mac reportedly have bad blood?” another reporter asked. His dark eyes landed on the reporter who had asked the question. The reporter trembled in fear. He quickly looked away. Who could withstand Kyren D’Averon’s gaze? He remained silent. His assistant knew exactly what that meant. He then walked away, leaving the reporters behind. None of them dared to move closer to him. As the elevator doors closed, his phone beeped. MAC CORPORATION FILES LEAKED A cold smile appeared on his face.