Liam and Ranella had a real chat, they chatted about their classes and shared a few laughs, and Liam saw an opportunity to make his move.
Liam wanted to up the ante and make Ranella feel special. He decided to become her secret admirer and leave her little surprises throughout the week. He left cute notes in her locker, complimented her, and even anonymously sent her favorite snacks during class.
Ranella felt unique, she thought it was Alex doing all this and surprising her at every turn, this was her first time experiencing something like this. But whenever she indirectly asked him about it, he denied it and sometimes even looked confused which made her wonder if there was another person who had a crush on her.
Ranel was home on a weekend all smiles as she strolled around the mansion, she kept reading the letters and giggling, climbing the stairs that led to the Whitlock's library on the east wing of the mansion. She missed a stair and was about to fall when she felt an arm snake around her and grab her waist, preventing her from falling. She gazed up and saw Alex holding her possessively with a smile on his face. She pulled away when she had regained balance, hiding the letters behind her.
"You should be careful where you step," He said.
"Alex, how--how did you get in? Shouldn't you be at the hostel right now?" She stuttered, she seemed to have a case of stuttering whenever she talked to good-looking guys like Alex and Liam, but she didn't stutter when she talked to Ed so what was her deal?
"I came with your friends Edward and Beatrice, they're on their way up," Alex said, trying to have a look at what she was reading that made her miss her step.
"What were you reading?"
"Hmm?"
"What were you reading?" He asked again in the same tone.
"Nothing, it's nothing!" She said with a nervous grin.
"Then why are you hiding nothing?" He said again, taking slow strides towards her while she stepped back until her back hit the wall. He leaned in like he was about to kiss her, she shut her eyes right and opened them when the thing she was expecting didn't come.
She saw Alex with the letters she was holding, she didn't know how he managed to take them without her realizing but she saw his smiling face a while ago turn some shades darker.
"What is this?" He asked with an authoritative voice that made her confused.
"Didn't you send those to me?" She asked.
'Why would I?" Alex said and Ranella felt a tug of pain in her heart, she knew it, Alex was only being friendly with her because he pitied her. He was right, there were tons of beautiful girls in the school, why would he write letters to her, an ugly duckling, a fat pig? With a fast reflex, she managed to jerk the letters from him, hiding them behind her again.
"Who sent you those?" He asked.
"That doesn't concern you, even if I knew why would I ask you?" Ranella said with anger evident in her tone, or maybe it was because she was embarrassed.
"Ranella," Beatrice called from behind as she and Edward walked towards them, without a word Alex turned and walked away, passing by Edward and Bea.
"What's with him?" Ed asked.
"At first he demanded to see Ranella and now he's walking away like an angry dog?" Edward said with a confused gaze why Bea just stared at him as he departed.
Alex drove back to the hostel, he climbed the stairs hurriedly and walked to their room, barging in and slamming the door behind him, he saw Liam sitting beside the window with earphones in his ears, listening to music. While VC and Leo stood up abruptly to watch what was about to unfold.
"What are you up to?" Alex said, holding Liam's shirt collar aggressively. Liam removed the ear pods from his ears, he was surprisingly calm as if he had expected this to happen.
"What do you mean, be specific," Liam said.
"What are you planning Liam, I saw the letters you wrote to Ranella, (Scoff) she's cute as a bunny. You were the one who called her an ugly duckling?" Alex said, and Liam slapped his hands off him, releasing himself from Alex's grip.
"She is cute, I was just complimenting her cuteness," Liam said and a smirk broke out on his lips.
"You're playing the Secret admirer card, that doesn't suit you, brother, tell me, why are you doing this, is it another order from the love of your life?" Alex asked.
"I would do anything to get Ranella, I think I found the new love of my life," Liam said but Alex remained quiet, staring at Liam intently.
"You're trying to get into my head. You're not going to find anything there," Liam said and he was right, Alex tried all he could to peek into Liam's mind but all he could hear was music, the music he was listening to a while ago.
With a sigh, he pulled away and walked towards VC and Leo, his pupils changed blood-red as faint waves from his head projected themselves into theirs. But the result was nothing, they were blocking him from assessing their minds.
At least now he knows this was a conspiracy since they were all trying to block him out, he knew this was a planned thing and he knew the mastermind and puppeteer behind it. He walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
"(Sigh) This is getting too much, I couldn't hide it in any longer," Leo said and collapsed on his bed.
"You shouldn't have put yourself into this, Bro," VC said while Liam kept staring at the door absent-mindedly. Whatever Alex does, he is not going to stop until he wins Ranella's heart. So if this will cause a war, he was well prepared for it.