Brandon's lips curled subtly, unnoticed by Edward. Assuming Brandon had no intention, Edward added, "It's a deal you won't turn down once you hear me out."
"What is it?" Brandon asked, surprising Edward. With apparent triumphant joy, Edward lowered his voice and said, "Care to join me for a chat at the pavilion?"
Without a definitive answer, Brandon began to head in the direction of the pavilion. He doubted Edward's ability to uncover what had occurred in the print office the previous night, let alone discerning his involvement. Thus, Brandon presumed Edward had other preposterous matters to discuss. Intrigued, he wondered what they might be.
As the two men vanished into an isolated corner of the campus, Sienna, riding her scooter into the campus, caught sight of the familiar two men. A stir churned in her stomach - she hadn't believed that Edward would have uncovered their mischief so soon. What did he want from Brandon, then?
For some reason, Sienna felt a pang of concern for Brandon, a feeling that seemed to arise from nowhere, leaving her perplexed. She found her previous feelings of rejection towards Brandon fading, especially after their recent ride together.
Instead, she secretly wished for another ride, feeling the steadiness and surrealness of being behind his firm back once more.
And suddenly, she felt an urge to protect Brandon from Edward. After all, they had been complicit in the "evil deed" together. Therefore, she followed them on tiptoe, hiding behind the dense foliage of the trees to keep them within sight.
As Brandon and Edward entered the pavilion, Brandon abruptly came to a halt, his senses tingling. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a concealed movement not far away. Secretly, he activated the seeing-through function on his wrist, peering keenly through the surface.
His smile curled once again as he realized it was Sienna attempting to conceal her whereabouts, though she did a poor job of it. If it hadn't been for someone as oblivious as Edward engaging him in conversation, Sienna would have been spotted immediately.
Edward glanced around, checking for any onlookers with a cautious demeanor, as if the deal were of utmost importance.
"I am arranged to sit behind your back for the examination, Brandon," Edward said, his tone lacking enthusiasm. Then, he added, "And I know you never fail your examinations."
"If you want to negotiate with me, you better articulate yourself correctly," Brandon replied coolly.
"What...do you mean?" Edward asked, clearly confused.
"It's not that I never fail my examinations. It's that I never fall below first place in the rankings."
Edward was stunned into speechlessness, and Sienna chuckled quietly, almost making a sound.
"Well, yes, that's why I'm considering making deals with you," Edward said awkwardly. "So, since I'm going to sit behind you, can you just lean aside a little bit and let me see some of your answers on the paper."
Brandon remained silent, his eyes fixed on Edward.
"I can pay you. How much do you want?" Edward said arrogantly. "Any amount, my uncle has money."
Hearing this, Sienna felt an overwhelming urge to burst into laughter and mock Edward even further. So, this man was offering to pay money to the heir of the wealthiest man in the country? He was either ignorant, had no idea of his own potential, or simply stupid.
Perhaps all three.
"Ten thousand, direct payment, in advance," Brandon said plainly, startling both Edward and Sienna.
Edward thought it was overpriced, but this examination was too crucial for him to haggle over the price. His uncle, Beau Milton, had told him that if he could rank in the top ten in the upcoming examination, Beau would arrange an interview at Walters for him. Once Edward got into Walters, he could earn far more than the mere 10,000 he was paying now.
"Fine!" Edward exclaimed, taking out his phone to make the transfer. Brandon threw a glance at the phone, stating, "I only take cash."
"Cash? Who takes cash nowadays?" Edward complained. Was he born in 1699?
"Not fine with you?" Brandon inquired.
"Fine!" Edward snapped. "Wait here."
Edward hurried away to find an ATM, but Brandon doubted he would locate one easily. So, he glanced at the location where Sienna was hiding, then swiftly slipped away behind her. When Sienna looked out again, Brandon had vanished.
"I could have asked for 20,000, so you could get a share," Brandon's calm voice emerged from behind her.
Sienna jumped and spun around, complaining, "You should reconsider this habit of snooping around!"
"I'm not the one who hides and eavesdrops."
"Fine," Sienna relented, handing Brandon a USB device. "Here's the saved footage from last night. You can expose Edward if he continues to threaten you."
"Are you trying to help me?" Brandon asked.
That was precisely what Sienna was doing, but she didn't want to admit it. Instead, she replied, "I'm also the top student in the school, and I hate people who cheat and threaten others to help them cheat."
"For justice," Brandon commented.
"Sure, for justice," Sienna insisted, though it sounded forced. What more could she say? She didn't want to make it sound like she was doing Brandon a favor. They were collaborators, but they didn't particularly like each other, did they?"
The heavy sound of footsteps arose again, signaling Edward's return. Sienna was about to urge Brandon to hurry back to their previous spot when she noticed he was already there.
Sienna frowned. Among the many things that confused her about Brandon, his ability to move with such swiftness was a top concern. It was something she couldn't reconcile with her extensive knowledge of physics.
"Here is the money!" Edward exclaimed, panting and visibly annoyed. "But you have to write me a warrant, promising that you'll conduct the deal with me in the afternoon."
"Praying for my presence at the examination is more practical than making me write a warrant," Brandon replied coldly.
"What...what do you mean?" Edward's eyes widened.
"I have enough credits not to take that examination," Brandon stated. "It's a bonus, not a necessity."
As Edward heard this, he visibly bristled with irritation, on the verge of shouting, but Brandon intervened, offering the stack of money, "Or you can take the money back, and the deal is off."
Edward's retort was cut short by Brandon's proposition. Pointing a finger at Brandon, he warned, "You better be there."
"Feel free to pray," Brandon responded calmly.
Edward's fist clenched, ready to strike, but when he met Brandon's intense gaze, suffused with an imposing touch, he hesitated and withdrew.
Taking in the scene, Sienna quickly covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. However, just as she did, her phone rang, its loud ringtone piercing through the air and catching Edward's attention.
"Who's there?" Edward, who had been on the verge of leaving, spun around to face Sienna, his gaze drawn to a strand of her hair dangling in the air.
Sensing Sienna's impending exposure, Brandon acted swiftly, grabbing Edward's collar with a firm grip, compelling him to redirect his attention towards him.
"If you ever draw any more attention to us, you're finished," Brandon growled with an imposing, angry tone, sending a shiver down Edward's spine. What had sparked such sudden ferocity in him?
Noticing Sienna already departing, Brandon loosened his grip, causing Edward to nearly lose his balance and stumble. Confused and humiliated, Edward staggered away, and Sienna was out of sight as well.
The urgent call came from Joe Sullivan, his tone fraught with distress.
"Sienny, Sienna! You have to help me, nooo, nooo, it's horrible, horrible!" Joe exclaimed.
"What happened, are you hurt?" Sienna asked, her concern evident in her voice.
"Yes, yes!" Joe sounded desperate. "It's my heart, my heart aches badly!"
Sienna paused, her steps faltering as she pondered for a moment. Then her expression soured. "I'm off," she declared, rolling her eyes.
"Sienny, hey, don't leave me alone!"Joe pleaded.
"If your heart's broken over some woman you've fooled, you won't find any sympathy from me."
"No, definitely not!" Joe explained frantically. "It's not a woman, it's... it's Allan Batman! I just got a note from him, saying that he... he likes me!"
That was certainly a surprise. Allan had been Joe's constant companion throughout the university year, always there to help him navigate through his enthusiastic fans. He seemed devoted and loyal, presenting himself as a down-to-earth individual who fully supported Joe and his antics.
But could all of this simply be because of his affection for Joe?
Arriving at the cafe where Sienna and Joe typically studied together, Joe presented her with the note, unmistakably inscribed with Allan's distinct handwriting—a skill that had garnered him recognition in calligraphy. The message read, "Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me? I've liked you since our first year, and I've never found as much courage as I have now. Here's my number, call me: 89940493. Yours, Allan Batman."
As Sienna read the note, a sense of unease washed over her. The idea of someone harboring a secret affection for you, especially when they lived nearby, felt unsettling, even creepy.
Joe, visibly shaken and pale, turned to Sienna for guidance. "Sienna, I... I can't accept this! What am I supposed to do?"
Meanwhile, in a corner of the cafe, Allan sat nervously, awaiting a response. He whispered to himself, "Has she read the note? Please, God of Matchmaking, let her read it and say yes!"