Bella's eyes popped out in shock.
" Why are you reacting like this ? You are scaring me Bella ! " Winow exclaimed.
" Sometimes, you really make me wonder , how unlucky is your bad luck . Do you know , who Hunter Branson is ? " Bella interrogated , particularly stressing on the name of Hunter Branson .
Winow shook her head in negative.
" Are you aware of E4 ? " Bella asked.
" Nope " Winow again shook her head in negative. " Is it some important topic from our course".
Bella : "....."
" I sometime wonder , if you live under a rock or something " Bella let out a sigh of disappointment.
" E4 refers to elite four . It consists of four members - Damon Ivering , Hunter Branson, Edwan Deitrich , Deon Cosmov ; they directly or indirectly control the university as well as the fate of students. They are the ones who decides what sports will be played , what events/activities/competition takes place, what new buildings will be made.... each and every thing , you can name it - they are the ones to take the decision. They are the ones to choose which student will get admitted into our university or will get suspended. Crossing their path and offending them means end of your career, it doesn't matter you are a student, teacher or principal. " Bella explained in a shushed tone , not wanting anyone's else to hear it and back bitch about her .
" Stuffs like this happen in a premier university like ours , the Weblen Elivo University? " Winow was rendered speechless.
" Honeybun , everything is possible if you have huge amount of money. Money speaks , you know . And you have crossed the paths of two devils—
" What do you mean by two ? I only have bad blood with Damon due to that eye contact. With others, I don't think I have any.." Winow fell to deep thought, seeing Bella's knowing smirk .
" You bumped into your project partner in the morning. Your project partner is Hunter Branson . And let me tell you, he hates skinship, loathes skinship. Prime example is Milli Wray , who is in hospital getting treated—
" But , didn't she get acid attacked by her ex boyfriend? Don't tell me ? " Winow's eyes widened in shock when she heard Bella scoffing.
" You believe that shit . You are so naive , my honeybun. She never had a boyfriend to begin with. .It was a planned attack by Hunter Branson who disguised it as an acid attack by her ex boyfriend , just because she accidentally bumped into him. He lured her to VIP restaurant, saying if she buys him lunch then he will forgive her . But he didn't rather had waiters throw acid water on her . And the rest is history. " Bella explained with awavering voice. Even thinking about it sent chills deep down her spine.
" He said the same thing to me " Winow announced suddenly her eyes widening in horror. Fear was visible in her pupils.
" Huh ?!?!! "
" He said if I buy him lunch , he will spare me".
" FUCk! You are gone . You are bye bye . RIP!! " .
" Bella don't say like that.. tell me what to do — "
* BUZZ *
The buzzing of her phone, grabbed her attention. She quickly tapped on the new notification she received.
@Unknown Number
Hii Project Partner,
Hunter on this side . Let's have lunch together, you promised remember! . I will come to pick you .
" Ehhhhhh !!!!! Bella what should I do ? Should I run away ? " Winow asked staring at her phone in horror .
" Have you gone insane? He will track you down . His father is the police chief . He will dig out your information at the snap of his fingers . And the consequences will be even worse than Milli Wray. My advice will be you face him head on and try to explain him you didn't mean to hurt him or bump into him . And promise him if he spares you , you will never show him your face ever again."
" Will it work ? "
" I hope ." Bella was unsure.
" Hush! " Hearing footsteps approaching, Bella and Winow became alert. The corridors were deserted since everyone had already left for lunch . In such quietness surroundings , the sounds of footsteps seemed to be amplified .
" Someone is coming. And it doesn't seem like ordinary students. I am running away." Bella said in hushed tone ready to sprint away .
" Nah! Don't leave me alone ". Winow quickly grabbed Bella's arms , preventing her from escaping.
" Hey! I don't want to di—
" Hi , project partner "
Bella was interrupted by someone's greetings. That someone was none other than Hunter Branson. Beside him their was someone else too .
" Hi " Winow softly greeted.
" Hi, to you too " He said looking at Bella who was steadily trying to sneak away. He raised his hands in her direction for handshake. But Bella was too smart to fall into his trap .
" Annyeonghaseyo! Nice to meet you ." Bella did a ninety degree bow .
Hunter paused taking his hand back. " Are you korean? "
" No, actually I grew under the care of korean foster parents for sometime, so I picked up their culture . I am Bella , nice to meet you both " Bella explained, maintaining a smile Winow had never seen before .
" Oh . By the way, this is my friend Deon Cosmov . "
" Hi "
" He will also be accompanying us in the lunch . I hope you don't mind.If you want you can also bring your friend along ." Hunter said , giving a bright smile .
" Pardon! Me ? Sorry, I can't. I actually promised my friend to have lunch together. Please excuse me . " Bella quickly said.
Hunter nodded. Bella took her que to leave.
" Now , shall we all go ? " Hunter asked.
" Yeah " Winow nervously nodded.
***************
Winow tried to ask for Hunter's forgiveness like Bella has suggested but she didn't get a chance. Throughout the ride to the restaurant, she was nervous and scared. Not a single word was coming out of her mouth . Her throat went dry when she arrived infront of the restaurant.
' Debiem Clasfix Restaurant ' It was written in cursive italics font. Without a doubt , it was one of the most famous and expensive VIP restaurant of the country ; one could only enter if they have invitation or have a VIP room booked under their name .
" Let's go inside" Hunter said.
***************
Seeing the price in the menu ,Winow almost had a heart attack. She couldn't afford a single food item on it . Even a glass of water was worth more than the salary she earned.
" Are you ready to order ? " Hunter asked looking at her .
" Um..no actually I am fine. I will skip having lunch" . The price was too high. She could afford nothing out of the menu .
Winow was like open book . Her emotions were always on her face .
Hunter chuckled.
" Don't worry, the bill is on me. Just choose your favourite dish."
Winow was embarassed. She didn't expect Hunter to read her thoughts at a glance. Burrying her head into the menu she tried to find the cheapest dish . There was one which was 785 dollars , she was hesitant but under the pressure of the gaze Hunter held , she gave in and order it .
As the dishes were being served, Deon suddenly stood up .
" Excuse me, I have a call to attend". He left the VIP room , they currently were sitting in .
Throughout the conversation, Deon mostly remained silent, speaking very less . All the talking was done by Hunter . To Winow , Deon came of as cold , mysterious and somewhat scary. His eyes hidden underneath those thin rimmed glasses were very cold and intimidating .
Winow with curious gaze followed his leaving back . He had the aura of tyrant ruler or intimidating commander. She couldn't help to acknowledge the fact that his presence was intimidating as well as nerve wrecking.
" Attention on me my dear project partner , or else I will get jealous ". Winow was startled by Hunter's words which held somekind of threatening aura to it .
" Pardon , I didn't —
Winow's words were caught in her throat as Hunter lightly pressed his fingers against her lips. His touch was unexpectedly soft, and for a moment, the world seemed to slow down. Their was a faint of smiles tugged into the corner of his lips, but there was something in his eyes — something unreadable, dark, and intense.
" Unless I give you permission to speak, you will remain quiet," Hunter said, his smile cold and unsettling. It didn't reach his eyes, and something about the way he said it made Winow's stomach tighten with unease.
Hunter's voice was calm but carried an unmistakable menace as he continued, "Do you know how much I despise skinship? I don't tolerate even the slightest touch from anyone." He leaned in closer, his eyes flickering with a twisted gleam. "You, however, stumbled right into me. I should be furious. But... I won't take action. Do you know why?"
Winow's breath hitched in her throat. Her heart pounded in her chest, the air around them thick with an oppressive tension.
Hunter paused, his eyes narrowing with something darker, almost predatory. He allowed a beat of silence to stretch before finishing, "Because your touch didn't repulse me. In fact, it made me feel... peaceful. It was oddly uplifting." His smile was chilling as he leaned back, watching her with an intensity that made Winow's skin crawl.
Her mind raced, trying to process the words, but fear seemed to cloud her thoughts. What was he saying? Was he mocking her? Or was he serious?
" So I'll make an exception for you," he continued, his voice lowering. "You will spend time with me from now on. You will be my friend...very close friend" His gaze hardened as he leaned forward slightly, his eyes locking onto hers. " But If you dare to reject me...," he trailed off, and Winow froze, feeling the tension snap taut in the air.
Suddenly his hand slipped into his pant's pocket , pulling out a black metallic object . With a soft click he placed it on the table infront of her . The gleaming gun reflected the light in the room, its cold, metallic surface sending a jolt of terror through Winow. Goosebumps crawled all over her body .
Her stomach dropped. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the weapon, her pulse quickening as her breath became shallow. Fear surged through her, her body locking in place, unable to move. The weapon was sleek and deadly, the dark gleam of the metal promising danger in ways words couldn't convey.
Hunter watched her reaction closely, his smile widening, though there was no warmth in it. The air seemed to grow colder, and Winow's chest tightened, her mind screaming for her to get away, to run—but her body refused to obey.
"Do you understand, Winow?" Hunter's voice was low, almost soothing, but there was a sharp edge beneath the calm.
Her throat went dry as she nodded, her eyes still fixed on the weapon. She didn't dare to speak. Fear clamped down on her throat, making it hard to breathe. Her heart was racing, and the air around them felt suffocating.
Her face paled when Hunter got up from his seat , walking towards her with strides that resembled a predator's stalking movement towards its prey .
With a cold stare, Hunter cornered Winow, his face hovered near hers , his voice low. " Tell me—yes or no?"
Winow's breath caught in her throat as her pulse raced. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and her hands trembled slightly in her lap.
Her throat tightened, and she struggled to form words. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. "I... I..." she stammered, unable to string together a coherent response. Her lips parted again, but her voice wavered, cracking under the pressure.
Suddenly, Hunter burst out laughing, pulling away from her .
" Oh my goodness, your expression was so funny! Sorry, it was just a prank . I didn't mean to scare you . You seemed so alarmed and serious thought the ride that I couldn't help but to pull this prank."
Winow blinked in confusion as Hunter's words finally begun to sink in her head . " Prank ? " She repeated under her breath, her heart still racing from the tension that had built up. Her mind raced, processing what had just happened. All the tension, the cornering up – it had all been a joke ?
She couldn't believe it. Her face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and indignation. Her body trembled from the adrenaline rush. She had been so caught up in the moment, so terrified that she didn't even know how to react now.
"Seriously?" Winow's voice came out slightly shaky, but her brow furrowed in frustration as she tried to regain some composure. She couldn't help the exasperation that slipped into her words. "You scared the living daylights out of me, and this was all a joke. I almost had a heart attack?"
" Sorry , I didn't mean it really, believe me I had no idea that you will take this so seriously ". Hunter explained sitting back at his seat .
" And what about this gun ? " Winow asked , visibly shaken by the metallic object infront of her .
" Oh! This is a fake gun " Hunter pressed the trigger, a fake rose popped out from the muzzle of the gun .
"...."
Winow was in disbelief. She stared at Hunter with a gaze that was saying " Are you kidding me ? "
" Fine, I am sorry. Don't look at me with those judgemental eyes . If you want I can make up for it . How about I book another lunch date with you ? This time really no pranks ." Hunter said .
!!!!
" Lunch with you ? Never againnnnn !!"