Chapter 3It's Monday morning, and Mrs. Castle is getting her son's lunchbox ready when Stella comes into the kitchen. Stella has on a black short nightie, while Laura is dressed in a white nightgown. Mr. George steps outside in matching pajamas with his wife, Laura, which makes Stella scowl. "Good morning, Daddy," says Henry as he hugs his dad. "Good morning, Henry." "How was your night?" Henry laughs. "It was good, Dad. I promise I'll improve my results," George replies, giving him a small box. Henry opens it quickly and finds a black Rolex Submariner inside. He hugs his dad again and says, "Thanks, Dad." Edward walks into the kitchen when he spots his dad and Henry. "Edward, check it out! Dad just got me a Rolex," Edward says, his face turning red with a smile. "Good morning, Dad." As George is about to head out, he notices Laura's serious expression. "Morning, Edward." "How did you sleep last night?" "It was good, Dad," Stella laughs. "But, babe, it's not right to buy a present for Henry and not get one for Edward," Stella says to him. "Daniel walks in while carrying a stylish little bag."
"I have a gift for him. Stella, please don't be annoying. Here you go, Edward! It's a Casio MTP E321RL-5AVDF from that series." Edward jumps with excitement. "Thank you so much, Dad!" Edward laughs. George walks away, and Laura feels warm inside seeing them both so joyful. Anna's dad made sure to walk her to the bus stop where the school bus picked her up. As Anna sat down, she stared at her diary until Nora Badmus came over to her. "Hey, girl, are you that smart girl?" Anna nodded. "How do you know?" Anna lifted her head, and they both smiled at each other. "Your picture is everywhere on the school website, and that outfit isn't very official. Don't worry, I have a nice pair in my locker that I can lend you if you'd like." Anna felt her face get warm. "Thanks, but no thanks," Nora says, feeling embarrassed as she sits next to Anna. She takes out a copy of ET magazine. The moment Anna sees Henry's picture on the cover, her heart starts racing, and she feels really warm. "Can I take a look?" Anna asks. Nora passes the magazine to her, and Anna sits there, staring at Henry's photo, noticing there's another picture beside him. "Who is he?" Anna asked, pointing at the photo on the magazine cover. "That's Henry Castle, the son of George and Laura Castle. They own our school." Anna's eyes widened, and she felt a thrilling rush in her chest. "Henry Castle," she repeated in her mind. This was the first time a boy had ever made her feel this way.
The school bus arrives at the school premises, and Anna stands staring to savor the architectural brilliance behind the planning of the building, a top-notch design she simply hasn't seen anything like before. The large football field outside takes her breath away, and other students, who arrive in expensive cars, look at her like she's a visitor. She notices the big track that leads into the main hall of the school, where she spots a basketball court, art classes, and fashion design classes. The bell rings, and everyone comes together in the main hall. "Good morning, wonderful students of Elite High," Laura Chiammanda Castle says. "A long time ago, my grandfather started Elite because he was unhappy with the average quality of education." "I feel proud to say that I studied here, and now my son is a student here too. This shows that we aim to improve, not lower, the learning standards. Let's celebrate another year of great achievements while pushing limits and demonstrating a fresh way of life." A loud round of applause fills the five-hundred-seat hall. Mrs. Castle poses for a quick picture with some students and teachers before heading off with Mr. Castle. "Henry, please don't get into any trouble this semester, I'm begging you," his mom says while adjusting his collar. He lets out a sigh and smiles, but his dad's intense stare forces him to stand up tall. "Yes, mom," he replies as his dad ruffles his hair and moves behind his mom, who is wearing a lemon-colored outfit with matching lemon heels, carrying a Birkin bag, while Edward looks unhappy.
George stood still as Laura turned around and walked toward him. "Have a fun day, munchkin. Keep your brother out of trouble," she said while giving him a hug. George frowned and then turned to face Edward. "Have a nice day, Edward," he said. Edward nodded, and George turned back to head to the car. Shortly after, Laura got into the car with him. "Are you coming to the office with me? We have a shareholders meeting this morning," he ask. But Laura takes off her glasses. "I'll send Lucas as my representative; I have other things to deal with," she replies. He turns to her , "Laura, I know you received a text from Raymond, and that's why you've been staying away from the office since he returned from the UK. The media has been buzzing ever since the news broke, and there are all kinds of rumors going around." Laura tilts her head and gazes at him. "Don't we have staff for this kind of thing, George?" He gritted his teeth. "Why can't you just be there? If you show up, the noise will stop!" "Or is it because you want them to think you're still planning on getting a divorce?" She turned red.
"You worry too much about these matters. I have a branding launch at our store in Lagos this morning, and I need to be there. It's not as serious as you're imagining, so just relax," he said as he loosened his tie. "I promise that I will be by your side at the next shareholders meeting, Honey," she said, giving him a kiss on the lips. He still looked unhappy.