Laura gasped when Calvin's hand clamped around her wrist. Her body tensed, her breath slightly ragged from the shock. She stared at Calvin with wide, startled eyes, while the man remained calm—though his gaze was sharp.
"Where do you think you're going with all that, Abby?" Calvin's voice was low, yet filled with authority.
Laura froze as the name echoed in her mind. Abby! The role she had played for weeks at school had now been exposed in the worst place possible. But what made her heart sink even more was not just that—Calvin. Mr. Calvin knew.
Calvin raised an eyebrow, still gripping Laura's wrist, showing no intention of letting go until he got an answer.
"I can recognize you, Abby. Even if you change your appearance, just by looking into your eyes—I know it's you. I've memorized them." Calvin's words were steady.
He wasn't joking. He truly recognized the eyes that had always been hidden behind the oversized glasses Laura wore as Abby at school. Eyes that, for some reason, seemed to hold secrets and deep emotions. If Calvin stared at them for too long, he felt as if he could drown.
"You are the brightest student in my class. I even started to think you were special, Abby. But..."
His eyes flickered toward the bag Laura had stolen, now filled with his belongings. "...I never imagined that the student I was most proud of lived a life like this at night."
"What do you mean?" Laura lifted her chin, trying to mask the tremor in her voice.
Calvin narrowed his eyes. "You're here, stealing my things. Pretending to be someone you're not. Why, Abby? You don't need this. You're smart. You have a bright future ahead of you."
Laura let out a bitter laugh, yanking her wrist from Calvin's grip roughly. Her voice was laced with resentment. "A future!? If you knew what happened to me, you wouldn't say that."
"What happened, Abby? Tell me!"
"Why? So you can report me to the principal? So they can ruin my life again?"
Calvin stiffened, his breath hitching as he frowned deeply. "The principal? What do you mean?"
"Oh, come on, Mr. Calvin! You don't have to pretend! I know you're new at that school. But I didn't expect you to get involved in that damn organization so quickly."
Laura eyed him suspiciously. Calvin furrowed his brows even more, his sharp gaze never leaving her face.
"Organization? What organization, Abby?"
"The Dark Game!" Laura snapped. "You booked a service from The Dark Game, didn't you? Sorry to disappoint and ruin your night! Mira was supposed to satisfy your desires tonight."
"Stop it, Abby!" Calvin barked, grabbing both of her arms tightly. His patience had reached its limit. "Listen to me! You broke into my room, stole from me, and now you're throwing around wild accusations! And The Dark Game? I've never even heard of that in my entire life!"
"You stop your act!" Laura screamed, her eyes turning red with unshed tears of rage, pain, and betrayal. But then, suddenly, something clicked in her mind.
"Oh shit! Is this a trap? Damn it!" Laura scanned the hotel room, searching for any signs of others hiding. "Oh, come on! I've already been caught! You all can come out now!"
"Abby!" Calvin's voice was firm as he shook her slightly, forcing her to focus.
"Listen to me, Abby! I am alone in this room! And one more time—I don't know anything about The Dark Game, let alone hiring their services." Calvin's intense gaze bore into hers, studying the frantic movement of her brown eyes.
Laura's eyes softened for a moment before hardening again. She stared into Calvin's eyes, searching for any sign of deception. But all she found was confusion—and sincerity.
"Do you really not know?" Laura's voice trembled.
Calvin nodded slowly. "I'm a new teacher at Harrow Elite International High School, Abby. I haven't even memorized the school's layout yet."
"Then why are you here at this hotel?"
Calvin reached for Laura's stolen bag and pulled out his phone. He held it up to her, showing his most recent text message.
"I received an invitation for a meeting here. When I arrived at the lobby and asked about the meeting room, the receptionist gave me this key instead. She said I could rest here while waiting for the meeting to start in an hour. And then—you showed up."
Laura bit her lip, thinking hard. She studied the text message on Calvin's phone and realized he was telling the truth.
She thinks: If Mr. Calvin doesn't know about The Dark Game… then that means he's just like me back then. Naïve. Easily tricked.
Laura reached into Calvin's wallet—the one she had stolen—and handed it back. "Listen, Mr. Calvin. I'm returning all of your belongings. I won't touch them again. But I have to go now. And yes, your meeting is already over."
"No, you can't just leave." Calvin moved in front of the door, blocking her exit. "You have to explain what's really going on."
"Not here. This place isn't safe." Laura's gaze was sharp and serious.
Calvin hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Let's go to my car. We'll talk there."
Laura hesitated at first, but Calvin's firm presence was almost hypnotic, compelling her to follow him down to the dark, cold basement parking lot. Their footsteps echoed, intensifying the tension between them. Calvin unlocked his car, gesturing for her to get in.
Inside the car, silence lingered for a few seconds. Calvin turned on the engine, but didn't drive—only activating the air conditioning and dashboard lights. The dim glow illuminated Laura's face, making her look exhausted and vulnerable.
Calvin was the first to break the silence. "Now tell me, what is The Dark Game?"
Laura took a deep breath before answering. "A filthy organization. Run by people who are supposed to protect students but instead use them to serve perverted men."
Calvin's brows knitted together. "Who runs it?"
"The principal."
Calvin froze at the answer. "The principal? Are you sure?"
"You don't have a choice but to believe me, sir. I was one of their victims. They set me up." Laura's voice cracked as she spoke the last sentence.
Calvin fell silent, processing everything he had just heard.
"I don't know what your role is in all this," Laura continued, looking directly into his eyes. "But if you're one of them, I won't make any exceptions. All of you have to be destroyed."
"Abby... I don't know what happened to you. But I did not come here to ruin anyone's life. I just want to teach." Calvin finally responded after taking a deep breath.
"Then stay out of this. I don't want anyone else getting hurt." Laura's voice was cold and firm.
"No, Abby! You've already dragged me into this. So tell me everything."
Laura studied him once again, searching for any trace of deceit. She had to be careful—she couldn't afford to be fooled a second time. But in Calvin's gaze, she found something she never expected from a teacher at Harrow Elite International High School—a place that had given her nothing but lies.
This time, it was Laura who sighed heavily. "Haaah… This is a long story, sir."
"I have all night, Abby."
"Laura, sir. My real name is Laura. Abby is just a nerdy new girl I created a few weeks ago."
And with that, she made her first confession. It seemed she was ready to tell Calvin more.
.
.
(To be continued)