❣️LOVE IN THE ELITES’ WORLD❣️
🌏🌏Her new world 🌎 🌏
📖📖CHAPTER THIRTY NINE. 3️⃣9️⃣
❣️❣️Same person, different worlds❣️❣️
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LOUIS’S HOUSE^^^
^
Charlotte woke up from a nightmare, and tried to catch her breath before going out to receive some fresh air, there she met her father in the garden staring at the moon.
“Dad, why are you out here?” She asked, and he turned to look at her with a smile.
“You’re also up,” he muttered.
“I want to get some air,”
“I was unable to sleep,” he said, exhaling heavily.
“What’s bothering you, dad?”
“How can I get back at the Packard’s? How can I get rid of Mr. Packard? How can I dig into his dirty past and send him to b£ll? All those thoughts are bothering me,”
“Dad, you aren’t planning to do anything illegal, right?”
“Charlotte, beaten once, must never be beaten twice. Our family didn’t fall apart because I did something illegal, our family fell apart because I trusted the wrong person,”
“Dad, please don’t. I don’t want you ti get involved in anything illegal. All I want is to get my daughter back, and we should all leave together. Can you do that please?” She pleaded, holding his hands.
“How will you do that? How do you plan to get your daughter back? You can’t have her back easily, and you gang even remember who tried to get rid of you. So, how do you plan to it that, Charlotte? I don’t care about going back to prison, must we must do what has to be done,”
“Dad….”
“We can do that, without anyone going to prison,” Louis said, joining them. They didn’t notice his presence until he made it known.
“Louis, don’t tell me you’re in on this as well?”
“Louis, you’ve done more than enough for us that we can’t repay, but allow me do this on my own, it’s my right to do it. The Packard’s destroyed my family, I shouod repay that, he sent me to jail, I owe them that as well. It’s an eyes for two eyes, I’m going to repay what I owe in ten folds. Charlotte attempted suicide, and was separated from her daughter, they deserve to suffer the same pain,”
“Louis, please talk him about of this,”
“He is right, Charlotte. Someone has to stop them. Uncle Joffrey (Mr. Packard) has always been scary since I was a child, I’m sure he is upto something unclean. We will expose them sir, and make them face justice the right way. If you really want to repay my kindness, you will do this. Let’s do what has to be done….the right way,”
“Louis, you don’t I how this things work. You can never get rid of someone powerful the right way,”
“Let’s give my idea a try sir. Just until the electron is over, let’s try to expose them before then and get Paulina back, and if we fail, you can do it all your way,” Louis said, and Mr. Ethan smiled.
“Let’s see how it goes,” Mr. Ethan muttered.
“Dad, you’ve to promise me. I’ll denounce you as my father if you do anything illegal again,”
“I’m not worthy to be your father if I can’t protect you and your child,” with that he went inside.
“Dad…”
“Charlotte. Leave him alone. We’re going to solve this the right way, and get Paulina back,” Louis assured, and he embraced him in tears.
*
Charlotte woke up the following day, and went downstairs to meet her father and Louis together in the living room.
“Good morning,” she greeted, and they both responded in unison.
“What are you both discussing this morning?” She asked, sitting next to her father on the long couch.
“Nothing much,” Louis was quick to say.
Charlotte picked up the note on the table and look at glance confused.
“That is the list of plate numbers that always give Paulina a ride from school, your father wrote those down,”
“My daughter? Is she safe with them?”
“She has really good friends, Charlotte. I’ve been keeping a close watch on her, and she seems to really enjoy their company a lot,”
“Paulina doesn’t keep much friends. She only had two friends till she graduated from elementary school, and just a friend in grade school. I hope she is safe with them,” Charlotte muttered.
“Her closer friend seems to be a from the Greenwood’s family. They only have a teenage son, so it could only be him. Sage Greenwood. The only son of Chairman Greenwood, and only grandson of the world best lawyer,” Louis said, and Charlotte looked at her.
“Paulina is close to such person?” Charlotte gasped.
“Holland high is for children from prestigious family. The families of the students has to donate huge amounts for thier children to be able to attend that school,”
“Why is Paulina in such school?” Charlotte asked
“Paul probably enrolled her there,”
“Don’t worry, Paulina is doing well at school, and she has good friends too,” Mr. Ethan assured.
“Who are the others?” Charlotte asked.
“This one belongs to the Russ families, so he is probably Micheal Russ, the only son of Russ family. He is a young director. He is probably a good kid,” Louis said.
“Paulina seems to he closer to him lately. It was the first guy from the start,”
“And the last one?”
“He is from the Wilson’s family, he is the only heir of Will’s group. Don’t worry, Paulina is safe with them,” Louis said.
“How did Paulina managed to make so many friends?” She grumbled.
“She has other friends,” Mr. Ethan said.
“Other friends?” Charlotte and Louis asked.
“A female friend from school, they seem to be mutual friends with that Greenwood, and a boy from school who works part-time at a noodle restaurant. She goes there every weekend to hang out with her friend, and also hang around there at times during the week,”Mr. Ethan said.
“Wow. Paulina seems to be living a good life,”
“You see that Charlotte, so be rest assured now that Paulina is doing fine,” Louis exclaimed, and she nodded in tears.
“I want to see my daughter,” she cried.
“We can’t do that, it’s dangerous for you to show yourself to her,” Mr. Ethan said.
“We can do it, but discreetly, Louis said, and they both looked at him.
“You’re right. We can go to that noodles restaurant during the weekend, and see her. She goes there every weekend,” Mr. Ethan said.
“Thank you, dad, thanks for looking after my daughter,”
“That’s the only thing I can do for her. I can’t even show myself to her. She has such a humble manner, she is just like you, Charlotte. Despite being raised by a father like me, you managed to grow up well on your own, and I’m glad you raised your daughter well,” he said, and she smiled.
“I’m sure it will all be over soon,” Louis said, and they nodded.
“Thank you for everything, Louis,” Charlotte muttered.
“Don’t thank me yet, when everything is over, we should all have a meal together with Paulina, it would be your treat, and a way to thank me,” he said, and Charlotte smiled.
**
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CHAIRMAN STANFORD’S MANSION^^^
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Paulina slept in till it was late in the morning so she didn’t bother preparing for school. She has been too preoccupied with her thoughts lately, and she only managed to relax properly last night. She went to freshen up and checked to school calendar, and was surprised to see that thier mid-semester exams are fast approaching.
“This is really bad, Lina. You’ve been slacking behind in your studies,” she thought, and made up her mind to study for the rest of the week, and résumé back to school the coming week. School has really been stressful, with Sage and Micheal’s sudden engagement, and their teaching system at Holland high was different from fhe one she was used to.
*
Steven was the first to send her a message, and she replied him and Sage message entered immediately.
She dropped her phone and continued studying when Micheal called came in around recess break but she rejected the call and sent him a message instead. After being assured that no one else will check up on her, she turned off her phone and focused on studying.
She did the same studying routine till
Theo week ended, and she prepared to leave the house on Saturday to have breakfast at the noddles restaurant.
The driver dropped her off in the bus station, and she boarded the bus to the noddles restaurant.
“Hey, I thought you were on a study marathon,” Steven teased, and she chuckled.
“What’s on the menu?” She asked
Go find out yourself,” he whispered in her ear, and she glared at him.
*
Louis’s driver drove Charlotte and Mr. Ethan to the noddles restaurant, and watching Paulina from the car.
“My daughter,” she cried.
“Do you want to go in?” Mr. Ethan asked.
“Can I?” She asked, and she nodded.
*
Paulina received her orders and winked at Steven who was staring at her. His gaze met hers, and he went ro join her.
“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” She asked.
“There is nothing to deliver, and no customers. You seem to be the only one hungry this morning,” he teased, and she scoffed.
“Your jokes are so lame,”
“That wasn’t a joke, tho…”
“There comes a customer,” she point out, when Mr. Ethan went in.
“Be right back,” with that Steven left.
“Isn’t that the man from the bus station?” She thought, staring at him.
Charlotte went in as well, disguised with a face cap and sunglasses.
“She walks just my mother,” she muttered, and instantly remembered her mother again.
*
She shove the thoughts away and finished her meal before going to Mr. Ethan. She doesn’t know why she went to him, but she just felt it’s proper to exchange greetings since she always see him in the bus station.
“There should be a relationship for that,” she thought.
Mr. Ethan heart skipped a beat as Paulina approached his table, and he looked at her.
“Good morning, sir. I never knew you stay around here. I always see you in the bus station, and we bumped into each other at holland high few months ago. Do you remember me?” She said, and he stared blankly at her. “Oh… why am I talking too much?” She grumbled.
“Let’s go, Lina,” Steven said, dragging her away. “Do you know that man?” He asked.
“Not really, but I believe we share a special relationship. I once bumped into him at school, and I mostly see him at the bus station. I believe we are close enough to exchange pleasantries,”
“No, you aren’t!” He snapped, and she flinched.
“What?” She grumbled.
“Talking to a man like that… just go home,”
“He looks like a nice man,”
“Oh sure he does. Now I see why Mike is interested in you,”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just go home, I’ll call you,” he said, and stopped a taxi for her.
“You don’t have to call me!” She lashed, and entered the taxi.
**
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HOLLAND HIGH ^^^
^
Students started arriving at school, and were all welcomed by the mid-semester examination memo and grumbling about it.
*
Paulina sat at the cafeteria rooftop, thinking about Sage. He invited her out the other day, and she spent all her Sunday with him, after a fun filled day, he confessed to her again, and just like the last time, she was speechless with just her heart dancing in excitement. She enjoyed Sage’s company a lot, and felt safe around him, likewise Micheal so she was totally confused.
“Why does my heart beat for two men?” She thought.
“Because they are both special to you,” she heard Sophia said, joining her and she instantly realized that she said that out loud.
“Sophie…”
“I might not be experienced in love, in fact I don’t want to fall in love. I dated my ex boyfriend because he was from an influential family, but we broke up after few months. I might not be experienced in love, but I’m sure you can only love one person,”
“How do you know when you love someone?”
“You will feel safe around them, time flies whenever you are together, and even the little things makes you happy,”
“What if I feel that way for two people?”
“Then… you’ve to focus. Your case is a bit new and serious, but let’s try if this will work. If those two people are Sage and Mike, then imagine being in a world where only of them exist. Exclude the benefits you get from them, and only imagine the time you spend with them, which one do you enjoy the most. I believe that should work,” Sophia said, and Paulina closed her eyes.
*
Remembering her first meeting with Sage, and how they ended up as friends, and back to Micheal, comparing them both, she opened her eyes and realized that the problem was from her.
She enjoy being with Micheal because it helps her escape Sage, she feel guilty whenever she was with Sage, the guilt of lying to him and hiding things from him, but it was never that way with Micheal.
“I think I enjoy Mike’s company because it helps me escape reality, but I always want to be honest with Sage. He is such a good person, and he deserves to be treated batter,” she muttered, and Sophia patted her back.
“And if you are honest with the both of them, which one do you think you want to be mostly?” Sophia asked, and she closed her eyes again.
“It’s Sage,” she muttered, and Sophia gasped.
“Have you gotten your answers now?” Sophia asked, and she shook her head.
“But I don’t think I’m good enough for him,” she muttered because she knows that she can never be honest with him.
“You’ve to stay true to yourself, Lina. If you enjoy being with Mike because he helps you escape reality, then I’ll advise you to be honest to Sage. I know I always recommend Mike, I mean… who wouldn’t? But Sage is a good person, you can never find a good guy like him. Even Mike can’t compete with him,” Sophia advised, and Paulina bowed her head in thoughts.
*
Paulina followed the MASS to thier suite later added school to work on thier club activity. After doing that for almost an hour, they retired to chattering about random stuffs.
“I want to format my laptop,” Austin said, pressing his laptop.
“You should get a new one, bro. You have been using that lap to for years now,” Stanley said.
“I’m loyal to this laptop. It was the first gift I received from a girl. We might have breakup, but the laptop has a special place in my heart,”
“You still have these pictures in your drive?” Stanley asked, seating next to him.
“Oh, Mike is so cute here,” Austin said, and Micheal glared at them.
“What pictures are those?” He blurted.
“If you’re curious come join us,” Stanley said.
“Let me see the cute pictures,” Paulina said, joining them.
“They are from elementary school,” Stanley said, and Micheal looked at them.
“Pictures from elementary school?” He asked, hurrying to them.
Paulina looked at the picture displaying ok the screen, and she shook her head at the familiar dave that she was seeing.
“Why are stunned? The picture is not that bad. I think we were cute back then. Although, I’ve always been cute,” Austin said, cheerfully.
“Is that Mike ?” Paulina shuddered, pointing at the screen and Michael closed the laptop immediately.
“Guys, that’s enough. You should all go home now,” he said, and they started grumbling.
“Why? I thought we were going to go shopping for ur party this weekend,” Austin muttered.
“We already made the reservation, bro,” Stanley said.
“I’ll call the director, and make another reservation directly from him. Austin, you mentioned that you have to be home early today,” Micheal said.
“Oh, yes. My sister is coming over. Gosh, I’m screwed!”
“Why? I thought you two get along,” Stanley said.
“A little. With my immediate sister, not the eldest,”
“How many sisters do you have? You only mention one, and I’ve only seen her pictures,”
“Three ldiot! But I wish the others never existed,”
*
The other left, and Micheal cleared his throat aloud looking at Paulina who didn’t move an inch.
“I’ll give you a ride,” he muttered, and she looked at him.
“Why… why was Mikey on that screen?” She asked, her voice fading off in wonderment.
She has always felt the presence of her childhood runaway friend in him, but there she no way she could have imagined them being the same person. Mikey was from a humble family, leaving alone with his single mother, and Micheal was an entirely different person. He belonged to a different world dorm Mikey. A lot of thoughts ran through her mind, but there was no way she could put them all together. Micheal and Mikey can’t be the same person, but yet they were the same person.
“Lina, I can explain,” he muttered, and his words confirmed it.
She remembered their first meeting and how he reacted when she called him Mikey, how he asked her if she would act indifferent to him if he was Mikey, all the memories she had with Mikey and the time she spent with Micheal keeps flooding into her head, but there was no way she could bring sense from it all.
“No, you can’t be Mikey, it just doesn’t make sense,” she muttered, and he bowed his head in guilt.
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TO BE CONTINUED…
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