It was Monday already—three days after my… unforgettable night with that stranger. Justine and I were walking toward our lecture hall when I noticed people staring. Or maybe they were staring at us. Some were blushing; a few whispered excitedly.
"Why are they looking at us like that?" I muttered.
"Are you sure it's us, or someone else?" Justine scoffed, looking around.
"OMG! What are they doing in our faculty?" a girl murmured. "I can't believe it…"
"They came to meet their brother, who's in this faculty," another whispered.
My stomach dropped. I turned, following Justine's gaze, and froze. My hands went numb; my books slipped from my grip.
"Shit… it's him," I whispered.
"Who?" Justine asked, bewildered.
"That guy from the club," I muttered as they passed by like I didn't exist.
"What?!" Justine exclaimed, drawing the attention of nearby students.
"I… let's just leave," I whispered, bending to pick up my books while Justine tried to peek.
"Which one of them?" she asked.
"I don't know," I admitted quietly. "I don't think he recognized me."
But before we could move, a familiar voice called my name.
"Aiden!"
I froze. My heart pounded. One of the twins was approaching, unmistakable. I glanced at Justine, who looked torn between horror and fascination. "Should we run?" she whispered.
"With those guards? Forget it." I muttered.
Damien walked straight toward me, calm and confident. I couldn't move, my mind racing. Justine gawked, and even his brothers, Charles and Charlie, watched silently. A few students were filming, murmuring excitedly.
"You heard me right?" Damien asked, his gaze piercing mine.
"Good morning, sir," I muttered, trying to stay composed.
"Are you done with your classes?" he asked, ignoring my greeting.
"Erm… no," I stammered.
Damien's gaze shifted to Justine. "And you?"
"Yes, sir. We were just heading home…" she fibbed.
"Then let's leave together. I'll drop him off," Damien said, addressing his brothers. A hush fell over the crowd. Murmurs spread: Are they dating? Something's fishy. Social media instantly buzzed with speculation.
Charlie smirked at his brother. "So, that's your new boy in the faculty?"
"No idea," Charles replied, shrugging.
I tapped Justine, whispering, "You're dead when we get home."
Justine groaned. "I hope you survive this too."
Damien noticed me texting. "Who are you chatting with?"
"My friend," I mumbled.
"Justine?" he guessed.
"Yeah… wait, how do you know her name and where I study?" I asked, flustered.
"It's no big deal. We came to pick up our brother, so he wouldn't bail on us," Damien said, smirking.
"Bail on you… to where?" I asked.
"To Japan," he replied casually.
"Japan?!" I yelped. "I have classes tomorrow! This is… abduction! What about my business?"
My phone rang. "Hey, Ken… what's up?"
"We were told you wouldn't be around for a week. Hope you're okay, sir," Ken said.
"A week…?" I muttered, horrified.
"Yeah…" Damien's voice cut through. "I'm Damien Smith, and I know exactly who you are, Aiden Lawson."
Furious, I tried to stop him. "You're really annoying! Stop this car!" I yelled, tugging at the door handle.
An hour later, defeated, I finally calmed down as we arrived at the airport. The city whizzed by, and I realized there was no turning back—wherever Damien planned to take me, I was trapped in his world now.
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