Chapter 91 Lines in the Sand
Eliza instinctively turned around to glance at Nolan, wondering what he was doing–only for the language teacher to frown at her mid–lecture.
“Eliza, what are you looking at?”
Snapping back to reality, she stood up without thinking. “I…”
“She dropped her pen,” Nolan interrupted coolly.
He picked a pen off the ground and tossed it back to her.
Once the teacher let her sit down, Eliza spent the rest of class trying to find the right moment to ask Nolan if he was upset.
Finally, the bell rang.
Nolan stood up the instant it did and headed straight for the door.
“What’s with him? Is he in a bad mood?” Henry asked, puzzled. He patted Eliza on the shoulder. “I’ll go check. You wait here.”
“It’s not-”
Eliza started to follow him… until she realized Henry had walked straight into the boys‘ bathroom.
Left standing at the door awkwardly, she returned to her seat.
Just then, her phone buzzed.
She glanced at the screen and found a friend request- From Tyson.
The note read simply. Nolan’s uncle.
Just a few words.
Eliza was still hesitating when Nolan suddenly reappeared, took her phone, and deleted the request without a second thought.
She looked up. He tossed her phone back.
“He’s not a good person. Stay away from him,” he said quietly.
Then he went back to his seat.
Henry, reappearing at just the right moment, offered a bright grin. “Don’t worry–he’s just sulking! I’ve rarely seen Nolan like this. He must really see you as a friend. Otherwise, he wouldn’t warn you about Tyson.”
If Henry had known earlier that Eliza had gone off with Tyson, he would’ve stopped her himself.
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Chapter 91 Lines in the Sand
“You two know him well?” Eliza asked.
+8 Pearls
“Not exactly. But Tyson’s known for being ruthless. He goes straight for people’s weak spots. And since the two of them are both heirs to the Hayes family fortune… let’s just say, things are tense.”
Henry paused before adding, “Nolan bowed his head to Tyson for you. That should tell you how much he values you.”
Hearing that, Eliza felt a pang of guilt.
If Tyson and Nolan were at odds, then as Nolan’s friend, she really shouldn’t have agreed so quickly to go have lunch with his uncle.
She turned around in her seat. “Um… I only went to lunch with him because I thought you two were relatives. And he did help me with the study abroad stuff, so I felt like I owed him a thank–you. But if you two ever fall out, I’m with you. No hesitation.”
She spoke sincerely, eyes clear and firm.
Henry nudged Nolan. “Hey. She said all that–don’t you think you should say something?”
Most people wouldn’t have noticed, but Henry–Nolan’s best friend–could tell he’d already softened.
At least, he wasn’t mad anymore.
Nolan replied flatly, “Mm. Got it.”
“That’s it? Just ‘mm‘? You can’t say anything nicer?”
Henry was practically jumping in frustration.
But Eliza genuinely looked relieved. “As long as you’re not mad, that’s all I care about.”
“You were that worried I’d be mad?” Nolan asked.
“Of course. We’re classmates. You guys have helped me so much—I don’t want something like this to ruin our friendship.”
A perfect answer.
Still, Nolan didn’t seem pleased.
“Finals are coming. You should focus.”
With that, he laid his head down on his desk to nap.
Eliza had already been grinding through practice tests every day.
After the New Year’s Gala and the short holiday, finals arrived right on schedule,
This time, the exams weren’t particularly difficult.
When it was all over, Eliza slung her backpack over her shoulder, ready to head out.
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Chapter 91 Lines in the Sand
Around her, the other students were packing up too.
Henry asked, “Didn’t you cut ties with your family? School’s on break–do you have a place to stay?”
“Yeah, don’t worry. I found one.”
She’d rented a small place near the storage warehouse–a 70–square–meter bungalow out in the suburbs. Affordable, quiet, and far enough from the city to avoid trouble.
She had paid the entire year upfront, in case another flu outbreak made housing unstable.
She used the funds Nolan had loaned her.
“Where exactly?”
This time, it wasn’t Henry asking–it was Nolan.
“…Out in the suburbs,” she replied.
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