The atmosphere thickened with tension as gasps rippled through the classroom. Every student who heard the pairing glanced at Mason, who remained calm, to Natalia, whose features now knitted into a frown.“I don't like this,” Jeremiah, sitting next to his best friend, muttered as he narrowed his gaze in the direction of Natalia and Jacobs, who was also surprised. “This is all my fault. I'm sorry,” he added in a whisper. Mason cast him a faint smile. “It's okay,” he replied, before meeting Cleopatra's gaze. He wished it was Cleopatra whose name was called, and from her eyes, he could tell she also wanted to be his partner.Ms. Sonia, caught off guard by the sudden whispers, scanned the room, trying to decode the unspoken drama unfolding before her.“What a bloody coincidence!” a voice murmured from the far corner, igniting hushed discussions among the curious students.“What a terrible pairing! Didn't they used to date?” A voice murmured, just loud enough for everyone nearby to catch t

When Mason saw the stern expression on Ms. Sonia's face, he cleared his throat, realizing that any words he spoke that didn’t revolve around an apology would only make things worse.“I’m sorry, Ms. Sonia. I didn’t mean to walk in on you,” Mason said, genuinely hoping she would let it slide.Ms. Sonia's eyes scanned him for a moment before heaving a sigh as she returned to her chair. She motioned for Mason to take a seat. “Why are you here, then?” she asked, her gaze drifting to the bouquet and note resting beside it on her desk. She read through the note before directing her attention back to him.Mason slid into the empty chair. “I'm here to apologize for earlier,” he said, locking eyes with her. “I didn't mean to disrupt your class,” he added.As if his words were flames melting cold ice, her expression softened as she stared at him. She paused, studying him with a mixture of understanding and empathy. "You don't have to apologize,” Ms.Sonia replied. “You didn't disrupt my class;

Mason stepped out of the locker room, ignoring the whispers behind him. Finding the Natatorium wasn't difficult, as several students trailed in the same direction, excitedly discussing the upcoming competition.As he approached the entrance, the sounds of laughter and splashes of water filled the air. Just before he could slip through the open door, the familiar buzz of his phone vibrated in his palm, distracting him from the bustling crowd. He flicked his thumb and unlocked the screen. “Hello, Miranda,” Mason called, stepping aside as a group of students rushed past him into the natatorium.Miranda, detecting the commotion in the background, cleared her throat. “Young Master, should I call back when you're less occupied?” She inquired, a hint of uncertainty lacing her tone as she hoped that her timing wasn’t inconvenient.“No,” Mason responded. “If you're calling, then it's important, so tell me, what did you find?” Without hesitation, she answered. “The IT department successfully

Several curious eyes drifted from the pool to the spot where Mason and Cleopatra were sitting. When they failed to see the connection between the two, they turned their attention back to the girl who had made the announcement.“What on earth are you yapping about?” someone from the crowd murmur with incredulity, lacing her tone. “Why would you lie about Mason kissing Cleopatra?”The girl, who had indeed noticed how close the two were earlier, glanced at her colleague earnestly. “I swear I saw them!” She paused, scanning the faces of her peers, who furrowed their brow skeptically at her words. “For Christ’s sake, they were this close!” she exclaimed, holding her hands together to illustrate.Flora, leaning against the wall with arms crossed, scoffed at the girl's explanation. “Can you stop lying already?” she snapped.The girl quickly forced down a lump as she met her gaze. Flora, seeing her expression, leaned forward. “Do you know how rich and attractive Cleopatra is? How dare you rom

The chatter from the crowd increases, reverberating through the air. Students who hadn't overcome the incident glued their eyes to the figure, wondering how someone who couldn't swim could rescue someone from drowning.“I just can’t believe that just happened!” a girl muttered, turning to her friend, who mirrored her wide-eyed expression. They shifted their gaze from the stretcher wheeling away to Mason.“I can't believe how easily someone could lose their life! What if Mason had chosen to ignore the situation like we did?” Another girl muttered, her voice dropping to a whisper. A cold silence lingers among the group. The sound of the approaching footsteps caught the students’ attention, and they shifted their gaze to Ms. Sonia. The relief washed over her face, and she made several prompted sighs of relief to escape the students.“I’m glad to share some good news,” Ms. Sonia said, scanning through the once worried crowd. “According to the medical staff, Naomi is going to be fine. She