THE HEIR'S REVENGE

chapter 14

Brandon Mitchell had a routine now.

He now stood near the east entrance of the main building with an expression of someone who knew exactly what he was doing. He carried extra coffee, black with no extra sugar and always handed it to me. 

He didn't have to perform, he only handed me the coffee while waiting to see if there was anything I'd like him to do.

I never for once asked him to do all of that. Intact, he seemed to be happy doing it. 

Just like I'd noticed him, the rest of the Campus also did. 

Of course  they would. He was Brandon Mitchell, the one who led the University's basketball team and had so many victories in the past. He had spent three years getting to the top social hierarchy and now he was fetching coffee and carrying bags. He was opening the door for the boy he humiliated 3 weeks ago.

I thought that something was wrong. 

People had to record it, some sent to their friends in a couple of weeks. It was simply everywhere. 

Brandon had been there for one week. 

But he didn't care. He was rigid and gave no fuck about anyone. What I didn't understand was if he truly enjoyed this because I didn't. Not in a way I had expected to. 

It continued like that for a while. I overlooked it because I didn't care about things like that. 

One Thursday, I had brought Lily to the Campus, not intentionally but because her school had a holiday and the nanny had a family appointment. Henry, himself, was in a meeting with the Blackwell legal team on my behalf. 

There was no way I was leaving Lily on her own at home. So she came with me, her rabbit under her arm. While we were both being driven to my campus, I made sure she realized that we weren't going to a school for kindergarten. 

“You know this is different right?” I asked her. 

“Yes, I know. This is a school for adults.” 

I smiled. She was kind of right. It was a school for adults. 

“You have to be very quiet in the seminar.” I.told here 

“I can be quiet. Very quiet.” 

“Yes and you can't ask questions during the seminar.” 

“Of course, it's not my class.” 

I looked at her wondering if I could really trust her. Lily was a good listener and she was naturally a curious girl.

So I was a bit afraid she might have questions even for my own lecturer.

As usual, Brandon was at the east entrance with the coffee when we came through the gate. He saw Lily and stopped.

Lily looked up at me, probably mesmerised at how huge he was. Brandon had spent years in athletic training that he had broad shoulders now. 

“Who is he?” 

"His name is Brandon."

She studied him with the frank assessment children apply to new people. "Why does he look like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like he doesn't know what to do with his face."

Hopefully Brandon took it as a joke. He laughed it off. I took the coffee he was offering me. “He's still trying to figure things out.” I added as I took Lily's hand and we moved through the building. 

As we walked, lots of students stared at us but mostly at Lily in wonder and at Brandon in pity. 

In the seminar room, I made sure Lily was comfortable in the chair beside me. In the morning before we left, I had made sure to pick a few crayons and a drawing paper for her. Funny how I didn't acknowledge to myself what I was doing. 

They were to keep her busy.

But I knew Lily. She could forget that this wasn't a kindergarten class and ask questions. 

The seminar tutor glared at her. I had expected him to scream or do something but he didn't. He just looked and I guess he decided that whatever was happening was above his pay grade to question.

Brandon sat outside waiting and in an hour, the seminar was over. 

Hopefully, Lily kept to her promise. I went to make some payment and when I returned, I found Lily beside him, her note book on her knees drawing. Brandon say what hing her with a quiet expression in his face. 

“What's up?” I asked when I arrived. 

“She wanted to show me some of her fine drawings.” Brandon explained. 

I looked at little Lily. She most at times complained if having difficulties making friends but here she was. She'd already made Brandon her friend. 

Then she looked up at Brandon with her note in in her hands. She had drawn a rabbit which was surprising accurate. 

“You are so good.” 

“I know.” Lily said. 

I almost smiled. There's no one I knew who carried her confidence the way Lily did. 

I caught Brandon smiling as well,not the calculated type but something small and deliberate. 

The following Tuesday, he met me after my morning lecture. Liam was explaining something about statistics, Ryan helped with corrections while Alex and David, conducted their own parcel conversation about something totally unrelated. 

That was when Brandon showed up. 

“Can I talk to you?” He whispered to me. 

My friends stopped talking while they glared at Brandon. They have all refused to see the good side of Brandon. They said that he was pretending and was around me for a reason.

I didn't know if that was true but I knew something g for sure, Brandon would pay if he messed with me. 

I noticed that his voice was different,slightly less formal and was too neutral.  

I looked at him. 

“Alone.” He said. 

I.then touched Liam's arm. “Give me a minute, I'll be back.” They moved ahead without asking much questions even though I knew they had many. 

We reached an edge and he stopped. He looked around for a while before turning to talk to me. 

“Someone's been asking about you.” He said. “On campus for the past week." 

I was taken aback a bit. The people I knew didn't just ask for me, they knew we wanted to find me so who was this?

---------------

“His name is Curtis. He's in fourth year business school. I know him before but we don't speak to each other anymore but just last week, he came to me, asking me things about you.” 

Was that not normal? People literally ask about me especially when I walk around. They gossip about me and say different things. 

“I know you think it's normal bit trust it isn't. I know Curtis so well. There's no way, he's asking about you because he's curious.” 

“What kind of things did he ask of?” I asked, trying to clarify. 

“He asked what your schedule was, what route you came to school through, he asked about where you live and your little girl.” 

“He asked about Lily?” I asked him. 

“He didn't say her name though. He just asked about the little girl that was always around you. He asked me if you brought her to school regularly.” He held my gaze. “I just knew then, that he wasn't just being nosy just for the sake of it.” 

Brandon was right.

This was not just someone being curious. It was more than that.

Whoever that was,had approached Brandon, hoping that he would use his friendship with Brandon to get some particular information about me. 

He wasn't just asking particular questions. He wanted to know my pattern, he wanted to find my patterns and use them against me. 

“Do you know who sent him?” I asked, though I already knew what the answer would be. 

“He wouldn't tell me directly but I knew he was hiding something. I made a conversation with him and when he got a bit relaxed, he mentioned a name. I wouldn't have thought twice about it but the way it slipped out and then he went quiet, i just knew something was suspicious.”

Daniel. 

Or was it Victoria operating through Daniel?

Either way, it was the Pierce family. 

This showed that they were watching me waiting for the perfect time when I'll make a big mistake. They didn't know everything about me but they were doing their findings. 

“What did you tell him?” I asked Brandon. 

We weren't friends so I didn't expect him to stand by me but I wanted to know what he said to the guy. 

“I said nothing. I told him that I didn't know anything useful.” 

“He believed you?” 

“I doubt because I've been seen so many times with you so he probably doesn't believe me.” Brandon paused. “I think he'll try to use someone else. 

I thought about it as well. He was right. This campus was a big one and there were people here who knew me even before the Blackwell name. They knew my face and habits before things changed. They didn't know so much but they did know enough to give out as important information. 

“I'll handle it.” Brandon stood firm. 

I looked at him. Like I said, I never for once thought that I could trust Brandon. 

“I can make sure he doesn't ask anyone any questions about you. I know the people around him abd the people he talked to.” He paused. “I know where that information would get to before getting to Daniel.” 

“How.” I was taken aback. 

“You might not know this, since you aren't used to it but there are ways things are done in this campus. I'm side Cirtis is the smaller person here. He might be doing this to solve e his problems.” Brandon's jaw moved. “You don't gave to worry. I'm not going to hurt anyone.” 

It was surprising to hear Brandon say those words. 

Four weeks ago, Brandon was standing in the middle of the basketball field threatening me. He had said with absolute confidence that he'd make my live in school so miserable. I believed him because he was Brandon Mitchell. 

The world has always always adjusted because of him. He was not that person right now. Now, he was better version of himself. He's grown last the mockery, the humiliation. 

A lot of people would have broken down and gone back to their previous lives. 

“Handle it then.” I said, already moving bit I stopped. “Do not hurt anyone. I'm serious.” 

He nodded and off he went. 

I wanted to trust Brandon and this was the only way I could do it.

Two days later, he came back to me at the east entrance. He held the usual coffee he usually brought to me. 

“It's handled.” 

“Curtis?” 

“Yes. He won't be asking questions about you or anyone at all.” 

I studied Brandon, my expression asking the question. “What did you do?” 

I was still trying to process the whole situation and how he was able to get this done in 2 days. 

“What did you do?” 

“Nothing. He was quite cooperative and we talked so well.” 

I didn't ask what ‘talked so well’ meant. I had specifically told that I didn't want anyone to get home and I believed he heard me and did the right thing. 

“Who was this person he was reporting to.” That was probably the most Important question that I had for Brandon.” 

Brandon shook his head. “He didn't have a name. It was just a number and the questions asked were very brief questions. Whoever it was, they were being careful.” 

It was strange. 

I had thought that Daniel had been the one giving orders to Curtis but now I'm finding out that it was a number texting him all that while?

Something was wrong. Someone was playing a dirty game. 

"Thank you," I said.

Brandon looked at me sideways. Like it was weird for him to accept a ‘thank you’ from me. 

“Thank you because this wasn't part of our arrangement and you still got it done.” 

He was quiet for a moment. We were walking along the path toward the main building, other students moving around us.

“Did you tell him anything about Lily?” I asked. 

“Of course no.” He answered but that was it. He didn't say anything more. He didn't add to his answers or try to explain anything. 

When we got to the entrance, he opened the door. When I got in, he walked behind me in our usual way. He held my laptop bag as he walked on without looking sideways.

Something had shifted between us. Brandon wasn't just an enemy anymore, he also wasn't a friend but he was useful and could be helpful for this new life of mine. 

I didn't say so but I had already made up my mind to find Curtis. 

Whoever he was  I'd investigate him myself. 

He crossed the line when he talked about Lily, that was disrespectful and I hated disrespectful people.