Chapter 47 His Plan
ARDEN
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His arms didn’t feel like the arms of someone trying to claim me. They didn’t set my skin on fire. Instead, it felt like Cade was trying not to fall apart.
Without thinking, my body moved on its own. I hugged him back.
I was very careful. My arms slid around his waist, tightening when I felt his breath hitch against my neck. In that moment, I realized… he wasn’t the fearless figure people imagined him to be.
“What are you-?” I whispered against his shoulder, feeling the steady beat of his heart.
He sighed deeply, able to understand my question despite its incompleteness. Then he pulled back just enough to look into
my eyes.
-What were you doing there?” he asked.
Meeting his gaze, I couldn’t find it within me to bluff. “I stumbled upon it,” I admitted honestly, holding his stare even as my heart fluttered. “I was just trying to get away from a group of boys who were attempting to break into the bathroom while I
was all alone”
His eyes searched mine, looking for something to catch me on. However, I knew there was nothing to hide.
“You’re not lying,” he said slowly.
“Why would I lie about it?”
His jaw tensed again, though this time it was driven by something else–perhaps wonder.
“You’re really..” he began, “innocent”
A bemused smile tugged at my lips. “What does that mean?”
“It means you’re prone to trusting people,” he replied.
“And trusting people makes you prone to getting hurt and exploited”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Trust is the foundation of life. Without it, love and happiness would cease to exist.”
Something in him cracked at that.
His lips twitched slightly, and a small, ghostly smile emerged.
“And what are you doing there?” I asked, narrowing my eyes playfully.
Just like that, the smile vanished. His shoulders stiffened again, the weight returning to him tenfold.
I
1 sighed, turning away. “So I’m the only one who gets interrogated? You can ask questions, but I can’t?”
He looked at me with eyes sharp and fiery “Are you not going to tell anyone?” he asked.
4 turned to face him again, my heart racing inside my chest. “I trust because I want to be trusted.”
He dragged a hand through his hair, exhaling a heavy breath.
stated firmly.
1 tarda ding side my mind He remembered what I’d told him back then
I nodded slowly, and he continued speaking. “Meanwhile, I came here because I can’t escape my reality. I thought I could, but
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Chapter 47 His Plan
now I know something deeper is going on in this school. What we saw in there is just the surface.
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We stood in the garden, completely forgetting that we had another class to attend. No, it definitely crossed my mind at that moment, but even then, I couldn’t bring myself to walk away.
Cade sighed and turned to the side, his fingers curling into fists. “Contrary to what everyone thinks… I didn’t come here to establish the reputation of our faction.”
I tilted my head, watching him closely, my curiosity piqued.
“I didn’t come for power, for a title, or to make myself known,” he said. “I came because someone important to me.
He paused, his breath catching in his throat. For the first time since meeting him, I saw a painful expression ripple across his features. My heart squeezed at the sight..
was taken away because of this system,” he finished, his voice heavy with emotion. “This broken, manipulative machine of a school. Of a society.”
My lips parted slightly. This person… was it someone he loved dearly? I couldn’t bring myself to ask such a sensitive question However, I understood that he lost this someone in a profound way.
“That’s why you saw
me there. I was trying to find the truth,” he said, his intense gaze locking onto mine
Cade turned to me again, the fire returning to his eyes. “Now tell me,” he demanded, can you really be trusted?”
I met his stare, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum.
I stood there for what felt like an eternity, watching him–this boy who had just peeled himself open like a wound, exposing his vulnerabilities to me.
Before I knew what I was doing, my arms were around him again.
1 moved more gently this time. He tensed the moment I wrapped myself around him. His breath brushed against my hair, and I could feel every tremor in his chest.
His arms didn’t lift. However, I could sense how his body slowly relaxed beneath my embrace.
Then, after a long beat, reality struck me–I realized what I was doing and, more importantly, how close I was to him.
I
I broke the lug immediately, clearing my throat as I stepped back. My face flushed hot, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at him properly
He didn’t say anything either. The silence stretched long between us, and I didn’t dare to break it. I still considered whether I should apologize or pretend it had never happened when he spoke first
“Sorry Cade said suddenly, catching me off guard.
I turned my head, blinking up at him in confusion. “Huh?”
“I’m sorry about what I said,” he murmured. “About asking you to sleep with me.
I blinked again, caught off–guard. What was I supposed to say to that? He let out a frustrated sigh and looked away. “I didn’t ask because I wanted your body or because I saw you as a prize”
“Well” I said awkwardly, “that wasn’t not the nicest way to phrase it.”
” “He rubbed the back of his neck. “It wasn’t just because of that. I asked because of the incentive.”
I found trying to piece it together.
The pants” he said quarsly. “It would help secure the first spot. And the top rank gets a chance to visit the United Factions.” Realscation dawned slowly, like the sun breaking through the clouds “And you wanted to go there,” I completed his thought, “so confirm if something strange is happening there to
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Chapter 47 His Plan
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He nodded. “Because Elite has always maintained a spotless record–perfect on paper. And no one believes me when I say something’s not right.”
“Your parents are part of the United Factions, right?” I asked carefully, treading cautiously on this delicate ground.
“Yes,” he replied without hesitation. “But they don’t want me to meddle in such matters,
I found myself nodding along as his words sank in.
Cade looked down, guilt flickering across his features. “Still, that’s not a valid excuse. I was desperate. I wanted progress. And 1 saw you as a way to get closer to that.”
“It’s alright, I said quietly after a moment of contemplation.
Cade looked up, surprise etched on his face. A flash of something passed over his expression.
But then he said it. “The offer still stands.”
My brows furrowed in confusion. “Huh?”
He cleared his throat and quickly cast his gaze aside, but I didn’t miss the faint boyish flush that crept along his cheekbones.
“I meant it when I said I could offer you my protection.”
“You must’ve already spoken to Mr. Winters. He probably told you what it means to be factionless, right?”
“And you mentioned running” Cade added thoughtfully, “trying to escape those men. That’s how you ended up in that hidden room.”
My mouth went dry at his insight. He wasn’t wrong.
“I can help you,” he continued. “I have the rank. I possess enough influence within my faction to keep you safe–even if we’re
He trailed off, his gaze slipping toward my exposed shoulder, still slightly damp from earlier. I crossed my arms, suddenly hyper–aware of how thin my tank top felt against my skin.
“I’m not offering this because I want to claim you,” he finished. “I just don’t want you to be alone in this, and in the process, you’ll also be helping me.”
