Looking up at Fayth, Bubbles expression instantly changed into pure happiness. It seemed like she had thought of yet another idea. "Faith, you can meet my grandparents." She suggested with overflowing excitement. "They're going to love you!"

She took Fayth by the hand and pulled her to where the grand salon was.

It was then that Fayth heard a familiar voice. A very familiar voice. She stopped walking and listened closer to the man. He was most likely in his fifties, and it seemed like he was getting ready to leave somewhere.

"It's really weird that they came back from overseas today. Walk faster! I'll let you meet them." Bubbles said, tugging on Fayth's hand.

Who is it? I've heard this voice before...

Fayth rummaged her brain, but she had a long day already and all her thoughts were foggy.

Even though, Fayth couldn't risk standing in front of whoever it was. They might recognize her. So she pulled her hand out of Bubble's and apologized. "Bubbles, it's getting really late and I have to go. I can come over next time and meet them."

Bubbles pouted and her shoulders slouched. Fayth leaned down and hugged her close. "I'll come back soon. Don't worry."

Bubbles forced a smile on her lips and nodded sadly. "I had a lot of fun today." She said quietly. "No one had ever done the things you've done with me. Even daddy. And he does a lot of fun things for me."

No matter how many times Bubbles tried getting her dad in a princess dress so he'd have a princess tea party with her, he had never agreed to it.

Fayth smiled and sighed. "I had a lot of fun too. You know, we have a lot of days ahead of us, so until then, don't get sad. And if you do get sad, right away start thinking of a cake we can make together next time. What icing to put on it, what sprinkles to put on it, what to decorate it with. And draw it on a paper so you don't forget, okay?"

Her eyes lit up and she smiled a genuine smile this time. "Okay!"

The voices of the man and woman from somewhere inside had gotten closer and closer. Fayth hugged Bubbles one last time and made her way to the exit. Bubbles ran to the doorway where her grandparents were and excitedly shouted for her grandma. "You're here! I thought you weren't coming back until next week!"

Her grandmother, with her back to Fayth, was reading something on a paper and barely dropped a glance towards Bubbles before she said. "Yes honey, I missed you."

Fayth stood by the doorway and watched Bubbles as she hugged her grandma's leg.

"Oh grandma, I missed you too. You should have seen how much fun I had today. I met this sweetheart girl and she came over and we played together so many games. We wore princesses dresses. We had a tea party, she taught me hide and seek, and we made the tastiest cupcakes in the world. And then we gave everyone and everyone liked them so much. And guess what? She fixed the tree house all up and we painted it together. We even made handprints on the wall! It was the best day ever! I wish daddy was here so I can show him too!" She looked up at her grandmother's face. "Grandma?"

"What about the stock market in Japan? Is that going well?" Her grandmother said to the other man in the room. Glancing down at Bubbles, she asked. "I'm sorry honey, were you saying something?"

Bubbles took a few steps away, letting go of her grandma's leg, and shook her head while she stared down at the floor. "No. I didn't say anything." For the next few minutes, she merely stood at the doorway and watched as her grandparents show her how money is much more important than her.

Fayth turned around and left, wishing she could take Bubbles away with her.

When she reached the Academy, her heart sank the moment she noticed the row of black cars parked out front. The Academy had important company.

Fayth looked at her phone again to double check, however, no calls from Vincent were showing.

It seems like everything is okay academic wise...

Did that mean Lexis wanted to deal with her personally first before going to the headmistress?

She reached the blindspot and redid what she had done before. After landing inside the Academy's grounds, she crouched back into the darkness of the wall's shadow and surveyed for anyone around. Fortunately, it was strangely quiet.

There are times when they had important company that would visit the school. Whether it be for business or simply a parent of one of the students. Either way, during that time, all students must remain in their dorms, without a single person out in the halls or classrooms.

As quietly and soundless as she could, she made her way to the back of the building, where the pine tree under her window was. Her heart became fully alert and all signs of fun and happiness that were there when she was with Bubbles instantly vanished.

He's going to make my life a living hell here. I can already feel it coming.

Thankfully she reached the tree just fine. Climbing it was easier. Entering the window was going be hard. What if Jessie was sleeping? Would it be okay to wake him up? What if he was awake? Would he get scared? What if he was changing and was completely naked?

She sighed, annoyed with herself. Finally, deciding she'd just use the window as a door and knock on it first instead, Fayth took ahold of the first branch and began to make her way up.

She still hadn't taken the first step. She literally had barely lifted her foot up, when a hand covered her mouth and pulled her back, and then she was slammed into what very much felt like a male's body.

As she thrashed around to break free of the unbreakable grasp, she felt like it was very much her last day on this planet and her death was closer to her than the guy behind her.

The guy turned her around and slammed the back of her body against the tree, and as she looked closer through the darkness to see his face, she realized with deep relief that it was Charles.

He put a finger on his lips motioning for her to keep quiet.

She nodded in answer.

He removed his hands and looked around, then looking back at her, he smiled.

"Where did you run off to?" He asked, sitting down.

She sat next to him. "Happiness. And I came back to complete horror." She glared at him.

His smile became deeper. "Guess Lexis knows now."

"Knows what?"

"You know, about your tattoos."

"And now?" She asked, looking at Charles with worry.

"Well, now... Now is probably not a good time to tell you, but there is the worst piece of news you could ever possibly hear."

No. No. No. What's happening?

"What is it?" She breathed. "Just tell me."

"You really will not like it. I can promise you that." His smile would falter, showing that even he was nervous about what he was going to say.

"What is it?"

"Promise you won't run away?"

"Just tell me. Stop beating around the bush." Fayth knew, she was sure that there was more to it than what Charles was saying, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it.

"Right now Lexis doesn't care about you." He began.

"What do you mean?"

"Have patience, I'm coming to you with the words." His eyes roamed around the place to make sure no one was listening. "Basically, the tattoos, the whole poor Rihanna thing, all of it, he doesn't give a damn–at least for now he doesn't. because right now he has more worries about himself than he ever did."

"I'm not following along. What happened to him? Did lightening strike the school and get him while I was out?"

He shook his head. "Not quite. Do you know who the owner of the Academy's son is?"

Fayth nodded. "Someone told me not too long ago. Lexis."

"And you do know who Lexis' dad is, right?"

"The CEO of the Ellis corporation."

"Now you know how CEO's think when it comes to anything. It's all about money. All about business. How to make it grow. How to make sure your company never gets bankrupt–and who to use in the process to maintain that."

"Get to the point."

Charles sighed. "His dad is here."

"In the Academy?"

"In the Academy. He came to personally meet with Lexis since Lexis wasn't answering any of his calls. So he came to the school and he's currently with him in this little hell hole's meeting room or whatever. And believe me, you don't hear more shouts and foul words anywhere else."

"And?"

"Well, being the nosy person I am, I eavesdropped? Let's say it is not going well for out friend here. His father took out the card most businessmen do. The card that'll piss off most teenage boys who are still going through puberty."

"What card?"

"Anyway, Lexis trash talked his father. But you know, there was something, something both of them were threatening each other with. They both had this one thing against the other person, and damn it, I wanted to know what it was, but they just hinted around it like it was top secret or something."

Fayth was about to argue, but Charles put his forefinger up. "The ignorant little punk said he'll never do anything his father says, but it seems like this time his father was going to go through with it whether he liked it or not."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Let's see how smart you are. What is the largest business corporation in the world?"

She frowned with boredom. "Armstrong Next."

"And who is Ellis corp dying to partner up with?"

"Armstrong Next..."

"And who is the only heir to Armstrong Next?"

No! Her head began to pound as she stared blindly at Charles. She was trying to register everything without lashing out and beating Charles to death. She couldn't believe that anything can become worst than what had happened this morning, but now...

"So you mean...you mean..." She couldn't even say the words.

"Yes Fayth, his father is trying to hold an arranged marriage between you and the person you love most in the world: Lexis."