Hugo waved at Megara, Jane, and Laura as the elevator doors closed, separating him from them. A few seconds later, the elevator opened, and he stepped out into their private private classroom. The only person there was Zack, engrossed in an electronic guitar game on the TV screen.
Hugo walked over to the couch and grabbed his bag, paying no mind to Zack, who had already put down the guitar and was asking to speak with him.
"Hey, Hugo," Zack began, concern etched on his face. "Can we talk for a minute?"
Hugo turned to face Zack, scrunching his nose and raking his brown curls with his hand. "Yes, speak up," he replied, his voice cold. "I don't have all day, Zack."
"Why did you attack Uriel, Hugo?" Zack demanded, his voice laced with concern. "Look, Uriel has his reasons for everything he does. As friends, we should support each other, no matter what."
Hugo frowned at Zack's statement. "Why should we always support Uriel despite all his wicked and careless endeavors, including when he tried to ruin my happiness?" he retorted.
Zack grew furious. "Don't speak about Uriel like that!" he snapped. "He's our friend and has always supported us, even helping our families when they were almost on the verge of collapse. And now, because of one slip-up, you plan on abandoning your best friend for some new girl?"
"I'm in love with Megara!" Hugo shouted, "and I don't plan on letting anyone hurt her!" He shoved Zack aside, but he stood firm.
"Just know," Zack said, unyielding, "you'll always be one of us, no matter your choice. Uriel still considers you a friend, even if your choice rivals his."
Hugo laughed maniacally. "I won't be needing it," he scoffed. "As for the classroom, I'm joining our previous classroom, and no one should come looking for me."
Zack respected his decision and let him leave. As Hugo walked out, Zack ordered, "Siri, contact Uriel immediately!" Siri informed him that Uriel's phone was turned off. Visibly pissed, Zack grabbed his black leather jacket from the coat stand and stormed out of the classroom.
After School, In the Afternoon
Megara called her father, who informed her that he was already at the Santiago mansion. He had waited for her to arrive early, but it seemed she would have to come by herself.
She was driven to the Santiago mansion in Hugo's Lamborghini. He had played a country rock song that didn't quite suit her taste, and they sat in silence as she looked out the window, absorbing the passing scenery.
"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Hugo commented, trying to break the silence. Megara simply nodded, her gaze fixed outside.
Finally, they arrived. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she hastily prepared to head out, but Hugo gently grabbed her hand, stunning her for a moment.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied, leaning in closer until their noses were inches apart. She almost knocked him square on the forehead when he hastily pulled out a tiny flower petal that was stuck in her hair. She waved goodbye to him before making her way into the mansion, where guards and maidens by the door bowed to her as a sign of respect.
"Please don't bow to me," she said, "I'm not a fan of such courtesy." But they insisted, and the butler, Mr. Chamberlain, showed her into the living room, where her father and Mrs. Santiago sat chatting indistinctly. Megara couldn't help but admire how good they looked together, just like old love springing back to life once again.
Her father, Mr. Smith, spotted her first and waved. Mrs. Santiago then asked her to come over. Megara made her way to them and, once there, subtly winked at her father, giving him a thumbs up, before turning to face Mrs. Santiago.
"Megara, darling! It's so good to see you," Mrs. Santiago exclaimed, embracing her warmly.
Mrs. Santiago was pleased to see her and stood up to hug her tightly. She kissed Megara's face before offering her a seat, and they began discussing. After a few moments, Megara asked, "Mrs. Santiago, where's Nathan?"
"He is in his room and hasn't left the house in three weeks," Mrs. Santiago replied with a sigh. "The school's complaining because his exams are next week, and he'll fail if he doesn't leave the house."
Megara rose, her face etched with sadness and her heart heavy. She assured Mrs. Santiago, "Don't worry, I'm going to talk to Nathan, even if he doesn't want me in his room or doesn't want to see me."
Mrs. Santiago, relieved that Megara had finally agreed, nodded her permission for Megara to go upstairs. As Megara ascended the steps, she came face to face with Nathan's door. A notice sign was already tacked to it, boldly declaring: "OFF LIMIT AND DANGEROUS TO HUMANS."
Megara scoffed, rolling her eyes at his childish behavior. "Isn't he human?" she muttered to herself with a slight smile. She proceeded to knock on the door, but Nathan's immediate response was a harsh scream: "GO AWAY!" His tone was jarring, reminding her of Uriel, someone she'd fought so hard to forget.
"It's me, your bestie, Megara Smith!" she called out, but his screams intensified. "LEAVE! I don't want to see anyone, especially not you!"
Stunned, Megara declared, "I'm not going anywhere! I'll sit right here at your door until you open it!"
Inside, Nathan muttered, "Stubborn as always," before yelling loud enough for her to hear, "You'll sit outside all you want until you're exhausted! I won't open the door!"
Megara shouted back, "I'll be fine sitting by your door!"
JEFFERSON MANSION.
Uriel stormed into the living room, a deep frown etched on his face. The servants, from his personal pilot to the maids, knew better than to provoke him. Their jobs, or worse, depended on it. He found Catherine on the sofa, her fluffy white ragdoll cat, Marmalade, curled in her lap.
He walked over and gave Catherine a peck on the cheek, his gaze lingering on Marmalade. The cat immediately sniffed him, a clear sign of affection, as if he were covered in catnip. Catherine, however, noticed his bruised face and bloody knuckles. Panic flared in her eyes.
"Uriel, what happened? Where did you get those injuries?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
He offered a reassuring smile, though his eyes remained shadowed. "It's nothing, Cat. Don't worry about it."
Mr. Jefferson, Uriel's father, descended the stairs from his study, his voice cutting through the air. "I expect nothing less from a psycho son."
Catherine's eyes widened, and she whirled around to face her husband. "What is the meaning of that, Jefferson? How can you call your own flesh and blood a psycho?"
Uriel gently patted Catherine's back. "Don't stress yourself, Cat. He's not worth it." He started to walk upstairs, but his father blocked his path.
"Where do you think you're going, Uriel?" Mr. Jefferson's voice was laced with accusation. "After beating up a Shinhwa High School footballer over a girl you barely know?"
Uriel's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, "Father, move out of my way." The tension in the room thickened, everyone bracing for the inevitable.
Mr. Jefferson, without hesitation, slapped Uriel across the face. Blood welled from the corner of Uriel's lip. "The Boomer family is pressing charges, Uriel. This won't just tarnish our family name, but the company's as well."
Uriel scoffed. "Aren't you the richest man in the world, Father? Can't you tell the Boomer family what to do? Do you even know that their son, Chaplain Boomer, molested a girl from the Royal Von High School soccer team?"
"Even as the richest man in the world, I can't escape this," Mr. Jefferson retorted, his voice rising. "And I don't have to clean up your careless mistakes." He shook his head in disgust. "I don't believe you, Uriel. You are a disgrace to the Jefferson family name. I regret your birth."
Catherine screamed, "Jefferson! How can you say such harsh words to your son?"
Mr. Jefferson rounded on her, his face contorted in anger. "Stay back, Catherine! You're the one who made Uriel the spoilt brat he is today! Unless he's scolded and taught proper etiquette, he might just land us in huge problems or even prison!"
"I'm happy to be a disgrace!" Uriel roared, his voice cracking with pain and fury. "Since my own biological mother doesn't want me and even left me at the doorstep of my biological father who despises me!"
Catherine rushed forward, tears streaming down her face. "Uriel, no! You weren't a mistake! Don't believe what your father said!" She tried to embrace him, but he roughly pushed her aside.
"Don't lie to me!" Uriel spat, his eyes blazing. "You used my birth to get back at him for cheating on you!"
"No, Uriel, that's not true!" Catherine pleaded, but Uriel cut her off.
"I heard it seven years ago!" he accused, his voice thick with betrayal. "From your very own mouth, when you were discussing it with Magnus, your bodyguard! He even asked you why you were over-pampering me and allowing me to rival against your husband!"
Flashback: Seven Years Ago
Uriel, a small figure at just eleven years old, walked through the quiet halls of the Jefferson mansion. He had just returned from a grueling defense training session with Zack and Hugo, his young muscles aching. As he approached the living room, he heard voices, muffled at first, then growing clearer. It was Catherine and Magnus. Curiosity, mixed with a child's innocent urge to eavesdrop, made him pause outside the doorway.
"Honestly, Catherine," Magnus's voice was a low rumble, laced with a hint of exasperation. "Why do you spoil that boy so much? You let him get away with everything. He's practically challenging Mr. Jefferson for control of the house."
Uriel's breath hitched. He strained to hear Catherine's reply.
Catherine sighed, a weary sound. "Magnus, you don't understand. Uriel is... complicated." There was a pause, then her voice grew colder, sharper. "He is my husband illegitimate son. His biological son. And I'm stuck with him because of Jefferson's infidelity."
Magnus nods at her answer. "Yes off course it's his illegitimate son but what does that have to do with you allowing him to walk over Mr Jefferson? This might take a toll on you unless you have a secret agenda. Catherine looks sideways but doesn't see young Uriel who quickly hid behind the wall.
"He is my tool for revenge. I can't just leave my husband's sperm outside for the world to see and laugh. She remarks and Uriel's eyes widened. "He is my only tool to teach Jeffery a huge lesson he'll never forget but.....
Uriel's heart pounded against his ribs. His biological mother. Left him. His father despised him. The words echoed in his head, a cruel, undeniable truth. His small hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, knuckles white. The anger that surged through him was raw and unfamiliar. He couldn't bear to hear any more. He spun around silently, his young face contorted with a pain far beyond his years, and slipped away, unheard. He missed Catherine's next words, a softer, more reflective tone, where she confessed that despite her initial resentment, Uriel had become the best thing that had ever happened to her as his stepmother.
The flashback ended. Catherine stared at Uriel, her face etched with shock and sorrow. "You heard that? At just eleven years old? I never wanted you to hear such a cold word." Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I might have thought that at first, but I started to warm up to you, even from the moment I laid my eyes on you when you were still an infant."
The damage, however, was already done. Uriel looked at her with a sneer, then turned his gaze to his father, whose face was a mask of indifference and disappointment.
"Don't worry, Father," Uriel said, his voice devoid of emotion. "I'll handle my own issues. And I'll make sure today's incident is buried, never to be seen on the internet or in court." He turned and walked out of the house.
Catherine cried out, "Uriel, no! Don't go!" Tears rolled down her cheeks as she begged him to stay, but Mr. Jefferson signaled Magnus. "Magnus, take Catherine to her room and lock her in. Don't let her go after him."
Magnus obeyed. Mr. Jefferson then pulled out his phone and called Jerome, Uriel's personal bodyguard. "Keep an eye on Uriel," he ordered. "Make sure he doesn't make any further mistakes to damage the family's reputation or harm himself."
Meanwhile, Zack, already inside the Jefferson Estate, was on his way to the mansion when a bright red Ferrari zipped past him at lightning speed, quickly followed by a powerful motorbike. He muttered to himself, "Are the Jeffersons hosting a race contest in the middle of the night?" He dismissed the thought, ignoring the blur of vehicles, and drove straight to the mansion, hoping to find Uriel there.