A week went by in a flash. That afternoon, Caitlin received a WhatsApp message from Norris Richards: [Freya, I'm at Kingsward University. I'm at the main gate now.]
[Okay, Norris, I'll be right there.]
Caitlin put her phone away and headed to the university entrance. She saw Norris standing there, but he wasn't alone. A girl was standing beside him. If Caitlin wasn't mistaken, it was Celeste. And they were holding hands, looking very much like a couple.
Celeste spotted Caitlin and waved. "Catie, over here!"
Caitlin jogged over, her eyes fixed on their intertwined hands. "Norris, Celeste, you two... are you...?"
Norris smiled. "Freya, it's just as it looks. We're together."
"How long have you two been sneaking around?" Caitlin asked, genuinely surprised. She had never expected Norris and Celeste to get together. Celeste had saved Xavier Richards's life; according to the typical romance novel plot, she and Xavier were the more likely pair.
"Almost three months now," Norris replied.
Celeste immediately let go of Norris's hand to take Caitlin's, speaking in a placating tone. "Catie, don't be mad. I wasn't trying to hide it from you on purpose. I just wanted to wait until we were sure about our feelings. Now that we are, you're the first person we're telling!"
Caitlin laughed. "Celeste, I'm not mad. I'm really happy to see you and Norris together. I wish you all the best."
Celeste let out a sigh of relief and started clinging to Caitlin's arm playfully. "I knew you were the best, Catie. You and I, we're the real number one pair."
"That's right," Caitlin agreed with a nod. "We're the best."
Norris looked at Caitlin. "Freya, I've booked a table at a restaurant nearby. Shall we go eat now? We can catch up over dinner."
"Sure!"
Soon, the three of them were at the restaurant Norris had chosen. During their conversation, Caitlin learned that Norris was in The Capitabas an invited guest lecturer at Kingsward University. As a Ph.D. graduate from a prestigious international university and one of the youngest successf
entrepreneurs, Kingsward had
invited him several times before, but he had always declined.
He accepted this time for two reasons: one, because Caitlin was studying at Kingsward, and two, because his girlfriend was studying in The Capital.
The private room was filled with laughter. They were family, friends, and a couple all at once, and the conversation flowed easily. They talked about everything and anything.
Celeste smiled and said, "Catie, I have something tomorrow, but how about the day after? We should invite your boyfriend out, and the four of us can have dinner together."
"That sounds great," Caitlin nodded. "I'll talk to him tonight."
The next morning, in the dorm room, Nicolette and Yvette were out for a run, and Gertrude and Elsa were also gone. After taking a phone call, Caitlin left in a hurry. Charis, observing the empty room glanced at Caitlin's bed, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
In the afternoon, Caitlin and Elsa returned to the dorm after their elective class to
find Charis with red-rimmed eyes, frantically searching for something.
Nicolette and Yvette were also rummaging around, and Charis's bed was a complete mess.
"That necklace was a 19th birthday present from my mom! It's very valuable, worth
over two hundred thousand!" Charis cried out.
"Two hundred thousand?" Yvette's
eyes widened in shock. "Miss Gonzales, how could you leave something so valuable in the dorm? You know this place is a mess, with all sorts of riff-raff around!