Chapter 4 Edge

Olivia was taken aback.

"Who? Charles? I... don't know him."

She had only spoken to him for the first time that morning. Did that count as knowing him?

At most, he was just a fellow student she had seen once.

"Stop pretending!"

Lily pointed inside the dorm.

"Look!"

Olivia followed her gaze, her eyes freezing in place.

In the makeshift vase she had cleaned out of an old glass bottle, there was now a large bouquet of golden sunflowers—the very ones Charles had bought that morning!

"This..."

Olivia was stunned.

"Charles had someone deliver them! Directly to our dorm building!"

Lily shook her arm excitedly.

"And guess who he had deliver them?"

Olivia felt a tight knot in her stomach, a sense of foreboding.

"It was Mia Wilson!"

Lily's voice dropped even lower, tinged with a hint of sympathy.

"She came up with the flowers, looking furious! She threw them on your desk and stormed off."

"Especially when she mentioned Charles's name, her look... could kill!"

Mia.

Their dorm mate.

Rich and flamboyant, she had a crush on Charles, which was well-known throughout the school. She was the most high-profile and difficult of Charles's many admirers.

Olivia felt a chill run up her spine.

'Great...'

She had planned to avoid the suffocating atmosphere of the Williams Villa by hiding out in the dorm for a couple of days.

Now it seemed the dorm had become a place of trouble, too.

Sure enough.

The first class in the afternoon was gym.

During free time, Olivia was looking for a corner to sit in when Mia, flanked by two girls who were close to her, blocked her path.

Mia was dressed in the latest limited-edition sportswear, arms crossed, chin held high, her gaze like daggers on Olivia's faded canvas shoes and plain T-shirt.

"Olivia."

Mia's voice was sharp and cold, dripping with disdain and hostility.

"I'm warning you, stay away from Charles!"

Olivia pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

"Do you even know your place?"

One of the girls beside Mia sneered.

"You're just a dog raised by the Williams family. Do you think you're worthy of getting close to Charles?"

"Exactly, even John doesn't like you, and you want to cling to Charles?"

Mia stepped forward, her brightly painted nails almost touching Olivia's nose, delivering her final ultimatum:

"Throw away that bouquet! And from now on, if you see Charles, go the other way! If I see you around him again, or if he sends you anything else..."

She smiled maliciously, her eyes full of threat,

"I guarantee you won't be able to stay in this school or that flower shop! Got it?"

Mia was indeed furious. After all, Charles, who never interacted with girls, had suddenly sent Olivia a bouquet.

With that, Mia shoved Olivia's shoulder hard and walked away with her entourage.

Olivia stumbled, her back hitting the cold wall.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

Anger surged in her chest, but more than that, she felt a cold sense of helplessness.

How was she supposed to know why Charles sent her flowers?

They had only met once, and it was completely baffling!

Olivia looked at the people running and laughing on the field, the sunlight glaring, but she felt cold all over.

These troubles seemed to follow her ever since Indigo married into the Williams family, no matter how hard she tried to avoid them.

Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of class, and Olivia got up to leave.

She didn't want to stay in the gym for another second.

The next class was a non-essential cultural appreciation course, and she decided to skip it.

Right now, she needed to find Charles immediately and ask him what he meant by that.

After all, they had only met once, and he didn't need to help her.

Before leaving home that morning, Olivia had overheard the servants telling John that his basketball shoes were by the door.

John and Charles were inseparable, and with Charles having fewer classes in his senior year, they were likely to be found at the basketball court.

Olivia jogged to the basketball court.

The place was crowded, with people playing and watching, a noisy and chaotic atmosphere.

She anxiously searched the crowd for the two familiar tall figures.

After scanning the area, she couldn't find them. They weren't there.

Feeling disappointed, Olivia was about to leave when a group of guys in basketball jerseys, exuding a rough vibe, noticed her.

Standing at the edge of the court, her slender figure, smooth and clear skin, and clean yet slightly defiant expression made her stand out among the sweaty crowd.

"Hey! Beautiful!"

One of the guys with dyed red hair walked over, blocking her path.

Olivia looked him up and down, a cold smile forming in her mind.

With that look, he was nothing but a thug.