Chapter 61
Chapter 61
The next moment, she was pulled out of the pool. She spat out water, collapsing onto the ground, coughing so hard it felt like she was about to hack up a lung.
Suddenly, a wet coat landed over her, and the weight nearly knocked her over. She looked up to find a soaked man-he’d jumped in to save her-staring at her, worried.
“Are you okay?” His voice was soft, anxious. “Hurt anywhere? Need help?” He acted like he knew her, kindness pouring off
him.
His good looks and gentle smile made Emily’s head spin for a second. “Jackson?” she asked hesitantly.
The guy’s worried expression froze. Without thinking, he tightened his grip on Emily’s shoulder. “What did you call me?”
His hand pressed right where Vincent had kicked her. The pain jolted her back to her senses. She pulled away, staring at the ground. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”
‘How could he be Jackson? Jackson is dead. He died right in front of me,’ Emily reminded herself. Still, she stole another glance. The guy in front of her looked eerily like Jackson—almost like twins.
The man’s eyes darkened under her stare. “Ms. Harper, did you mistake me for a friend of yours?”
Emily didn’t deny it. She looked at his face again and said, “Yeah. You look a lot like him, but I know you’re not.” She paused. “Can I ask your name?”
The man held her gaze for a second, then his smile softened again. “I’m Xavier Jenkins. Transferred here as a sophomore. If I’d come back to Cloudridge sooner, we might’ve been in the same class.”
‘Jenkins… So it was you.’ Emily managed a faint smile. “Really? That’s a pity.”
As she didn’t seem uncomfortable and was willing to talk, Xavier dared to reach out. “Let me help you up.”
Emily hated people getting too close. But when Xavier supported her shoulder, she just clenched her fists and didn’t pull
away.
Xavier’s smile grew warmer. “You’re soaked. Let’s get you into dry clothes first.”
Emily didn’t answer. Instead, she glanced at the bodyguards nearby. Just a little while ago, they’d blocked her every attempt to climb out and wouldn’t even let her rest on the edge. Now they didn’t move to stop her.
Catching her look, Xavier reassured her, “Don’t worry. My family might not be as powerful as the Bennetts, but these bodyguards know better than to mess with me.”
Emily dropped her gaze and nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Jenkins.”
Xavier smiled, “No need for formalities. Just call me Xavier.”
Emily stayed quiet, turning down his offer to walk her to her room. She ducked her head and hurried off, her retreating figure looking tense-like she was flustered.
But once she reached an empty corner, she stripped off the coat and tossed it in a trash can. Her calm, cold face flickered with disgust.
Xavier had no idea about it. He watched her go, his gentle smile shifting into a self-assured grin. He’d thought Emily, the former star of Cloudridge, would be a challenge. But now he was sure she was easy.
1/2
Feeling confident, Xavier started dropping by the Bennett residence often, wanting to see Emily. But she kept odd hours- leaving early, coming back late-and gave him no way to contact her. Most of the time, he left empty-handed.
Lucas ran into him a lot. The Jenkins and Bennett families had business ties, and Lucas had heard of Xavier-the long-lost illegitimate son-though they’d never met. Noticing how set Xavier was on Emily, Lucas invited him to the next party.