A Night of Desire

"Yeah, seriously. We’re all genuinely happy for Clara. Stop assuming everyone is as petty as you are. And fine, don’t wish her well, whatever. But why are you cursing her to get dumped?"

"Yeah, seriously..."

As a chorus of agreement erupted, Chloe Grant’s face flushed beet red, the veins on her forehead practically bulging.

She wanted to retort but couldn’t find the words. Her father had warned her not to breathe a single word about Clara Grant’s background, or he would truly cast aside their father-daughter relationship!

Clara Grant stood up, and the students surrounding her automatically cleared a path. She slowly walked over to Chloe Grant, leaned in close, and whispered, "Has Cedric Grant not had a chance to tell you yet? That you need to apologize to my face?

"And what’s more, he said he’s going to welcome my mother back into the Grant Family. When I made it a condition that you and your mother get kicked out, guess what he said? He told me, without a moment’s hesitation, that he would consider it.

"So, it looks like you and your mother aren’t that important in his heart after all. Don’t you dare put on that ’loving father, dutiful daughter’ act in front of me ever again. What’s the point in lying to yourself?"

"You!"

Chloe Grant’s voice rose slightly, but Clara Grant shushed her. "I’d advise you to keep your voice down. If you raise it and startle me, I can’t guarantee I won’t actually have Cedric Grant kick you and your mother out right now. What do you think will happen then, when you’re no longer a Miss Grant?"

Chloe Grant didn’t dare raise her voice again, lowering it to a near whisper. "You’re lying. He would never kick us out. After all, I’m his biological daughter!"

Clara Grant sneered. Of course, Cedric hadn’t said any of that; she was just trying to get under Chloe’s skin.

"’Biological daughter? And how does a biological daughter stack up against the Grant Family’s interests? You of all people should know what he values more, shouldn’t you?’"

Clara Grant snorted. With that said, she took a step back and raised her voice so everyone could hear. "While we may both be Grants, I’m the only daughter in my family. I really don’t have any sisters. In the future, you should stop trying to claim kinship with just anyone. It’s embarrassing."

Then, she turned back to the crowd behind her and offered a small smile. "Alright, everyone, that’s enough. I’ve received all your well wishes, and I thank you for them. From now on, let’s all be good classmates."

With that, she turned and walked out of the classroom, feeling Chloe Grant’s murderous gaze on her back.

’Phew. I’d better go find Sarah!’

When she arrived at the classroom where Sarah was supposed to have class, there was no sign of her. Confused, Clara grabbed a passing student to ask and learned that after showing up on the first day of school, Sarah had barely been to class at all.

Clara Grant’s brow furrowed. ’How can that be? Sarah is majoring in something she loves. There’s no way she’d skip class for days on end.’

’Could she be sick?’

As the thought crossed her mind, Clara pulled out her phone to call Sarah.

The phone rang and rang, but Sarah never picked up.

She was about to try again when the bell for her own class rang, forcing her to head to her lecture.

She sat through her lecture, but her mind was elsewhere, preoccupied with thoughts of Sarah.

After somehow making it through the class, Clara went back to Sarah’s classroom one more time. She still wasn’t there, and her calls still wouldn’t connect.

Clara couldn’t sit still any longer. She excused herself from her next class and rushed over to Sarah’s small apartment. She rang the doorbell for what felt like an eternity, but there was no answer.

A deeper sense of panic washed over Clara.