Chapter 256: The real battle had only just began
Zane had never encountered a tutor who could see through his tricks so easily. Most of them had either become furious or left in tears. One had even complained to his mother before demanding to be paid for the day.
But this woman? She was practically enjoying herself!
Zane abandoned his hiding place and hurried towards the far end of the room, determined to prepare one final surprise.
Unfortunately for him, Clara had already noticed his shadow moving beneath the wardrobe. She pretended not to see anything and continued inspecting the room.
A few seconds later, a muffled sound came from the large wooden cupboard beside the wall.
Thump!
Clara turned towards it. Then came another sound.
Thump! Thump!
Her lips curved into a knowing smile. "Oh? Is someone hiding in there?"
Inside the cupboard, Zane froze. He had originally planned to hide there and wait for Clara to approach. When she opened the door, he would push her backwards, making her stumble into the room while he escaped.
It was a simple plan. At least, it had seemed simple when he thought of it.
Clara walked towards the cupboard, her expression innocent. "Come on, young master. I know you’re in there."
There was no response.
She reached for the handle. The instant the door began to open, a pair of hands shot out, ready to shove her backwards. However, Clara’s instincts kicked in.
She swiftly stepped aside.
"Got you!"
Zane’s hands met nothing but air. His own momentum carried him forward, and before he could regain his balance, his feet tangled beneath him.
"Whoa—!"
THUD!
He tumbled headfirst into the cupboard.
For a moment, the room fell silent. Clara stared at the cupboard, blinking in surprise. Then she looked down at the boy’s legs sticking out awkwardly from the bottom.
She pressed her lips together, desperately trying not to laugh. "Are you all right in there?"
"YOU!" Zane’s furious shout came from inside. "Get me out of here!"
Clara raised an eyebrow. "Of course. Just a second."
She stepped forward and gently pushed the cupboard door shut.
Click!
The lock slid into place.
Silence. Then—
"WHAT THE HELL? OPEN THE DOOR!"
Clara burst out laughing. "Oh, dear. I think there’s been a slight misunderstanding, young master."
"HEY! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!"
She leaned against the cupboard, folding her arms. "I’m sorry, but I thought you wanted to spend some time alone. You seemed to have gone to considerable trouble to hide from me."
"YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!"
"Did what?" she asked sweetly. "I merely stepped aside. You were the one who decided to jump into a cupboard."
Inside, Zane kicked the wooden door in frustration.
"LET ME OUT!"
Clara tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm. I wonder whether I should."
"YOU—"
"Perhaps you should apologize first for all those traps. A bucket of dirty water? Falling books? A toy car?" She shook her head in disappointment. "Young master, if you wanted to welcome me, you could have simply said hello."
"I WASN’T TRYING TO WELCOME YOU!"
"Really? Then I suppose I should be grateful you didn’t prepare a welcome cake."
"OPEN THE DOOR!"
Clara laughed again, finally straightening away from the cupboard. "Fine, fine. Don’t get so worked up. I’ll let you out." She reached for the lock but paused. "On one condition."
Zane went quiet. "What condition?"
Clara smiled mischievously. "From now on, you stop trying to chase me away. I’m your new tutor, and I intend to do my job."
For several seconds, there was no answer. Then Zane’s voice exploded through the room.
"NO WAY!"
Clara sighed. "Well, that’s unfortunate." She turned away from the cupboard. "Perhaps you need a little more time to think about it."
"WAIT! YOU CAN’T LEAVE ME IN HERE!"
Clara glanced over her shoulder, her smile widening.
"Oh, I can. But since I’m such a reasonable person, I’ll give you one more chance." She rested her hand on the lock.
"Do we have a deal, young master?"
Inside the cupboard, Zane clenched his fists. He had wanted to drive his new tutor out of the mansion.
Instead, he had managed to lock himself inside a cupboard while she stood outside negotiating the terms of his surrender.
For the first time in a long while, Zane Kensington had finally met someone who was every bit as stubborn as he was. And judging by the cheerful smile on Clara’s face, she wasn’t planning to lose.
***
Meanwhile, Maria and Clint had been waiting downstairs for quite some time when the door to Zane’s room finally opened.
Both turned towards the staircase, expecting to see Clara rushing out in defeat.
Instead, Clara emerged with Zane following closely behind her.
Maria blinked in surprise.
Clint nearly forgot to close his mouth.
"Young master," Clara said politely, stepping aside and gesturing towards the stairs. "After you."
Zane shot her a skeptical look, his expression darkening for a moment. However, much to their astonishment, he followed her instructions and walked downstairs without uttering a single complaint.
Maria slowly rose from her seat as the two approached.
Clint, meanwhile, was struggling to process what he was witnessing.
He had worked for Maria for years and had seen Zane grow from a mischievous child into the stubborn young man he was today. He knew better than anyone how difficult it was to get the boy to listen to others.
Apart from Maria herself, Clint had rarely seen Zane obey anyone without putting up a fight.
Yet here he was, walking obediently behind a woman he had met barely minutes ago.
Am I dreaming? Clint wondered, discreetly rubbing his eyes.
Perhaps he had missed something important while waiting downstairs.
Or perhaps this woman was far more capable than she appeared.
Before Clint could make sense of the situation, Zane stopped in front of Maria.
"Mom, I’ve made my decision." His voice was surprisingly calm. "I want Miss Clara to be my tutor."
Maria stared at her son, momentarily speechless.
She had prepared herself for another rejection, perhaps even another complaint about how unbearable the candidates had been. Never in her wildest imagination had she expected Zane to select someone so quickly.
"Are you sure?" she asked cautiously. "You don’t want to meet the other candidates first?"
"No. I’ve decided."
His answer was firm, leaving little room for discussion.
Maria glanced at Clara, who stood beside him with a small, satisfied smile.
Something about that smile made Zane’s jaw tighten.
Enjoy your victory while you can, he thought, shooting her a sideways glance. I’ll make sure you regret what you did to me.
Although his expression remained composed, a storm was brewing beneath the surface.
He might have agreed to take her on as his tutor, but that didn’t mean he intended to make her job easy.
If Clara thought she had won, she was terribly mistaken.
The real battle had only just begun.