Adler | The Monarch & The Heirs BOOK 2.

Saboteur | A FORTY THREE

A/N: Dedicated to @faz_fuz and @MakironiSmiles

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"Cassandra? Andrea?"

The girls turned their heads at the calling, Cassandra momently startled that she dropped the bouquet in hand. Although, Andrea was quick enough to catch it. Stevie blinked back to the nervous smiles they shared before slowly moving her lips to form her own.

Cassandra's eyes seemed to wander everywhere while Stevie set the bouquet by the desk. Andrea on the other hand, sustained the neutral visage she kept through their club meetings.

"I'll have to call a nurse to put these in a vase," Stevie said. "Thank you though."

"Uh, no problem."

"So... care to explain why you're here?"

"Well, we just wanted to see how you were doing and to maybe talk a little bit about—"

"No, no no," Stevie cut Cassandra off. "I'm asking you how you knew I'd be here."

She normally didn't mind beating around the bush when catching on to a peculiarity in people's actions. Today, she officially felt on edge in every single way. That didn't mean she was too off to notice the big error in how anyone in school would have information on her whereabouts.

The paramedics had her phone and dialled her parents, then she'd called Will once regaining consciousness and seeing his string of missed calls. Nobody outside of that circle should've known so soon. Judging by the manner the pair visibly stiffened, Stevie hadn't been jumping the gun. It helped her muster the wide sneer as she pressed, "Explain yourself, girls."

First there was hesitance in their strangely guilty expressions and Stevie presumed it was from being caught in their shady actions. They exchanged glances and Stevie sat still as they spoke.

A few times they grew a little scrutinising, probably wondering if what they were saying was being believed with the nonchalant stare Stevie bore. She didn't interrupt either of them once, pretended the couple of pauses weren't there and when they were done, Stevie let the silence envelope the space for a brief span.

The girls looked more nervous than when they arrived and she had a good guess on what was running through their minds before Andrea said, "You think we're crazy."

"No," Stevie assured them. "I think it's a very crazy story though. That your friend— Lydia, correct?" They nodded so she continued to summarise. "Had been stalking me for months on someone's orders does sound creepy. But it certainly explains how she knew I was in a room alone with Hess. It makes perfect sense."

The girls blinked a few times and seemed more reluctant now to accept that their far fetched story was accepted. Which was to be anticipated, but for Stevie, she didn't care for that. If she was taken for only humouring them, then so be it. They clearly hadn't any idea on what they'd somehow gotten tangled in and it was both frustrating and a relief.

"What I don't get is who your friend is taking orders from and why or what made her decide to just randomly call you to tell you about Hess," Stevie confessed. "Seems odd."

"Yeah, we're not quite sure too..."

"But she's innocent in this." Andrea declared, earning her a wide eyed glance from Cassandra.

Stevie lifted a brow. "Innocent because she says somebody told her to stalk me?"

"No, but because I've done horrible things I was forced into so I know regret. I could hear it in Lydia's voice that she reached out to Cassandra from guilt." Her gaze steadfast. "I don't know what her connection to Alger Hess is but somebody is clearly conspiring against you. We aren't idiots so we don't need to bother with asking why."