Illegally His!!??

XLI

"Ah... fine, fine... I'm sorry," the guy winced, rubbing his wrists.

I shot him one last death stare before making my way to the cafeteria, the whispers trailing behind me like a shadow:
"Wow, isn't she the one?"
"I heard she made Nikolai apologize."
"Did you see how she slammed him into the locker?!"
"She is... something else."

Ignoring the stares and chatter, I entered the cafeteria, grabbed my lunch, and settled into a corner seat. From my spot, I spotted Viktor standing off to the side, observing the scene with a watchful gaze while the whispers continued their relentless buzz.

Just as I put my earbuds in, my phone buzzed with a message from Xavier. A smile spread across my face as I opened it: "How's the new college, princess?"

"Yep, all good," I replied.

Within a minute, my phone buzzed again: "Okay princess, tell me more about your college when we meet at the estates. Until then, study hard. Love you." I nodded, even though I knew he couldn't see me.

As I took a bite of my lunch, a guy approached my table with a tray in hand. "Um... can I sit here?" he asked.

Absently, I nodded, barely looking up. "Um... I saw how you handled that guy. It was pretty cool," he continued.

"Thanks," I said, finally looking up and smiling.

He was tall with curly black hair and an easy grin. His striking silver eyes reminded me of a stormy sky. Dressed in a crisp black shirt, loose tie, and white pants, he introduced himself. "I'm Luca... Luca Romano. And you?"

I felt a rush of embarrassment as I replied, "Meera... Meera Luthra."

"Meera... I see," he said, his smile widening. "Beautiful name for a beautiful lady."

As he extended his hand, he added, "We're in the same class, in case you didn't know."

Nodding, I said softly, "That's nice. Want to walk to class together?"

"Sure, why not?" he replied with a grin, stepping aside to let me go first.

As we exited the cafeteria together, Viktor shot me a sharp look and pulled me aside. "Who is he?" he whispered, ensuring only I could hear him.

"He's my classmate-Luca and, I guess, a new friend," I replied, glancing at Luca.

"Fine... but make sure to tell me first if he causes any trouble. He doesn't seem good to me," Viktor whispered, concern etched on his face.

"Don't worry, I'll let you know if anything goes south," I reassured him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Isn't it ironic? They tell me to steer clear of troublemakers while they're the real troublemakers themselves. They're no saints, yet here they are, warning me that Luca might be the bad one.

What a hypocrite!

Viktor's POV:

I was genuinely impressed when Meera handled that dickhead. Ever since she stepped into the university, those local kids had been making comments and getting on my nerves, but when she slammed that one kid against the locker, I couldn't help but admire her strength.

I didn't know she had that side to her, but I'm not complaining. It's pretty refreshing, I must say.

However, this new guy she's with—Luca, or whatever his name is—doesn't seem like the right fit. There's something about him that feels familiar, but I can't quite place it.

I'll need to keep a closer eye on him to ensure he doesn't try anything with Meera. If he does, I'll make sure he regrets it.

Just as I was watching them head to class, my phone buzzed, flashing Xavier's name. I answered the call and updated him about how Meera had flawlessly dealt with the bully and was doing great at college. I decided not to mention her new friend yet; I wanted to check him out first.

I didn't want Xavier to worry about something so trivial. He has enough on his plate to stress about as it is.

Later in the evening, I received a call from a familiar number, and the voice on the other end started rattling off every detail they could find about this new friend of Meera's. At first, it seemed like a simple check-up, just filling in the gaps of someone who had recently entered her life. 

But the more I heard, the more uneasy I became.

The information was almost too clean, too well-curated. He had no small crimes, no addictions, no messy relationships. It was as if his life had been scrubbed of anything unsavory or inconvenient. He'd moved here recently, but there was nothing about his previous address, no mention of where he came from, or any details about his family. Not even a distant relative popped up in any database.

It was as though this man had never existed before stepping into Meera's world.

I tried to follow the leads, but they all circled back to dead ends. No friends, no old knowns, no history. It felt as though he'd been wiped clean from the world. 

Something's definitely not adding up. Whoever he is, he's hiding something.

Who is he, really?