Guardian ✓

stones

NOAH STARED AT HER LIKE HE KNEW EVERYTHING.

And that made Emma tremble in fear inside. She didn't want her new family to know about her embarrassing life. But she couldn't really tell them anything cool that she did. Except for planting flowers and herbs. Albeit, she doubted Noah would be interested in those things.

"You didn't answer my question, Emmalynn." His deep voice scared her more than her mother and Kevin for some reason.

She licked her lips, wanting to curl into herself on the sofa. She was pathetic. No schooling. No nothing.

"I don't--I don't go to school, sir." Where did 'sir' come from? She just reckoned a man who oozed as much power as her step-brother might take offence and hurt her if she addressed him wrong.

She looked up from the very interesting marble floor before wishing she hadn't. Noah looked furious.

"But I know stuff-- I -- I read -- I know stuff--" Emma scrambled to answer, realising that she had made him angry.

"Oh, I know. You're a book nerd. Which is why we'll start with some exams. I need to know that you were worth the trouble." He slid one of the two files towards her before she could say something.

Emma opened the file, suppressing a relieved sigh at what she saw. She may not have gone to school but she did have access to the internet. And so the questions in front of her did not seem impossible after years of practice.

She was going to prove her worth to her father.

"I know everything, Emmalynn. I know how much time you have spent doing these things. So you're getting half the time others get. And the time you spent daydreaming counts. I'd advise you get a start on the paper."

Emma forgot her cold or the headache and worked on the paper in front of her like her life depended on it. And in a way, it did. Maybe if she was smart her father would let her stay with him for some time.

A break from Kevin sounded so nice even if it seemed like her step-brother hated her. Hansel wasn't like that...

Still, a break from Kevin was her incentive to work like someone had a gun to her head. She finished before her time was up and ignored the cramp in her hand to look for any mistakes.

She had to prove her worth.

"Done?" Noah asked from where he watched, brows furrowed. "If you write that fast, no one will be able to see your handwriting."

She shook her head fervently, shoving the paper in his face without meaning to. His glare was enough to have her retreating.

"You--you'll still be able to read I swear--"

"You still have more exams, Emmalynn."

She sat back down, realising the timer on his phone hadn't stopped and picked up the other file.

Emma couldn't leave this place without proving her worth.

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Noah Crawford's brows were furrowed as he looked down at her test results before looking at the man on his left.

"Are you sure?"

"She's a prodigy, sir."

"How can she..."

"I am as shocked as you are, sir."

Emma had never felt as sickly and sad as she did sitting on her step-brother's sofa. The tests were long done. Her hand was boneless and her head hurt worse than before. She was starting to hate the turtleneck jumper because it somehow reminded her of Kevin's fingers.