hapter 39
Chapter 39
The test papers were distributed, and Lenore scanned through them before she began to scribble down her answers.
Jonas, observing her serious demeanor and the speed of her writing, gave an approving nod.
As soon as the last exam paper was handed in, Jonas stepped out momentarily and then re–entered the room. “Tara. Shirley. you’re on bulletin board duty,” he declared.
“Oh, Tara groaned, her enthusiasm deflating like a balloon. “The bulletin board again. No matter how hard we work, we’ll never earn that honor flag for our class,‘ she muttered under her breath.
Shirley rolled her eyes. “You know Jonas is all about appearances. Just roll with it.
They opted to pass the time with some doodles, mark the days left for the SAT, and then wrap up for the day.
Suddenly, Tara’s eyes brightened with an idea. She glanced over to the corner of the room.
There, Lenore lounged in her seat, legs crossed, exuding a relaxel confidence. She had a casual charm that was hard to ignore. With her slender fingers, she held a pencil, seemingly lost in her drawing
Curiosity bubbled up in Tara as she walked over and asked, “Lenore, can you draw?”
Lenore lazily lifted her gaze, her voice cool and detached. “No, 1an’t.”
Tara’s eyes dropped to the paper in front of Lenore. In one corner was a beautifully detailed butterfly, and in the center, the outline of a motorcycle filled the page, every part clearly defined
Lenore set down her pen, nonchalantly folded her drawing, and slipped it into her notebook. “Just copying,” she remarked with a casual toss of her hand.
Tara, clearly not buying it, gave a disbelieving side–eye and thought, ‘Does she think I’m blind?‘
While the others headed to the snack shop with Lance during the break, Kyle hung back.
Once the room emptied, he straddled his chair backward and rested his chin on Lenore’s desk, a hint of hesitation on his face. “Hey, Aunt Lenore, my folks heard you’re at Greenvine High School now. They’d like to have you over for dinner. Are you in?”
Lenore, her fingers gliding over her phone, looked up at Kyle’s invitation, a few strands of hair blown across her forehead by the breeze. A spark of defiance lit her sharp, wild eyes. ‘I’ll think about it, she replied.
Kyle let out an exaggerated sigh. ‘Man, Aunt Lenore’s a tough on to pin down for a meal!‘ he exclaimed inwardly.
Lenore went back to her texting, her gaze fixed on the screen.
A message from Siren flashed across her phone. [Raptor called off the operation as soon as 1 passed on your message.]
“That was a swift response, Lenore thought, a cunning, cold grin lickering on her face.
As she was exiting the app, another notification caught her eye.
20:26 Wed, Feb 5
Chapter 39
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Silas: [Have you eaten yet?]
It was their first chat since they added each other.
Lenore, slightly surprised by the message, replied casually. [Yeah I just did.j
Then Silas hit her with some news. [Ken got suspended.]
Lenore’s eyebrows shot up as she typed out a simple question mark, her eyes flashing with anger.
Inside the Porsche Cayenne parked outside Greenvine High School, Silas looked contemplative. He realized from Lenore’s reply that she was unaware of the situation.
He knew that sharing more details could stir up trouble, but keeping quiet felt wrong. For the first time, he felt a strange sense of guilt. He rubbed his nose, a habit of his when he was deep in thought, and decided to spill the beans.
Silas: [The DUI and car mod incident the other night involved Carlos. He’s also the one who led the group that got spooked by Wayne when they broke into our place two nights ago.]
Carlos had stormed into their private room with a fierce intensity, and before leaving, he shot a glance at Lenore. Later, Silast casually asked Chuck to look into it
In Jinslenburg, the Duncans wielded the true influence, yet Silas could undermine them effortlessly. His concern lay with the possibility of the Duncans scheming against Lenore.
Lenore’s expression turned icy as she read the message. Without hesitation, she exited WhatsApp and dialed Ken’s number The call connected on the first ring.
Her grip on the pen tightened, and a fierce look flashed in her eyes as she confronted Ken. “You never told me you were suspended.”
The chill in her voice was unmistakable, even over the phone. Ken hesitated for a moment, then chuckled lightly. “It’s nothing serious. Just a little break, like a vacation,” he replied, trying to sound casual.
Lenore slammed the pen down on her desk, her patience wearing thin. “Was this Carlos’s doing?”
Feeling the gravity in her voice, Ken understood the situation was sensitive. He paused before confessing, “Yes, I took his car. The chief didn’t want to provoke the Duncans, so he put me on suspension for the time being. It’s only temporary”
He was concerned that Lenore might take on Carlos, potentially leading to a more significant issue. The Duncans were a force to be reckoned with, a reality even the mayor acknowledged. He had kept this from her, but Lenore seemed to already know everything.
