Chapter 112: Commitment Made
" Soon..." Liam replied, a smile spreading across his face.Seeing his smile, the man standing beside him was shocked.
"Boss... actually smiled." The man couldn’t believe his eyes. It was a rare sight, one that left him stunned.
Meanwhile, at the airport, two friends stood scanning the crowded terminal."Where could she be?" She wondered aloud.
"She told me she’d be here.." Charlotte replied, pulling out her phone. "Let me call her."
She dialed Lyla’s number, her eyes scanning the sea of faces as she waited for an answer.
"Charlotte, there she is!" She exclaimed, nodding toward the approaching figure.
Lyla rushed toward them, slightly out of breath. "Sorry for keeping you waiting, guys. I went to the washroom."
Charlotte’s face lit up with a warm smile. "We’ll miss you." she said, opening her arms for a hug."Me too." Lyla replied, embracing Charlotte tightly.
She exchanged a glance with her before joining the hug. "Group hug!" Lyla said with a laugh.
As they parted, Lyla checked her watch. "It’s time for my boarding."
Thea’s expression turned serious. "Take care, and don’t forget to keep in touch with us."
Lyla nodded solemnly. "I will. Promise."
With one last round of hugs and goodbye whispers, she bid her friends farewell and headed toward her gate.
Charlotte dropped Thea off at her home. "Keep these books secure," she said, transferring some volumes from her bag to
her.
"Tell me, what are these?"
Charlotte’s gaze turned conspiratorial. "Store them safely and read them in private."
"Let me see first... what books are you giving me?"Charlotte winked. "Thea, go home, then you’ll see."
With a gentle hurry, Charlotte nudged her toward her front door, leaving her wondering about the mysterious books now in her possession.
"Remember..." Charlotte reminded, her voice low and serious.
She nodded, then bid Charlotte goodbye before heading into her house.She walked through the front door and made her way to her room, where she dropped her bags onto the table.
After freshening up, she headed downstairs to grab a bite to eat. As she passed through the living room, she noticed her grandma chatting with Mrs. Evelyn.
"Aunt Evelyn."
Mrs. Evelyn turned to her, "I came to spend some time with your grandma today."
"Aunt Evelyn, would you like some tea?"
Mrs. Evelyn’s face lit up. "That would be lovely, thank you."Thea nodded and headed to the kitchen to brew a fresh pot. Meanwhile, her grandma and Mrs. Evelyn continued their conversation.
She carried a tray into the living room, laden with a steaming teapot, cups, and a plate of cookies.
"Evelyn, why did you have to invite us all for the treat?Thea told me about it yesterday."
"Madam Wynn," Mrs. Evelyn replied with a warm smile, "it would be my pleasure to treat you all."
As she set the tray down on the table, Grandma Grace looked up and reminded her, "I’ve put your meal aside, dear. Don’t forget to heat it up before eating."
"Aunt Evelyn, I’ve informed my friends.Two are still to confirm, but the other two have agreed to come."
Her features relaxed into a gracious smile while Grandma Grace carefully poured steaming tea from the pot into delicate cups.
"Madam Wynn, please come with Thea
this Thursday," Mrs.Evelyn said.
"Of course, we will go, since you have invited us.."
"I’m off now."Mrs. Evelyn rose from her seat and smiled warmly at her.
"Aunt Evelyn, on that day, I will assist you,"
Seated comfortably in her chair on the balcony of her room, Thea basked in the serene atmosphere, reveling in the breathtaking beauty of the evening sunset.
She tried calling Ryder, but the call went unanswered. She sent him a message instead. Next, she dialed John’s number.
John answered after a few rings. "Hello?"
"Hi John, it’s me, Thea" she said.
"Hey.." John replied.
"Aunt Evelyn, the owner of the restaurant in my neighborhood, has invited you for a treat this Thursday,"
"This Thursday?" John repeated. "Let me check if I have any other plans."
She waited patiently.After a brief pause, he confirmed, "Okay, I’ll make it."
"What are you doing now?"
"Watching the sunset from my balcony."
"And you?" she asked in return.
"I’m in my office," John said with a chuckle.
She immediately apologized, "Oh, John, I’m sorry. You’re busy. Sorry for wasting your time."
John’s tone turned comforting. "Don’t apologize, Thea My schedule’s clear, and I’m happy to chat."
"I’ll let you return to your work, John. Talk to you soon."
She entered her room and unzipped her bag, revealing the books Charlotte had packed earlier. She pulled them out, studying the simple covers. "These books’ covers are so plain," she mused. "God knows what secrets lie within."
Selecting one, she headed back to the balcony. As she settled in, she set the book aside and picked up her phone. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she wondered why Ryder hadn’t responded to her message, despite the "read" indicator.
She set aside her phone and picked up the book, idly flipping through its pages. Suddenly, her phone rang. Hoping it was Ryder, she quickly answered.
"Hello... Ryder?" Thea said, anticipation flickering in her voice.
"Darling, it’s me—not Mr. Thompson—your Charlotte.." Charlotte said in a playful tone.
"Are you reading the books I gave you?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes, I just took it out," Thea replied, flipping through the pages. "The cover is so simple."
As she continued to turn the pages, she realised it was a comic book.
She turned to a part in the middle and, pointing to a man and a woman in the comic, asked "What’s going on,why is this woman saying ’no, no’ while also laughing and hugging this man?"
"You didn’t understand?",Charlotte’s voice questioned from the other end.
She then looked into the pages.Her gaze returned to the comic book pages, her eyes scanning the illustrations once more. As the content sank in, her face flushed deeply.
She blushed deeply at the sight, wondering where Charlotte got such an adult-themed comic.
"Where did you get this stuff from?"
"Shadow Seduction" was emblazoned across the front page in bold, seductive letters.
"I thought of giving them to you and you’ll get help from it by learning...about relationships, intimacy, and communication."
"You think I need help in those areas?"
"Hmm... this book can help you learn in those areas where you have little knowledge."
"Follow your teacher’s instructions... In the future, it will help you to seduce the one you desire."
"I’ll return them to you tomorrow," Thea said over the phone.
"I won’t accept it." Charlotte replied as she chuckled."Keep those things with you. Bye."
Charlotte hung up the call, leaving her stunned and confused.
Who knew that these comics later became her primer, attempting countless positions when she pounced on someone.
After devouring the pages for a while, she stored the comic away, securing it from prying eyes.As she reflected on the content, a nagging thought crept in: "Reading these books... is making me feel perverted, day by day."
"Maybe these books will help me expand my knowledge in those areas." She thought to herself.
Thursday arrived quickly. In the university, Charlotte asked her with a curious smile.
"Are you enjoying the books I gifted you?"
"I’m not enjoying them." Thea replied bluntly. "I’m just reading to gain more knowledge."
Just then, a elegantly dressed woman walked into the classroom, drawing everyone’s attention.
"What is she doing here?" whispered students behind them.
"Isn’t this Professor Liam’s class?" another student murmured.
Charlotte turned around, noticing the commotion. "What’s going on?" she asked.
One of the students clarified, "Isn’t it Professor Liam’s class now?"Thea nodded, checking the schedule. "Hmm, yes, according to the schedule."
"From now on, I will be taking over Professor Liam’s classes." the elegantly dressed woman announced, surveying the room.
The students exchanged worried glances, particularly the girls, who seemed dismayed by the news.
"What happened?" one of them asked.
The woman’s expression turned somber. "Professor Liam has resigned, effective immediately."
"Did you know about Professor Liam’s resignation?" Charlotte asked Thea.
She shook her head. "No, I had no idea."
Charlotte’s face fell, and then she burst into laughter. "It’s terrible - now I won’t get to see our handsome professor every day."
"Are you lusting after handsome men?"
Charlotte chuckled. "Hmm...in our university, most of the male teachers are not exactly handsome."
"You already have handsome Ryan; why look elsewhere?"The latter playfully rolled her eyes. "I haven’t seen him lately. I totally forgot to keep bothering him."
