Two Reborn, One Throne novel Chapter 38

Amber had just set her backpack down in the classroom when she received a text from Loretta.

Before she could reply and tell her to go collect the cash from Joanne, Lucian walked in, holding Joanne's hand.

Whether it was just her imagination or not, Amber could have sworn Joanne flashed her a smug, victorious smirk.

Amber texted Loretta back: [She's at school right now. Wait for her near her house later tonight. I'll make sure Lucian isn't with her.]

Loretta replied: [Got it.]

"Look at Joanne. Upgrading to the Class President really changes things, huh? Coming to evening study hall two days in a row. We barely recognize you. Are you still our school's bad-girl beauty queen?"

A classmate joked loudly.

Lucian didn't say a word, but his eyes gleamed with pride. It was as if he was telling Amber: *In this life, not only am I cutting you out of my future, but I'm also saving Joanne's.*

Amber chuckled under her breath, while Tillie scowled beside her.

Joanne replied to the classmate, "Of course it changes things. Having the Class President as my boyfriend is a huge honor. Plus..." She leaned her head affectionately against Lucian's shoulder. "There are only twenty-seven days left of high school, and we're in our honeymoon phase. We wish we had forty-eight hours in a day to spend together. Try not to be too jealous."

Amber almost gagged, but Joanne wasn't done being insufferable. She turned her sights directly onto Amber. "Amber, I'm really sorry. I didn't want you and Lucian to break up, but you know what they say—when true love comes, you can't stop it. If he's not meant to be yours, he'll never be yours."

Joanne smiled triumphantly, looking like she had won the lottery of life.

Amber casually replied, "Don't apologize, Joanne. If you enjoy hoarding trash, be my guest. I'm not into collecting garbage anyway. Oh, by the way, Lucian, your mom is still lying in a hospital bed. She texted me asking if you even went to class today, and wanted to know if you're going to visit her after study hall. You can reply to her yourself."

Amber pulled out her textbooks and practice exams, ignoring them.

At the mention of Grace, Joanne's expression faltered, while Lucian snapped furiously, "Amber, didn't you say you wanted nothing to do with me? Why do you still have my mom's number saved? What, hoping we'll get back together? It's barely been two days and you already can't let me go?" He stared at her with utter contempt.

Amber laughed mockingly. "You really are completely oblivious. A piece of trash that doesn't realize how much it stinks, thinking it's perfume. If my dad wasn't running the diner for you for free, where would you have gotten the money for dinner tonight? Oh wait, did you steal your mom's credit card again?"

Amber feigned exaggerated shock.

The classmates listening gasped. "What? Lucian stole his mom's money?"

In her past life, Lucian had never once told her "I like you" or "I love you."

Even in bed, when she would playfully coax him, asking if he loved her, he had never said it. It had always felt like Amber was the only one desperately clinging to him.

The day he murdered her, wrapping his hands around her throat, the sheer hatred contorting his face was something Amber would remember for the rest of her existence. He told her he had never loved her, that she had thrown herself at him. If she hadn't been so 'useful', he wouldn't have given her a second glance. He even told her why he always blindfolded her with his tie when they slept together.

It was because she disgusted him. He didn't want to look at her face. Every time he touched her, he was thinking about Joanne. That was why he refused to kiss her.

Ha! Amber's eyes stung slightly, but a piece of shit was a piece of shit. Even if you scraped it off your shoe, the stench lingered.

Keep bragging. Keep showing off. Life is long, there's no rush.

Tillie wanted to argue back, but Amber stopped her. "He's going to regret it. Ask him again when that day comes."

It would be far more devastating then.