From Ashes of Scandals to His Embrace novel Chapter 404

Laurinda narrowed her eyes. A recommendation spot? Since when did Laura have the final say on things like that? Was this just another one of Baily’s tricks? What was he up to this time?

She didn’t bother looking at the smug expression on the girl’s face. Instead, Laurinda replied, her tone steady and calm. “You really don’t need to worry about me. I hope you actually get into Stonehaven University.”

Without saying anything more, Laurinda turned away, leading her roommates back to their dorm. Once inside, she closed the door behind them and reached into her backpack. She pulled out five beautifully wrapped little boxes and handed them out, one by one. “These are for you. A little back-to-school gift. Work hard for your college entrance exams. I’ll be waiting for you all in Cabinda.”

Her roommates lit up with excitement as they accepted their gifts. In the next moment, though, their attention shifted to the suitcase sitting by Laurinda’s bed.

Shirley pointed at it. “Laurinda, what’s with the suitcase?”

Laurinda smiled. “Oh, I’m not living at school anymore. I came back to give you your gifts and to pack up my stuff. I won’t be coming back to school, but you can always reach me.”

The words had barely left her mouth when her friends’ eyes turned red. When Arrow had helped Laurinda pack, she’d noticed Laurinda’s desk was spotless. Clearly, someone had been cleaning it every day, just waiting for her to return.

“Laurinda… I… I’m really going to miss you,” one of them choked out, her voice thick with emotion.

Seeing them all on the verge of tears, Laurinda grabbed a box of tissues from her desk and passed them around, a gentle smile on her lips. “If you’re going to cry, you better hurry. You don’t want to be late for class.”

“Seriously, Laurinda, you always know how to ruin the mood,” someone teased, half laughing, half crying.

“Laurinda, I’m really going to miss you,” Shirley whispered.

Laurinda pinched Shirley’s cheek, laughing. “Come on, do we really have to get this dramatic? We can see each other anytime once you’re in Cabinda.”

Suddenly, Shirley remembered her dad was in Cabinda too. She let out an awkward laugh and released Laurinda. “I almost forgot my dad’s there.”

Laurinda watched her friend bounce between laughing and crying, and couldn’t help but think Shirley was adorable. She gave her cheek another gentle pinch and added, “Now that I’m not around, you need to calm down a bit. Don’t go charging into things like you always do. If you run into trouble you can’t handle, just call me. Even if I’m not here, I still have some connections.”

She glanced at the rest of her roommates. “That goes for all of you. Look out for yourselves. We don’t go looking for trouble, but we’re not afraid of it either. If anything happens in the cafeteria, just call me. I’ll make sure someone takes care of it.”