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As they left the principal’s office, Audrey couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. She had managed to secure Catherine’s spot in Class 8, despite the principal’s initial hesitance. She glanced sideways at Catherine, still trying to piece together the mystery of her sister’s sudden display of confidence and independence.
“Catherine, you really threw him off back there,” Audrey said, unable to hide a small smile. “You looked like you were in charge of the whole school.”
Catherine barely reacted, her cold expression unchanging. “I wasn’t trying to impress anyone,” she replied flatly, as if the whole encounter had been trivial to her. But Audrey saw the hint of amusement flicker in Catherine’s eyes, and for the first time, she realized that Catherine had more layers to her than she had first thought.
Audrey followed Catherine as she made her way down the hallway, her posture still commanding and self-assured. Catherine had always had an air of mystery about her, but Audrey was starting to understand that her sister wasn’t just a simple country girl—there was so much more to her than met the eye.
Audrey’s thoughts were interrupted when a loud voice broke the silence. “Hey, Catherine!” a girl called out from the side. Both sisters turned to see a group of students standing near a locker, eyeing Catherine with curiosity.
The girl who had called out was tall and confident, with a sly grin on her face. She stepped forward, extending her hand toward Catherine. “You’re the new transfer student, right? I’m Naomi. Nice to meet you.”
Catherine didn’t immediately respond, her gaze cool as she regarded Naomi and her group. Audrey could tell that Naomi was testing the waters, trying to gauge Catherine’s reaction.
After a brief moment, Catherine gave a slight nod and shook Naomi’s hand. “Catherine Swann.”
The moment the name left Catherine’s lips, the atmosphere seemed to shift. A murmur ran through the group of students, and Naomi’s grin grew wider. “Swann, huh? I’ve heard of you. You’re from the Swann family, right?”
Audrey stiffened at the mention of their last name. She wasn’t sure how much Catherine wanted to reveal, but she could already see that Naomi was trying to gather information.
Catherine’s response was short and nonchalant. “I’m just here to study. Nothing special.”
Naomi raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by Catherine’s calm and composed demeanor. “Well, Class 8 is pretty exclusive,” Naomi said, almost as if she were bragging. “You’ll be surrounded by some of the best students here. If you want to fit in, you’ll have to keep up.”
Catherine simply nodded, not bothering to engage further. She turned to Audrey, giving her a look that seemed to say, Let’s go. Audrey, picking up on the cue, nodded and followed her sister down the hall.
As they walked away, Naomi’s voice called out once more. “I’m sure we’ll see more of each other, Catherine. Welcome to the school.”
Audrey glanced at Catherine, curious about how she felt about the encounter. Catherine, however, didn’t seem to care much about Naomi or her group. It was as if she were completely indifferent to the opinions of the other students.
“Let’s go,” Catherine said simply, her tone dismissive, as she led Audrey outside to the school courtyard.
Audrey couldn’t help but marvel at Catherine’s demeanor. She had always been the type to worry about how others saw her, but Catherine? She didn’t care. She didn’t need validation from anyone.
“Are you really going to leave things like that with Naomi?” Audrey asked hesitantly, unsure whether Catherine wanted to make any impression or stake any claim on her new school.
Catherine glanced at her with a rare, knowing look. “I’m not here to make friends, Audrey. I’m here to take care of what I need to.”
Audrey couldn’t help but smile, though there was a trace of concern in her eyes. “I guess you have a plan for everything, don’t you?”
Catherine smirked slightly, but didn’t say anything further. Audrey followed her quietly, knowing that Catherine’s plan—whatever it was—was already in motion. And from the way Catherine had handled things so far, Audrey knew it was bound to be something powerful.