Chapter 14
By the time Ewan arrived at Feshral Village in the back of a four–wheeled cargo truck, he could hardly believe his eyes. Even during his military days, he had never seen conditions this poor.
The village roads were nothing but mud. He couldn’t understand why Nova would choose to suffer in a place like this.
However, it wasn’t until he reached the local school that he truly felt like he was seeing a stranger.
The Nova he remembered had been pampered from the day she was born. She was a proper young lady who had never lifted a finger. Yet now, through the classroom window, he saw her standing at the front of the classroom, speaking with passion and clarity.
Her eyes were bright, and she wore the simplest linen clothes. Still, she read the dull textbook so fluently and warmly that even the driest passages came alive.
For a moment, Ewan just stood there in a daze. It was like he was meeting her for the first time.
When the bell rang, he was just about to step forward when a young man beat him to it. He recognized that face right away.
It was Flynn, a notorious playboy from Berning, who had once relentlessly chased after Nova. Ewan wondered what Flynn was doing here. Did he come here for her?
As Ewan wondered, Flynn reached out and gently patted Nova on the head.
The veins in Ewan’s neck popped. Without thinking, he marched forward and shoved himself between them. He pointed at Flynn and snapped, “Flynn, does Berning not have enough fine, young ladies for you to mess with? You really have the nerve to come after someone from the Shaw family?
“I’m warning you. Stay away from Nova!”
Flynn gave him a nod, then turned to Nova and softly asked, “Nova, are you part of the Shaw family?”
Nova glanced at Ewan, then quickly made it clear. “No, I’m not.” The coldness in her voice made Ewan feel like he didn’t know her at all.
His words stuck in his throat. He couldn’t find a single thing to say.
Flynn, however, smirked and looked at him with open defiance. “You heard her. I’m not the one who needs to stay away from Nova. You are.” Ewan’s eyes dimmed. He looked at Nova, his voice soft and desperate. “Nova, I’m sorry. I know I hurt you before. But I never meant to walk away from you. You’ve always been part of the Shaw family in my heart. The Shaw family has always been your home.”
Nova scoffed, “Sorry, but I don’t have a family. Mine died a long time ago.”
She had once thought of Ewan as her only family, but how had he treated her? She didn’t want to think or talk about it anymore.
Ewan’s heart sank. How did he have the nerve to say she was his family? He had tried to take her father’s keepsake from her and had even accused her of being a thief. What right did he have to call her his?
Ewan’s throat burned. He wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
Flynn didn’t wait. “If I were you, I wouldn’t even show my face around her. Did you already forget what you did to her? You don’t get to break someone just to play the hero afterward anymore. Nova’s my girlfriend now. So do us both a favor and back off.”
Ewan’s eyes widened, his expression completely shaken. He looked at Nova, disbelief written all over his face. “Nova, is it true? Are you really with him?”
