The Pretender and The Prince novel Chapter 26

Just as Ondine finished her makeup, another message from Ellis arrived.

[Babe, are you really not mad? I’m so scared you’re angry and won’t talk to me.]

Ondine stared at the message, a flicker of memory taking her back to the first time she met him. He had been wearing a slightly yellowed white shirt and faded jeans, his hands trembling as he handed her a love letter. At the time, her photos were all over social media, and she had no shortage of admirers at the university. But she wasn't interested in dating, so she had turned him down.

Later, Ellis somehow got ahold of her class schedule and started waiting for her outside her dorm every morning to walk her to class, always with breakfast in hand. It was a classic move, and Ondine remained unimpressed.

It was during the winter break of her sophomore year that she finally accepted him. The pandemic had hit hard, and Ondine had unfortunately tested positive. Masks had become a scarce commodity, and stores were completely sold out of fever reducers, painkillers, and even basic cold medicine.

After testing positive, Ondine posted a picture of her PCR test result on Instagram with a simple, weary caption. The next day, a local delivery arrived for her. It was a box of N95 masks and medication. The sender's name was redacted, making it impossible to know who it was from. The packaging was pristine, complete with anti-counterfeiting codes, which she scanned to confirm their authenticity.

Who could have sent them? And why would they hide their identity? She immediately posted a photo on Instagram, thanking the mysterious benefactor.

Not long after, Ellis called to ask if she had taken her medicine and if she had enough masks.

“Were you the one who sent the masks and medicine?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “I saw your post and was so worried.”

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify