The Pretender and The Prince novel Chapter 30

Ellis was quiet for a moment before his voice came out hoarse. “I know.”

He would wait until after winter break, he told himself. If Ondine was still good to him then, if she still didn’t care that he was “poor,” he would tell her the truth and commit to being with her. As for Chantal… he was starting to realize that Ondine was more important.

Yesterday, at Chantal’s place, all he could think about was Ondine. He was afraid she was angry, afraid she would ignore him. He had even warned Chantal not to say anything to Ondine when she’d grabbed his phone.

After hanging up, Ellis opened his photo gallery to look at pictures of him and Ondine. They had taken so many, and he often looked at them when he missed her. But when he opened the album, he found that all their photos were gone.

Panic seized him. He checked the “recently deleted” folder, but it was empty. The photos were gone. All of them. The only person who had touched his phone was Chantal.

He immediately called her. “Did you go through my photo album? Did you delete my pictures with Ondine?”

At first, she denied it. “No, of course not.”

“No one else touched my phone.”

Chantal dropped the act. “So what if I did? Ellis, don’t tell me you’re actually getting serious about her. You promised me you’d break up with her. You’ve been playing this game for two years. Aren’t you tired of it yet?”

“Whether I break up with her is my business, not yours!” he snapped.

“Fine, fine, it’s not my business,” Chantal said with a bitter laugh. “But I’m sure your parents have a say in it, don’t they?”

“What are you planning to do?”

Chantal didn’t answer. She just hung up the phone.

…

Ondine returned to campus. With exams starting tomorrow, her roommates were all at the library studying. She put her marriage license away safely and headed to the cafeteria.

Just as she reached the entrance, she ran into Ellis.

He froze for a second, then rushed toward her. “Ondine, why aren’t you answering my messages?”

“Oh,” she lied smoothly, “my phone died.”

Just as the words left her mouth, her phone started vibrating with an incoming call.

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