Chapter 6 The University Golden Group

BELLA POV

It's student council assembly today that's why all students are requested to be on the auditorium. I don't know why it's only happening now because, as far as I remember, things like this are supposed to happen on the first day of classes.

I quietly sat on the side because I didn't want to compete for the front seats. I just want a peaceful place while listening to the event happening.

"Is this your first assembly?" the girl beside me asked.

I nodded.

She gave me a sweet smile. "You're about to meet the most popular student on campus."

"Who?"

"Our Student Council President, Matthew Blake Greyson." She was obviously excited.

I didn't get the chance to say any word because the event had already begun.

I saw Matthew went up on the stage.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I hope you've all settled into another wonderful semester at Northbridge. Our university is more than a place for education. It is our home. Our responsibility is to protect one another, support one another, and uphold the values that make Northbridge one of the country's finest institutions."

I glanced around.

Students admired him.

They listened to every word came from his mouth.

They adore and trusted him.

"He always knows what to say," Seon whispered.

"That's why so many people love and trust him?" I asked.

"Aha! He's almost perfect. That's why he's ome of the pride of this University. He also won the election by a landslide."

The assembly lasted for almost two hours.

As the crowd began leaving, three students entered through the side entrance.

Almost everyone turned to look.

"The Elite Group," Seon whispered.

I followed her gaze.

The first was a graceful young woman with long black hair and an elegant posture. She walked confidently, barely acknowledging the stares around her.

"That's Samantha. She's one of the prettiest and smartest students in the university."

Walking beside her was another girl with sharp eyes and a cold expression. She carried herself with quiet confidence, her face unreadable.

"That one in the right side is Eva. We don't really know much about her. The only thing I've noticed is that she's always quiet."

The last girl looked completely different. She wore a warm smile and laughed softly at something Samantha had said.

"On the left side is Kate. She's the nicest out of the three of them."

They walked to the side of the stage, and I saw them greet Matthew.

"Those four are almost never apart. They're the university's Golden Group," Seon explained.

I remembered that Adrian's notebook contained four names.

Matthew.

Samantha.

Eva.

Kate.

And now I was staring at each one of them.

I need to watch their every move. I know they're connected to my sibling, and it's possible they know what really happened.

But I also have to be careful with every step I take. I can't trust anyone in this place. The only person I can rely on is myself.

After the assembly, there were no more classes, so I went straight to my dorm to rest because I felt completely exhausted.

I couldn't stop thinking about Matthew's speech earlier. If you looked at him, he seemed like a kind and responsible student leader.

That's why I couldn't fully understand why Adrian had said those things about him.

I unlocked my room and tossed my bag onto the bed.

As I reached inside to grab my notebook...

My fingers brushed against a folded piece of paper.

I frowned.

I was certain it hadn't been there this morning.

Slowly, I unfolded it.

Only one sentence was written in neat handwriting.

"Matthew isn't who you think he is."

No signature.

No explanation.

Only silence.

I stared at the message as a chill crept down my spine.

Someone knew what I was looking for.

And someone was watching every move I made.

The note stayed in my pocket all morning.

Even now, I couldn't stop thinking about what I had read. Who would send something like that to me? Why didn't they just hand it to me directly or tell me in person?

What a coward.

I was so lost in thought that I accidentally dropped the notebook I was holding.

A pair of black shoes stopped in front of me and picked it up.

I found myself staring into a pair of dark, unreadable eyes.

It was him.

The guy from the library courtyard.

The one who had smiled while everyone else panicked.

Tyler Cole.

He looked at the notebook for a moment before handing it back to me.

"Bella Morgan. So that's your name."

"Don't state the obvious. You already read it, didn't you? You're not blind, are you?" I replied sharply.

He just laughed.

A first-year student accidentally brushed against his shoulder.

"S-Sorry."

Tyler didn't even acknowledge him.

The terrified student hurried away.

I folded my arms.

"Do you enjoy being unpleasant?"

He tilted his head slightly. Then smirked. "Do you enjoy asking stupid questions?"

"Not as much as you enjoy answering them," I said.

Several students nearby stopped walking.

Some exchanged nervous glances.

I clearly heard their whispered.

'The nerve of that girl to talked back.

'Did she really just say that to Tyler?'

'She's dead.'

"You don't belong here," he said quietly.

"And who are you to tell me that?"

"The people here know when to stop asking questions."

"And so?" I snapped.

He stepped closer to me. "Curiosity gets people buried."

"What are you talking about?"

He simply walked past me without answering.

"Tyler!" I shouted.

He stopped, but he didn't turn around.

"I saw you at the library that day." I stepped closer so no one else could hear us. "You looked happy when that student died."

"You should stay away from Adrian Reed's case."

I suddenly froze when he mentioned my brother's name.

Before I could ask another question, Tyler continued walking down the hallway. I tried calling him but he ignored me.

Tyler Cole knew exactly who I was.