Mr. Knight, A Billionaire in Love

“You are stupid!”

I could hear her angry yet trembling voice from behind me. “Just Insanely stupid! Ace! Do you hear me?” I didn’t care about it any longer. I just didn’t care that we were in the middle of a busy road on a rainy day, all drenched as I stormed off to somewhere I didn’t know.

But in all this chaos I could still hear that clicking of heels on the road as she tried her best to catch up to me, screaming at me.

“I hate you, Ace! I just hate you,” she screamed at top of her lungs, and that made me take a halt on my spot as I finally chose to face her. I felt numb. I felt suffocated.

“It took you a great twelve years for you to finally tell me that, Veronica,” I could feel my eyes itching but I refused to let her see that.

This time I was just not ready to give up.

The first evidence of helium was observed on August 18, 1868, as a bright yellow line with a wavelength of 587.49 nanometers in the spectrum of the chromosphere of the Sun. The line was detected by French astronomer Jules Janssen during a total solar eclipse in Guntur, India. This line was initially assumed to be sodium...

My eyes scanned through the encyclopedia, eager to learn more about the enigmatic gas, helium. For fourteen days, I had been engrossed in this subject, and the more I learned, the more fascinated I became. It was this insatiable curiosity that found me in the library, poring over the encyclopedia and diligently noting down points in my notebook.

“Ace?”

I looked up to find Jung-Hwa approaching, his hands full of drawing sheets. He placed them on the table before taking a seat across from me.

“What’s this?” I asked, unrolling one of the sheets to reveal detailed cell diagrams of various living organisms.

“Assignment!” he replied in his distinct Korean accent.

“Alright,” I said, rolling it back and returning to my notes. “Did you finish your assignments?” he asked, prompting me to glance up at him. “Not yet,” I replied simply. “I’ve been busy.”

“Busy? Tomorrow is the last day to submit the assignment, Ace. You know Mr. Acton well enough to know he won’t tolerate late submissions. He gave us twenty assignments to finish in two weeks, and half the students are scrambling for study materials. Meanwhile, here you are, engrossed in your own research. Man, you’re going to be in trouble!” Jung-Hwa exclaimed, running a hand through his hair in exasperation.

“The deadline is tomorrow. We still have plenty of time to complete it,” I said, highlighting a particular line in my notebook.

“Of course! I forgot who I’m talking to,” he laughed, but I signaled him to lower his voice. He bit his tongue and glanced around, checking if he had disturbed anyone in the library.

“The almighty genius, Mr. Ace Knight,” he whispered, making me grin.

“I don’t really like that name,” I remarked, and he shrugged, gathering his drawing sheets.

“Really?” he chuckled. “But your smile says otherwise. Besides, everyone knows you by that name,” he winked, making me sigh.

“I know you can finish your assignment in a single night, but please help me with mine. I still have five assignments left. Could you come to my room after you’re done with your...” he looked at my notebook and the encyclopedia, “work?”

“I’m almost done, man. Head up to your room, and I’ll be there in an hour,” I said, packing up my books and pens.

“Where are you going?” he asked, eyeing my bag.

“To eat,” I grinned, and he nodded as we both walked out of the library.

It had been six years since I left home and moved to London, away from my family. My mother wasn’t thrilled about me studying abroad, but my father’s support made it possible for me to transfer to the London School of Science at a young age. Life in London was tough; I missed my mother and her cooking the most. Occasionally, she and my sister Amelia would surprise me with a visit, but otherwise, we made do with nightly FaceTime calls, much to my father’s annoyance, as these calls often lasted hours, with my mother ignoring him in favor of our conversations.

Despite being far from home, I knew my father had assigned a guard at the school’s door to keep tabs on me and report back. My father’s protective measures were obvious, but I didn’t mind.

“Can I have some more of this mild Caribbean chicken, please?” I asked the cafeteria lady, who smiled warmly.

“Of course, my dear!” she chirped, adding more pieces to my tray. “Here you go!” she handed it to me with a cheerful smile.

“Thank you,” I replied, searching for a place to sit in the crowded canteen. Finally, I found a spot in the corner near the window and took my seat, placing my bag on the chair next to mine. I began eating in peace, watching groups of students enjoying their meals, gossiping, and laughing.

As always, I sat alone, preferring solitude. Occasionally, Jung-Hwa kept me company, but otherwise, I isolated myself, focusing on my food rather than socializing.

“Look who’s here,” a familiar, annoying voice interrupted my thoughts. I didn’t bother to look up.

“The almighty genius, Ace Knight,” Elliot Abram mocked in a girly tone as I continued eating.

Just why does he always show up whenever I’m eating?

He’s going to throw my food now. Better hurry up and eat as much as I can to save myself from hunger.

“Hey! Nerd! I’m talking to you!” he sneered, slamming his hands on my table, causing the curry to splash onto my glasses.

Great!

They laughed like hyenas, enjoying my predicament as I removed my glasses and wiped away the curry with a tissue. What a normal day!

This was a typical day for me. Since joining the London School of Science, Elliot Abram, the trustee’s son, had made it his mission to bully me. He disliked me from the start and took pleasure in disrupting my peaceful moments. Over time, I had become immune to his antics, and his actions no longer affected me.

I had endured six years of closed bathrooms, toothbrushes in toilets, torn notes, broken glasses, and food thrown in my face. Eventually, I became desensitized to these acts, viewing them as a normal routine.

I could always complain about him, and my father could easily handle the situation, but I didn’t want to worry my family, especially my mother. Only one more year remained before graduation, and I was determined to endure it, knowing I wouldn’t have to face Elliot ever again.

Elliot was a year older, taller, with red curly hair, and a build resembling a mini sumo wrestler. He usually pulled me by my collar and threw me around, often dumping me into dustbins.

My mother always said that attention-seekers behaved this way to appear powerful and feared. It was why I never gave him any importance and ignored him, much to his annoyance.

“What, Knight? Are you going to keep that ugly oily hair of yours to your grave?” he remarked on my perfectly combed hair. Though I wanted to roll my eyes, I restrained myself.

Where the hell are you, Jung-Hwa?

Jung didn’t fear him. He was the only one who talked back but often ended up getting hurt for my sake.

“And where’s your Chinese friend?” Elliot looked around. I clenched my jaw. “He’s Korean,” I corrected, making Elliot smirk.

“So, the frog finally found his tongue,” he sneered.

“Here!” he threw some sheets in front of me. “Finish my assignments and submit them to my room by eight,” he commanded. I pushed the sheets back.

“I haven’t finished mine. I can’t do this,” I said, and he immediately threw my tray, spilling food everywhere.

“What’s going on, Abram?” two of his friends joined him, glaring at me.

“The nerd’s being a smartass,” he remarked, and they glared at me.

“Look, Knight! I gave you work, and you have to” – he grabbed my collar, blocking my breath – “finish it on time, or else-” he was interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

“Can I take a seat here?” a girl’s voice cut through the chaos. We turned to see a girl with raven hair holding a food tray, looking at the vacant seat next to me.

I had never seen her before. Ignoring the scene, she focused on me, noticing my collar in Elliot’s grip.

“Hey! Newbie! Can’t you see what’s going on here?” Elliot snarled, but she raised an eyebrow.

“Veronica. My name is Veronica,” she said, placing her tray on the table.

Elliot immediately released my collar, his attention shifting to her. He smirked, checking her out.

“Oh, well, hello, Veronica,” he extended his hand for a handshake. I adjusted my shirt and glasses, planning my escape. But as I reached for my bag, she took the seat next to me, blocking my exit.

“Well, what a normal day!” I muttered under my breath.

“Are you ignoring me, Veronica?” Elliot leaned over, but she continued eating, unfazed. I wanted to warn her not to provoke him, but with Elliot right there, I stayed silent.

Veronica ate her salad in silence, not acknowledging Elliot. His face reddened with anger, and he slammed his hand on the table.

“Yes?” Veronica looked up, still chewing.

“Look, newbie, you need to know your place. Answer me when I speak to you, or you’ll regret it. Ask the nerd here about the trouble I can cause,” Elliot sneered, glancing at me. My legs wobbled in anticipation of something bad.

“Okay,” she replied, uninterested, continuing to eat.

Elliot raised his hand to throw her tray, asserting his dominance. I braced for the impact, but to my shock, Veronica effortlessly grabbed his wrist with her left hand, stopping him.

Effortlessly, she held his wrist, eating with her right hand, making everyone in the canteen gasp.

“And as I am here, let me make something clear to you. The first thing is...” a yelp escaped Elliot’s mouth as she tightened her grip, making him writhe in pain. “Never disturb me when I’m eating. I do not like people annoying me while I eat." It was the calmness in her voice that changed the surrounding. Everyone were staring our way.

Elliot’s face turned red as he struggled to free his wrist. Veronica’s grip seemed effortless, yet it caused him visible pain. His friends watched in confusion and disbelief.

What in the world is she doing?

Veronica continued eating, unbothered by the commotion she was causing. Finally, she released his wrist, and he staggered back, clutching his hand and cursing under his breath.

“Now, as you get to know me this year, I will make sure to let you know the other things I don’t like. So, if you don’t mind,” she picked up a piece of chicken and put it in her mouth, “I am eating.”

Elliot glared at her, his face contorted with rage and humiliation. “You’ve put yourself in trouble. We will face each other soon,” he spat, storming off with his friends.

I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Veronica continued eating as if nothing had occurred, her demeanor unchanging. Why had she done that? I wanted to ask, but it felt inappropriate. I decided to wait for her to finish eating before leaving.

The day wasn’t as normal as I had thought it would be.