In the afternoon, at the Pollard residence, James was conducting a final pop quiz on Angelo to make sure he’d gotten all the details about the Mintons down pat. Only then did he set aside the ruler he’d been holding and said, “Alright, you’re good.”Angelo eyed the ruler, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. “I told you, I’m a quick study… Took me less than three hours to get it all down.””Thick-skinned, aren’t you?” James didn’t even bother looking up. “Now, figure out a way to keep Sandy from seeing Vanessa these next few days. Wait until the engagement party to bring your sister along.” Angelo sat across from James, puzzled. “You want me to keep them apart?””Exactly.””But they’re best friends, practically inseparable since their time abroad,” Angelo mused. “They had a spat over Odie, but I know Sandy. If Vanessa sincerely apologizes, Sandy will forgive her. She wasn’t that into Odie anyway…””That’s precisely why they can’t meet.”James’s words made Angelo pause. “You don’t want them to make up, do you?””Vanessa got with Odie for her own gain. She knows it would hurt your sister, but she did it anyway. If they meet now, Vanessa could easily smooth things over with your gullible sister. As her brother, can you really stand by and let your sister be friends with someone like that?”Angelo frowned, processing this. “James, I might be slow at times, but I’m not stupid! You’re not looking out for my sister. You want to use her to cause a scene at the engagement party, don’t you?” “Oh, you caught on? Not bad, you’re learning.” James’s tone was casual, almost indifferent.Angelo, fuming, said, “James, do you really think I’m an idiot?””Not at all. I’m doing this to stop your sister from being deceived. Purely out of the goodness of my heart.” “Goodness mixed with a bit of self-interest, right?””How can you put it like that? We have a teacher-student bond. I can’t just watch your sister be used by others.” Angelo watched James lie without flinching, and felt increasingly that he was the epitome of cunning.”Fine, I’ll help you.” Angelo continued, “Actually, I’ve never liked Vanessa. She once dragged Sandy to that godforsaken place in Devonport to back her up, and what happened? Sandy got shipped back like cargo by Colby… Sure, Sandy was out of line, and that’s on us. But it shows Vanessa had no good intentions.” While Angelo talked to himself, Jamesanothstood up, poured himself etcup of coffee, and casuallypopped in his earplugs.Realizing that his monologue had been ignored, Angelo turned back to James. “Are you even listening to me?”Three days later, Odie and Vanessa’sengagement became the talk of the town abroad. Unlike Odie’s previous engagement announcement with Sandy, this time Odie and Vanessa were met with public outrage. “Getting together with your best friend’s ex-fiancé? How shameless!” Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
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