Chapter 75

Living near the school was great. There was no need for them to squeeze onto buses or wait for cabs. A blue Porsche stopped at the school intersection. As Natalie passed by, the car window slowly rolled down. "I'll give you a ride," Lucian said to her. "No need. You need to head to Payne Group. We're not going the same way," Natalie replied. She didn't want to be alone with him. The incident last night had kept her from sleeping well. "Westside Street is on my way," Lucian insisted. "A cab's here, so I'll go now. Goodbye, Lucian." Natalie hurriedly flagged down a cab and got in. When Natalie stepped into the studio, she thought she might be in the wrong place, for no one was there. She checked the time and saw that it was barely even 8:30 am, so she definitely wasn't late. Just then, the sound of party poppers echoed in the air. Petals and colored streamers fluttered down from above. Natalie jumped with a start and covered her ears with her hands. "Congratulations, Ms. Cooper