Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Chapter 887: The Marathon Run "You're just too kind," Orion said with a sigh. "If I were you, I'd teach him a proper lesson. Don't you find it annoying to have that self-important pest, Dorian, buzzing around you every day?" Aveline groaned. "Orion, I'm exhausted. In class, I have to deal with gossiping girls and overly flattering boys. After school, it's Dorian again, acting like the world revolves around him." Orion reached out and gently patted her head. "I heard you had Mr. Johnson impersonate Uncle Julian at school today. That was bold." "How do you know everything, Orion?" Aveline pouted. "I had no choice. You know how Dad is. If he found out I got into a fight, he'd blow the roof off." "Uncle Julian would definitely lose it. Aren't you worried about being found out?" "Not at all. Mom and Dad are so busy every day. I've already decided Mr. Johnson will fill in for them again at next month's sports day and the parent-teacher conference." A mischievous grin spread across Aveline's face.

"You little devil," Orion chuckled. "You know Uncle Julian wants to visit your school." "He doesn't want to visit my school; he wants to remodel it. I already have enough rumors about me. I don't need people puttingon a pedestal. Orion, you better keep this a secret." "Alright," Orion agreed with a nod.

After staway, Liora finally returned to class. Everyone was surprised to see her hair cut as short as a boy's.

The moment she sat down, a crowd gathered around her, feigning concern.

"Liora, were you injured badly? Why were you gone for so long?" It had taken days for the swelling on Liora's face to go down. But what bothered her most was her hair. She had delayed her return to school, staying hlonger than her parents approved. Worried about her falling behind in her studies, they eventually forced her to go back.

If it had been winter, she could have hidden under a hat. But it wasn't, and hats weren't allowed in class. Orion had also forbidden her from wearing a wig, so she had no choice but to show up as she was.

"Liora, why did you cut your hair so short?" "I'm fine, really. Thanks for worrying about me," Liora said, brushing off their questions. "I saw spictures online of short haircuts and thought they looked nice. I asked the stylist to try it, but it didn't turn out well, so I had to cut it even shorter. I'll just let it grow back out." "Which salon was it? We'll make sure to avoid it." "It was near my house. You wouldn't run into it," Liora replied nervously, glancing at Aveline out of the corner of her eye. She was terrified Aveline would expose her lie, but Aveline didn't even look her way.

"By the way, you should stop hanging out with Aveline. She's so vicious. You used to be so close, and she turned around and had someone attack you." "Enough," Liora interrupted. "It's in the past. I've fallen behind in my studies these past few days. You'll helpcatch up, won't you?" Truthfully, Liora wasn't worried about Aveline. She was terrified of Orion. That man, when angry, was utterly terrifying. She wouldn't dare say a word about Aveline or Orion.

Life soon returned to its usual rhythm, and everyone's attention shifted to the upcoming sports day.

Aveline had no intention of participating, but the school required every student to sign up for at least two events to encourage well-rounded development.

She signed up for the marathon and the 800-meter run. Long-distance running suited her better; years of running with Aurora had made it second nature. Sprinting, on the other hand, wasn't her strength.

She had also heard that Orion had signed up for the marathon, the only event where middle school and high school students competed together.

When Aurora learned about Aveline's choices, she immediately instructed the cook to prepare nutritious meals for her.

"Sweetheart," Aurora said, "marathons are exhausting. Do your best, but if it gets too hard, it's okay to stop." Aurora was worried. Every year, there were accidents during the marathon.

"Don't worry, Mom. I know my limits. I'm not foolish," Aveline reassured her.

"By the way," Julian chimed in, "we're halfway through the semester. There's usually a parent-teacher conference by now. When is yours?" Parent-teacher conferences were Julian's favorite opportunity to visit Aveline's school. But as soon as Aveline heard him mention it, her head started to ache.

"Dad, I haven't heard anything yet. If there's news, I'll let you know right away." "Good. Don't forget. Your mom and I are really looking forward to it," Julian said, finally satisfied.

"I know, Dad," Aveline muttered, lowering her head to focus on her food. She had no intention of telling him that she had already arranged for Mr. Johnson to play the role of her guardian again.

On the day of the marathon, everyone changed into the designated running uniforms. "On your marks... get set... go!" At the sound of the starting gun, dozens of students surged forward.

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School rules required participants to run at least one kilometer beforen quitting Proppinglout too early would invite ridicule-not just for the student but for their entire class. Aveline paced herself, running steadily. But after barely a hundred meters, she felt something wrong in her shoe. A sharp pain pierced her foot.

She stopped and lifted her foot. A thumbtack was embedded in her shoe. Its tip had been barely noticeable at first, but as she ran, it had dug deeper, cutting into her foot.

Aveline pulled out the tack and threw it into a trash can. There was no way this was a coincidence. Someone wanted to see her fail.

Quitting now, after just a hundred meters, would be a humiliation she'd never live down. Biting her lip, she e started running again, even as the pain in her foot worsened. Orion soon caught up to her. "What's wrong? You don't look well." If she told Orion, he'd stop running too. Aveline didn't care about winning, but she couldn't bear the thought of her class being mocked or dragging Orion down with her.

She forced a smile. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me, Orion. Keep running." "You don't look fine. Your breathing's uneven, and we've barely started," Orion said, clearly unconvinced.

"Really, I'm okay," Aveline insisted.

By now, her sock was soaked with blood. After another 300 meters, she stumbled and fell.

All eyes turned toward her. In the crowd, someone's lips curled into a triumphant smile.

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