Part-228

  The moment Lemoered, a palpable wave of animosity swept through the room. His eyes locked onto James, and a surge e ignited within him. He wanted nothing more than to crush James’s fa. The memory of humiliation, of being arrested and suspended from school for two months, fshed through Lemon’s mind. It was James who had exposed his schemes, leading to his downfall. The police had caught him red-handed, and now he was back, simmering with rese.

  James felt a chill run down his spine as he caught Lemon’s gre. The anger radiating off him was almost tangible. Lemon had once ruled the school with an iron fist, known for his es and intimidation tactics. But after his arrest, everything had ged. The two main charges against him—stealing smartphones and money from various students, and the attempted murder of James—had sent shockwaves through the student body. Lemon had pted dropping out, but his new position at Fire Fly Group, a shady anizatio he couldn't afford to leave. He had to stay in school, but it was a bitter pill to swallow.

  As Lemon walked past James, their eyes met for a brief moment, and in that instant, the air was thick with unresolved tension. James khat Lemon’s return could spell trouble, and he could feel the weight of that danger pressing down on him.

  **The Call from Rahat**

  Not long before Lemouro school, he had received an ued phone call. It was from Rahat, the Managing Director of Fire Fly Group—a man who rarely bothered with junior employees like Lemon. When Lemon saw Rahat's name on his phone s, he was taken aback. Fire Fly was an iial in both brightside and underground anization, involved in a variety of illegal operations, but Lemon was just a small cog in the mae. He couldn’t uand why Rahat, someone so high up the of and, would call him directly.

  Lemon had answered the call cautiously. "Hello, sir?"

  "Lemon," Rahat's deep voice was steady, almost casual, but there was a cold edge to it. "I’ve heard about your... i."

  Lemon’s stomach tightened. He knew what Rahat was referring to. The humiliation, the arrest, the suspension—all of it was tied to that i with James. But why would Rahat care about something like that? Was Fire Fly upset with him fetting caught?

  "I was... going to drop out of school," Lemon muttered, half-expeg Rahat to agree that it was a good idea.

  But Rahat’s response caught him off guard. "No. You’re not dropping out."

  Lemon blinked in fusion. "Sir, I—"

  "You’ll stay in school," Rahat interrupted, his voice leaving no room fument. "I know everything about what happened between you and James. And I need you to stay close to him."

  "Stay close?" Lemoed, fused. He had expected Rahat to be furious with him, not give him orders to remain in school.

  "Observe him," Rahat tinued. "Keep an eye on his activities. I don’t want you to interfere or provoke him, uand? Just watch."