Chapter 431 - Obtaining Funds (2) - Delia's POV

"Rika isn't here," Luke found the usual study room he booked empty.

"Let's go to the café," Alex suggested.

I stiffened, recalling messaging Rika to immediately come to the club room after her class ended since we needed her help. Sienna told me it would be extremely hard to cover for Rika, but how hard could it be? Both Sienna and Henry tended to panic easily, leading them to be quickly exposed. Naturally walking up to them, I smiled, "Rika was called by one of teachers to help them with a task."

I had already asked one of the teachers to cover for us in exchange for letting them pre-order the food. In fact, all of the teachers in the campuses were in this plan. And nobody would dare to expose what Rika was doing since it would go against the pledge they made. Plus, all the workers under us were too afraid of Rika to do anything.

"There's no way Rika was called by one of them," Alex's eyes narrowed.

"But it's true, we can go to the office right now," I crossed my arms.

"Let's go to the teacher's office," Luke walked in front of me.

Confidently walking to open the door to their office myself, I went up to one of the teachers to carry out my plan. I placed one of my hands on their desk, giving the signal that we were going with the story I had created. The teacher slightly nodded her head as she began to ask, "is there anything you need from us?"

"I have heard from my partner's friend that my partner is out on an errand," Luke explained.

"I sent Rika to pick up some materials from the high school campus for our next class," the teacher flawlessly lied.

"Then she should already be back. It only took me a few minutes to do them a few years ago," Alex found it suspicious.

"It wasn't only me who asked Rika. It should take her more time since she accepted all our requests," she turned to the rest of her colleagues that agreed with her.

"I apologize, I find it a little odd that you are suddenly asking my cousin's partner to help with some errands. Our family donates a considerable amount of money to make sure she has extra time to spend on studying instead," Alex began to subtly threaten them.

"As you know, my partner does not have the best grades," Luke wasn't willing to let them go.

All the teachers stiffened, being new hires themselves from their family replacing almost all the past staff. I was shocked, not knowing they would warn the teachers that they may lose their jobs from this. They didn't hesitate to use the power that their families possessed, showing they were taking this matter of Rika not attending one of their study sessions seriously.

"It's only for one day," I tried to help the teachers.

"If Luke lets Rika skip a day, then she'll start thinking she can skip some other days as well," Alex explained to me.

"Can you let us know where Rika is right now?" Luke continued to pressure the teachers.

"Shouldn't she be at the café?" One of the teachers answered, a signal they were giving up on this plan.

"I thought you sent her out on some errands," Alex pointed out their answers weren't matching anymore.

"She messaged us during our conversation that one of our colleagues would deliver them for her since it was taking more time," A teacher quickly made up an excuse.

"Let's go to the café," Luke decided to check the place his partner frequently visited first.

"She knows her time at the café will be gone for a month if she skips a day," he walked with Alex.

I started to pity Rika, not knowing she wouldn't be able to come to the club room for an entire month because of this. They couldn't figure out she wasn't at the café. Blocking them from going to the café, I questioned them to buy some time, "don't you think you're being too much to my friend? Do you have to know where she is at all times?"

"Is there any reason why I can't?" Luke coldly stared at me.

I became almost dumbfounded, finding my reflection in his condensing stare that was starting to study me. This was the reason why Rika was desperate in hiding the club and all of its operations from him. There was no way he would let her go once he figured out everything that was happening behind his back. I started to recall the time he confined her inside the hotel room while I enjoyed the waterpark with Sienna.

"Don't you think she needs some private life of her own?" I pointed out.

"There's no way Luke can give her that. Do you know how much trouble she lands herself into?" Alex supported him.

"Please excuse us," Luke started to walk around me.

"You're being too lenient on her. You should confine her to your room after you go to the library together," Alex whispered into Luke's ear.

"That's what I'm going to do once I find her at the café," Luke agreed with him.

My head started to go blank as I couldn't imagine apologizing to Rika about this. Sending a message to Rika to let her know, I took a deep breath to prevent the exact thing from happening. I didn't know how I would face her if it did.