Chapter 310:Finally got his attention.

Chapter 310: 310:Finally got his attention.

The girl opened her mouth.

Ravenna raised a hand.

"Actually, forget it. I’ll ask someone else. Thank you for your time and have a bad rest of the day."

She turned away.

The girl blinked, then stepped towards her.

"Wait, I didn’t say..."

"You didn’t have to."

Ravenna walked back toward Mallory who immediately took her arm.

"You handled that better than I expected."

Ravenna looked at her.

"How badly did you expect me to handle it?"

Mallory considered her answer.

"I thought there was at least a small possibility you’d ask her whether she wanted to test how violent your exile supposedly made you."

Ravenna stared blankly at her.

Antony laughed.

"I was thinking the same thing."

"You two are becoming very annoying."

"Maybe you’re rubbing off on us."

Ravenna sighed.

"Can we please find Shawn before I lose whatever patience Shirley left me with?"

Antony looked toward the crowd.

"Leave it to me."

Ravenna immediately became suspicious.

"What are you doing?"

"Asking people."

"That’s what I just did."

"Yes, but you chose a woman."

Ravenna frowned.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Antony pointed discreetly toward a group of male students standing several meters away.

"Apparently your future cousin-in-law has enough female admirers that asking women is dangerous. So I’m adapting."

Mallory laughed.

"That’s actually not terrible reasoning."

"Thank you."

Ravenna waved him away.

"Fine. Go adapt."

Antony approached the students.

The female student Ravenna had spoken to hadn’t left. Ravenna noticed her lingering nearby. She apparently wanted to know whether Ravenna’s story was true.

Ravenna couldn’t bring herself to care.

Antony stopped beside the group.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. We’re trying to find Shawn Ruddington. Do any of you know whether he’s already left?"

The conversation stopped.

One of the young men looked at Antony, then his eyes moved toward Ravenna. Another followed his gaze. Soon all of them were looking at her.

Ravenna crossed her arms.

"What are you looking at?!"

One of the students looked back at Antony.

"Is she the one looking for him?"

"Yes."

The student looked at Ravenna again.

"Does Shawn know her?"

Antony shrugged.

"That’s what we’re about to find out."

Another student laughed.

"If she’s another confession, tell her she’s probably wasting her time."

Ravenna’s eyebrow twitched. The female student behind them folded her arms as if her earlier suspicion had just been vindicated.

Ravenna inhaled slowly.

Antony noticed.

"Before my friend comes over here and makes this conversation significantly less pleasant, could someone simply tell us where Shawn is?"

One of the boys laughed.

"Relax. He’s right there."

He pointed.

Ravenna followed his finger. Near one side of the academy gate stood a group of students.

There were perhaps eight or nine of them gathered around someone, some speaking while others appeared to be showing him something on their phones.

The person in the middle was tall, carrying himself with the relaxed confidence of someone completely accustomed to having people approach him.

Ravenna stared at him for a few seconds as recognition came slowly, then completely.

"That’s him."

Mallory looked.

"You’re sure?"

Ravenna nodded.

"I remember him."

The female student moved closer.

"Wait, you actually know Shawn?"

Ravenna glanced at her.

"I told you I wasn’t here to confess."

"I didn’t say you were."

"You strongly implied it."

The girl looked embarrassed.

Ravenna didn’t have the energy to continue. She started toward Shawn.

Mallory followed.

Antony thanked the students before catching up with them. The closer Ravenna got, the more nervous she became. Not because of Shawn himself but because this made everything real again.

She was about to tell Silver’s family what had happened and say the words aloud.

Her pace slowed.

Mallory noticed.

"Ravenna?"

"I’m fine."

Mallory studied her.

"You don’t have to be."

"I need to do this."

"Then do it."

Ravenna nodded.

They reached the edge of the group. Shawn was speaking with another student and hadn’t noticed them.

She waited several seconds but nobody moved. She could have pushed through but didn’t; instead, she raised her voice.

"Shawn Ruddington."

The effect was immediate. Several conversations stopped as heads turned. Shawn himself paused in the middle of whatever he had been saying.

He looked toward the edge of the group, eyes landing on Ravenna. For a moment, neither spoke. Ravenna stared at him and shawn stared back.

His expression slowly changed, not recognition but something close to it. His eyebrows drew together.

He had seen her somewhere. Ravenna could tell. One of the students beside him looked between them.

"Do you know her?"

Shawn didn’t answer immediately. He studied Ravenna for another moment.

"I don’t think so."

Ravenna stepped closer.

"We’ve seen each other before, but I don’t expect you to remember me."

Shawn’s frown deepened.

Her face was familiar, he was certain of that,but he couldn’t place it.

"Where?"

Ravenna shook her head.

"That’s not important right now. I need to speak with you privately."

The people around Shawn immediately became curious. Someone whispered something but Ravenna ignored them. Shawn looked toward Mallory and Antony, then back at Ravenna.

"About what?"

Ravenna hesitated.

There were too many people listening. She hadn’t wanted to say Silver’s name here, but she also knew Shawn had no reason to follow a stranger simply because she asked. So she stepped closer and lowered her voice.

"It’s about Silver."

Everything changed.

Shawn’s expression became serious.

"Silver?"

Ravenna nodded.

"Silver Ruddington. Your cousin."

Shawn stared at her.

"How do you know Silver?"

Ravenna swallowed.

"I’ll explain everything, but I don’t want to do it here. Please. I need a few minutes somewhere private."

The urgency in her voice finally erased whatever hesitation remained.

Shawn looked at her more carefully. He noticed the exhaustion around her eyes. The way her hand had unconsciously tightened around something in her pocket. The worry she was trying very hard to hide.

Whatever this was, it wasn’t someone looking for an excuse to talk to him. He turned toward the students surrounding him.

"I’ll be back. Give me a few minutes."

One of them looked curious.

"Everything alright?"

Shawn glanced toward Ravenna.

"I don’t know yet."

He stepped away from the group.

Ravenna immediately turned.

"There’s somewhere quieter around the side of the academy. We passed it coming here."

Shawn nodded.

"Lead the way."

Mallory and Antony followed several steps behind them.

The female student Ravenna had originally approached remained near the gate, watching them leave with wide eyes.

Ravenna didn’t notice, her attention entirely on the man walking beside her. For days, she had been searching for someone who could do something.

Someone with influence. Someone who wouldn’t dismiss Silver as another Contractor lost in the wilderness.

She had finally found him.

Now came the harder part. She had to tell Shawn that his cousin had never made it out of Death Row Valley.