Cliffhanger

As expected Keira and her friends passed the complete medical exams.

And they were scheduled for the final round of the Physical Fitness Assessment: the "Survival of the Fittest", where candidates were required to stay inside the Military Academy for three days, billeting during the assessment and challenges.

At this round, everyone was back to the beginning and those who passed the final rounds would be the only ones who would be admitted to the Military Academy.

Keira was panting hard after doing the shuttle run.

"You are doing great, Keira. All of you guys!" Said the coach with thumbs up.

"Oh crap! I'm so hungry." May exclaimed loudly as she followed Keira who laid her body on the grass.

The training for Keira's group was continuous and the coaches put up a harder and stricter training as per Keira's instruction.

"Sis, what happened at the in-laws meeting?" Lana asked stuttering as she caught her breath. Keira was silent the whole time and the three of them were already dying of curiosity about how things went at the meeting with the Liu Family.

Keira smiled, it was her normal mischievous smile, indicating that everything ended up well much to her liking.

"Hmmm… It went well for now…" Keira answered simply.

Drey's face twitched and he complained, "Can we at least get the details? How well? You mean there's no more arranged marriage or you just delayed it with excuses?"

"Hmm…" Keira mumbled as she recalled how embarrassed Old Madam Liu's, as well as Jeru's, faces were. It was so funny that she couldn't help but burst out in laughter.

"Keira Chan!" Lana exclaimed impatiently.

"Alright, you gossip mongers!" Keira said laughing.

"I simply told them 'NO' and that it's my right to reject them. I said I'm too young for that kind of thing and I wanted to experience a lot of things during my youth." Said Keira.

"Only that and Old Madam Hitler agreed? She just let you slip away that easily?" Lana burst out in disbelief.

"Of course not. They said they can wait and that we don't have to marry immediately and will be engaged in the process until I reach the age of twenty-three." Keira answered.

All eyes were on her, including the coaches, waiting for her to continue.

"I said that I will only marry for love and nothing will change that! Guess what she said?"

"You can fall in love after you marry him… Love comes after, with time!" Said Keira as she tried to copy Old Madam Liu's demanding voice.

"Ohhh…" her friends gasped, and Keira rolled her eyes and revealed everything in detail to her friends.

"Ohh, that's nice… That way, Old Madam Liu can't blame your parents. They are off the hook, they might even pity your parents for having the most stubborn daughter…" Lana nodded in agreement.

"Hmmm, what if there is some kind of aftermath? What did Jeru Liu say?" Drey asked next.

Keira shrugged her shoulders because Jeru was too quiet the whole time. She never heard him say a thing.

At first, she thought to say that she would agree only if she fell in love at first, but then it would have only made things worse. Just the thought of Jeru bugging her while she was trying to bug Zach made her head spin and ache.

The Lius, in the end, did not pursue the matter and it ended up with Old Madam Liu understanding the situation because she knew well that Keira was Field Marshal Chan's only daughter and he treasured her the most.

But there's one thing that bothered Keira…

"Actually, I think Old Madam Liu really didn't accept defeat as they said," Keira mumbled suddenly.

Lana's brow arched and she asked, "Why? What do you mean?"

"She kissed me on the cheek before we leave their mansion and she whispered something in my ear…" Keira said and sighed.

"What?" The trio asked in chorus…

"SECRET!!!" Keira exclaimed, which made May pounce on her, including Lana as they poked Keira's sides.

"You won't tell? For real? We will torture you till the end!" May exclaimed.

"Drey, grab her feet! Let's kill her for giving us a cliffhanger statement!" Shouted Lana.

Drey scratched his head and followed while he began to scratch Keira's feet who was bursting, being put in so much laughter…

The coaches just watched the four having fun.

"What do you think Old Madam Liu whispered?" One of the coaches, who knew Old Madam, murmured.

"She's that female Hitler, right? Maybe, she whispered, 'This is a war of extermination', Adolf Hitler, To his general, 30 March 1942 OR 'Now terror will be answered with terror.', Adolf Hitler, In response to the news that Lubeck had been obliterated by the RAF, 28 March 1942?' Said the other one in a jest.

"'Whenever I think of that attack, my stomach turns over.' Adolf Hitler, To Heinz Guderian, in reference to the Kursk offensive, 14 May 1943" said the coach and both burst out in laughter.

"OKAY, STOP!!!!" Keira shouted, stammering while her stomach already ached because of too much laughing.

"Old Madam Liu whispered to me, -We will definitely meet each other again-"

Drey: "Maybe, at a party or event?"

May: "Hmm. Maybe, it's a goodbye luck farewell only. You know… NO meaning at all but just a good gesture.

Lana: "It's definitely a warning..."

Keira agreed with Lana because that's what she felt at that moment. She's been warned.

'Bring it on!' That was Keira's inward answer and she clearly relayed it to Old Madam Liu by her devious smile after Old Madam whispered her words to her ear that night.