Chapter 25

“Let’s head to the new topic, now.”

Professor Smith spoke while adjusting his glasses. Heading to the whiteboard, he picked up the marker to write when suddenly a man of 6′2" barged into the class.

Enraged, Smith opened his mouth to rebuke him but his words were left hanging as the guy blatantly ignored him and headed to sit. People gaped at his audacity as they looked at him and then at the Professor who was raging like a bull.

“MATTEO SIMONS, DIDN’T I WARN YOU BEFORE TO STAY OUT OF MY CLASS?” He shouted but the contumacious kid paid him no heed and kept walking with his eyes scanning the room, looking for someone.

The girls immediately turned cautious as his bluish-green orbs checked each one of them keenly. They quickly corrected their frizzy hair, trying to look presentable as Matteo was someone who came straight from their imaginations.

Only if they knew that the guy whom they were trying to appease had someone else in his mind.

Matteo stiffened when his eyes landed on the silver-haired girl who was staring ahead with empty eyes. She looked lost.

‘Gotcha’

Without wasting time, Matteo turned his heels and headed to Emmaline.

Veronica who was sitting in front of her jumped excitedly when she noticed the hot guy approaching her. With her head held high, she looked at the girls who were glaring at her with envy and passed them a complacent smirk.

‘Of course, he would come to me.’ She chuckled to herself.

Crossing her arms, she then leaned on the desk flaunting her big boobs that were spilling out of her poor excuse of a dress.

Veronica waited impatiently for his arrival but her smile faltered when she followed his gaze. Matteo was looking ahead and not at her.

That was enough to raise her hackles.

Matteo abruptly halted when Veronica stuck her foot in his way. Clenching his jaw, he shot her a glare only to find her battling her eyelashes at him.

Veronica bit her lips when her eyes fell on his biceps and his taut chest which looked ready to rip his Black Balenciaga Tee. She further dropped her gaze to his thick thighs that were draped with ripped denim and those sleek combat boots made her wonder how rich the Adonis is. With hooded eyes, she then lifted her head only to find his hot, angry eyes pinned on her but to her surprise, she wasn’t intimidated, instead, they gave a fillip to her lewd fantasies.

While Veronica was busily eye-raping Matteo, he only felt disgusted. But he didn’t want to create a scene so, he simply stepped aside and walked ahead making her jaw drop to the ground. Veronica turned around, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment. The girls who were grieving earlier, their faces beamed in delight.

Veronica huffed as she glared at her peers deriding her but what made her go nuts was when Matteo plopped beside Emmaline, her biggest rival.

Emmaline’s P.O.V.

Twirling the pen between my fingers, I stared at the blackboard with uninterested eyes. I tried concentrating but I can’t understand a single word. How would I focus when my head was jammed with thoughts of Damien, Professor Andrew, my job, and my messed-up life?

A chair was scraped next to me and a person sat on it in the mid of the class. Professor Smith paused for a while and glared at the intruder.

A deafening silence fell in the class as the drama continued for a while. Professor kept tapping his foot, demanding an apology but whom he was kidding? The man who had the guts to disturb an ongoing class and took his seat causally, would he apologize?

And I was right as Professor Smith only had to surrender at the last. he later carried on with the lecture. Maybe the bigsie didn’t grant his wish. I could feel eyes on me but I also know that those stares weren’t for me but for the person sitting beside me. Yet I made no move to check him or her. I was least interested in the irrelevant drama when my own life has turned into one.

Since childhood, I had been searching for only one answer. Why God is always testing me? While cleaning the world, why he always discards the troubles of his loved ones in my life which is already deprived of colors? Whenever I try to stand up and live my life with pride, he would put another trouble in my way that would force me to kowtow. Why? What did I do to receive so much pain? People say that He tests those whom he wants to emerge as warriors but today I can’t even stand on my feet. The threats of Damien hanging over my head forbade me to even breathe in peace.

I have always managed to save myself even when I was on the brink of giving up but today, I don’t have the strength to think about a kickback. When will all this end? What should I do to chisel away the morass of despair that had caged me in his hold, once and for all?

Sir Andrew gave me two weeks to find a solution for my fees or leave the campus. How will I be able to fetch such a huge amount within two weeks? Even if I manage to get a job somehow, I would be kicked out the next moment if I demand an advance payment which is equivalent to one’s basic salary. I was a fool. Why did I even take admitted here? I should have studied at a local college. The fees would have been under my budget and I wouldn’t have been worrying about being kicked out just because I lost my job.

I can’t even apply for a loan from any bank as I have nothing to deposit in return nor I do I have something dearer and antique that I could pawn. I had used all my savings to pay that devil. I don’t even have enough money to feed my empty stomach then from where on earth will I manage to pay the bills and fees?

My life is so fucked up. I didn’t know that meeting the CEO of my company would be a baptism of fire.

A frustrated sigh escaped my mouth.

‘Should I rob Damien or worse kill him? He is the root cause of all my problems.’ I snarled in my head.

‘No, you can’t do that. Don’t forget who he is. He himself revealed his true identity himself and you know he wasn’t lying. And if by any chance, he turned out to be an Alpha of a pack, that would only exacerbate the situation more for us.’ Reina tried to make me understand.

Ahh, what should I do?

Defeated, I placed my head on the desk.

Still, Reina, I refuse to accept my mistake. I agree that slapping Damien wasn’t needed but doesn’t he deserve that? He questioned my purity. His disparaging words were a slap to my self-esteem. I know I am not powerful like him but my status is my dignity, my confidence, and my pride not money. And I can’t sit back and do nothing to a man who raised a finger on my character.

What if I am thrown out of this university? I would study somewhere else. A place that doesn’t have egoistic, hedonist billionaires who love to trample people just because they are poor. What if my house is a dingy, shambled cottage, not a 3 BHK flat, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about jerks like David and Damien.

Education is important not the institute. I didn’t learn computers after buying them. I didn’t manage to get a job in Knight corporation through cajolery or bootlicking. If I can get a job in the city’s tech hub, then I can get a job anywhere in the world. I don’t care about the six-figure salary now, all I care about is mental peace. New York isn’t my hometown. If I lose, I will leave this city, bag, and baggage, and head to where my destiny takes me. Maybe this would be the end of my misery and the start of a new adventure that would turn me into a successful, independent, and strong woman.

A new determination surged through my veins. Reina was also pleased by my words.

‘You and your speeches.’ She chuckled making me smile too.

“As the adage goes, this too shall pass. We would survive this storm too Reina.” I mumbled.

“What’s so funny Ms. Dawson?”

Professor Smith’s raging tone jolted me. I quickly schooled my expressions and looked at him who was glowering at me.

Shit, he was already pissed and I riled him up more. But if by any chance he asks me what he was teaching, I will be doomed. I wasn’t paying attention.

I glanced at my colleagues who were already gawking at me, anticipating my response.

God, I just hate the limelight.’

“I think I asked you something, Ms. Smith. Would you enlighten me and the class, what did you find so funny in Data Sciences?” He sneered making the class giggle. My cheeks heated up. That was seriously embarrassing.

Gulping, I placed my palms on the desk and pushed my chair back to stand.

“Uhm Sir” I stuttered nervously while avoiding his eyes, thinking of an excuse when someone cut me in between.

“It’s private, Prof. Continue the damn lecture.”

The person spoke in a raucous voice but to my dismay, he was none other than my desk mate. The whole gasped in shock, even I was surprised by his effrontery.

I immediately looked to my left only to freeze on spot.

‘What is he doing here?’

“HOW DARE YOU? ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? LEAVE THE CLASS RIGHT NOW OR I WILL REPORT YOU TO THE AUTHORITIES!!”

Professor’s patience soon ran out and he burst into anger. A deafening silence fell in the class as everyone quickly sealed their lips and buried their noses under the books. But the rebel beside me simply scoffed. His attitude even left me surprised.

“As you wish.”

Saying that he abruptly stood up to his height while roughly pushing the chair behind him. He then snapped his head in my direction making me jump.

His chilly glare pierced my skin like needles. Nevertheless, I looked away and dropped myself on the chair but he suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me back to my feet.

“What the-”

“Let’s go.”

He spoke darkly and ignoring my struggles, dragged me out of the classroom while the entire class watched us in shock and disbelief.

*****