I rounded the corner of the administration building, my backpack slung over one shoulder, and froze. Dr. Lisette Vaughn was standing by the teacher’s lounge, her posture relaxed, laughter spilling from her lips like music I wasn’t meant to hear. She was leaning casually against the doorframe, hand on her hip, and beside her… Cassian Ward.

They were laughing together, the kind of laughter that suggested decades of knowing each other, secrets traded, jokes no one else would understand. His head tipped back slightly, eyes sparkling in amusement as he gestured toward something she had said.

I swallowed, trying to steady myself. “That’s… a little much, isn’t it?” I whispered under my breath, my voice barely audible.

I watched as they lingered there a moment longer before finally parting ways. Cassian waved at Vaughn, an almost familiar curl of his lips that made something in my chest tighten. My instincts screamed—something was off. Too much familiarity, too much ease. The kind of connection that shouldn’t exist between a new professor and a rival one.

I shook my head and forced myself to focus on the next task at hand: confronting him. I had to know. My curiosity burned too brightly, and Adrian’s possessive energy had made me hyper-aware of this triangle forming, however unintentional it might have been.

I made my way to his office, heart thumping with anticipation and a little trepidation. The campus hallways seemed quieter than usual, the low murmur of students fading into a distant hum. Cassian’s door was ajar, the warm light spilling out into the corridor. I took a deep breath and knocked lightly.

“Come in,” his voice called, calm and controlled.

I pushed the door open, stepping inside. His office was sleek, minimalistic, but with a warmth that felt… dangerous in its own right. The faint scent of cologne lingered in the air, sharp and intoxicating. Cassian looked up from his papers, eyebrow raised, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

“Ah, Miss Hale,” he said, voice smooth, almost teasing. “To what do I owe the pleasure of an unexpected visit?”

I crossed the room quickly, planting myself in front of his desk. “I… I saw you with Dr. Vaughn earlier,” I said carefully, choosing my words with precision. “In the teacher’s lounge. Laughing, talking… it looked… intimate.” My pulse sped, frustration and curiosity sharpening every word. “I need to know—are you two… involved?”

Cassian’s smirk widened slightly, but his eyes remained steady, calculating. “Involved?” he repeated, leaning back in his chair, fingers steepled. “What do you mean, exactly? Professionally? Personally?”

I narrowed my eyes, unwilling to let him dance around it. “Personally,” I said firmly. “Because it looked like more than just colleagues being friendly.”

His gaze softened almost imperceptibly, but he shook his head. “No, Sophie. There’s nothing like that between us.”

I frowned, unconvinced. “Really?” I pressed. “Because it looked like you were… close. Laughing like you’ve known each other for years. Touching casually. You didn’t even glance around to see if anyone was watching. That’s not… professional.”

Cassian’s expression didn’t falter, but a faint shadow crossed his face, almost like he was weighing his words. “Vaughn and I have history, yes,” he admitted cautiously, “but it’s nothing scandalous. Nothing… romantic. We understand each other. That’s all.”

I let out a slow breath, unsure if I should believe him. My gut told me he was telling the truth—or at least part of it—but my emotions were tangled. “It just… feels like there’s something you’re not telling me,” I whispered, frustration and curiosity fighting for dominance in my chest.

He leaned forward, elbows on the desk, voice dropping slightly, almost intimate in its softness. “Sophie, I promise you—there’s nothing between us in that way. I would not—could not—allow that to interfere with what’s happening here. Between you and me.”

The words hit my chest like a physical force. My heart skipped. Between me and him? His tone, warm yet commanding, made the air around us thrum with unspoken tension. But I had to stay grounded. “I need to trust that,” I said carefully, taking a small step back. “Because I’m… I’m not okay with secrets. I can handle teasing, I can handle flirtation, but I can’t handle… deception. Not anymore. Not from anyone.”

Cassian’s gaze darkened slightly, the teasing lilt returning to his voice, though his eyes never left mine. “Deception? Sophie, do you think I’d deceive you? After everything… after how careful I’ve been with you?”

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