Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Mia's POV

As we walked out of the Vice Chancellor's office, I let out a shaky breath.

I couldn't imagine what would've happened if Kai hadn't walked in and saved me.

How would I have proved my innocence?

Nobody would have believed me.

I looked at Kai as he walked beside me.

I still didn't understand why he had defended me.

He didn't trust me.

He still thought I was a spy.

Yet when Avery tried to ruin me, he had been the one to stand up for me.

Before I could think about it any further, Kai suddenly grabbed my hand.

“What are you doing?”

He didn't answer.

He simply pulled me down the hallway.

“Where are you taking me?”

Still nothing.

I frowned as I followed him.

A few moments later, we reached the instructor's office.

Kai unlocked the door and stepped inside.

I went in after him.

The moment the door closed behind us, he turned around.

“Who is he?”

My brows furrowed. “Who?”

“Your boyfriend.”

My heart skipped. “Liam?”

Kai's expression hardened.

“Yes. Liam.”

I swallowed.

“What does he have to do with this?”

“Everything.”

He walked toward me.

“You broke into my villa because of him.”

I looked away.

“You tried to escape because you wanted to get back to him.”

“That isn't—”

“And when he came here yesterday, you told me he was just a friend.”

I froze. Of course he remembered.

Kai's eyes narrowed.

“Why did you lie to me?”

“I didn't want you to hurt him.”

“And why would I hurt him?”

“Because you think he's involved in all of this.”

“I think you're hiding something about him.”

“I've told you everything.”

“No, you haven't.”

His voice was cold.

“You said you broke into my villa to help your boyfriend. Then he comes here, and suddenly he's just a friend.”

“He is my boyfriend.”

“Then why did you lie?”

“Because I was scared!”

The words came out louder than I intended.

Kai stared at me.

“I know what you're capable of,” I continued. “You've already told me what you'll do if I try to escape again. I didn't want you to think he was involved and go after him.”

Kai's jaw tightened.

“You're protecting him.”

“Because he's innocent.”

“Innocent?”

“Yes.”

Kai gave a humorless laugh.

“You walked into my home and risked your life because of this man.”

“I wanted to help him.”

“Why?”

“Because he needed me.”

“And you never stopped to ask what he was asking you to risk?”

“I knew it was dangerous.”

“Yet you did it anyway.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

I looked at him.

The answer was obvious.

“Because I love him.”

Silence filled the room.

Kai's expression changed.

For several seconds, he didn't say anything.

Then he repeated quietly, “You love him.”

I looked away.

“Yes.”

His hands curled into fists.

“You love a man who watched his own problems become your problems.”

“You don't know him.”

“I know enough.”

“No, you don't.”

Kai stepped closer.

“You risked everything for him.”

“Because I wanted to help him!”

“He needed something from me, and somehow you ended up in my villa trying to steal it.”

“I told you. I made that decision myself.”

“Did you?”

I frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You keep defending him.”

“Because you keep accusing him!”

“I haven't accused him of anything.”

“You're clearly suspicious of him.”

“Yes.”

“At least you're admitting it.”

Kai's eyes narrowed.

“I want you to start asking yourself why.”

I shook my head.

“There's nothing to ask.”

“You're certain?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“Because I know Liam.”

Kai stared at me.

“You think you know him.”

I clenched my fists.

“Stop saying that.”

“Why?”

“Because you're wrong.”

“Then prove me wrong.”

“I don't have to prove my relationship to you.”

“No.”

His voice became colder.

“But you do have to explain why you lied to me about him.”

I opened my mouth but nothing came out.

I didn't have an answer.

I had been scared.

That was the truth.

I couldn't let Kai hurt Liam.

Liam was the only person I had left.

Or at least, that's what I thought.

Kai looked at me for a long moment.

“Where is he now?”

“I don't know.”

“He didn't tell you?”

“He just came to check on me.”

“And you believe that?”

“Yes.”

Kai shook his head.

“You're too trusting.”

“I am not.”

“You are.”

“I trusted someone I love. There's nothing wrong with that.”

“There is when that person puts you in danger.”

My eyes stung.

“You don't understand.”

“Then make me understand.”

“I know what I did was wrong.”

My voice cracked.

“I know I shouldn't have broken into your home. I know I shouldn't have tried to steal from you. But I did it because I thought I was helping someone I loved.”

Kai didn't respond.

“And now I'm trapped here because of it,” I continued. “I can't leave when I want. I can't use my own phone. I can't even decide where I'm going without you knowing.”

“You're still trying to make yourself the victim.”

I stared at him.

“I am a victim.”

My voice rose.

“Yes, I broke into your villa. Yes, I tried to steal from you. But I didn't leak those records!”

Kai's expression remained cold.

“I didn't ask Avery to frame me. I didn't do anything to those students. I didn't ask for any of this!”

My breathing became uneven.

“I've lost my freedom because of things I can't control.”

Something inside Kai suddenly changed.

His eyes flashed grey.

A low growl rumbled from his chest.

I froze.

His anger filled the room.

For a moment, I thought he was going to lose control.

I didn't think.

I simply reached for him.

My palm pressed against his chest.

A faint warmth spread through my hand.

Kai's body stiffened.

The growl slowly faded.

I stared at my hand.

The strange warmth flowed through my fingers and into him.

His breathing became steadier.

The tension in his shoulders slowly disappeared.

Kai looked down at my hand.

Then he looked at me.

“What did you just do?”

I slowly pulled my hand away.

“I don't know.”

He stared at me.

“You healed me.”

“I didn't mean to.”

For the first time, the suspicion in his eyes disappeared.

There was something else there.

Something I couldn't understand.

He looked almost surprised.

Almost...

Soft.

My heart skipped.

But then his expression hardened again.

“Don't mistake this for trust.”

My heart sank.

“I wasn't.”

“Good.”

He stepped away from me.

“I still don't trust you.”

“I know.”

“And I still don't believe you've told me everything.”

“I have.”

“Then prove it.”

“How?”

Kai's gaze remained fixed on me.

“Look at the person you trust most.”

I frowned.

“Liam?”

“Yes.”

My stomach tightened.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Find out whether he's really the man you think he is.”

I stared at him.

“You want me to investigate my own boyfriend?”

“I want you to stop defending him long enough to question him.”

I shook my head.

“There's nothing wrong with him.”

“You're certain?”

“Yes.”

Kai walked toward the door.

“I hope you're right.”

He opened it.

“Because if you're wrong, you won't be the only person who pays for it.”

I stared at him.

“What does that mean?”

Kai looked back at me.

“Class starts in ten minutes.”

Then he walked out.

I remained in the office for a few seconds.

My mind was still stuck on his words.

I didn't want to believe him.

I couldn't.

Liam loved me.

He had come to see me.

He had promised he would wait for me.

He wouldn't betray me.

At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

I finally walked out of the office.

But as I made my way down the hallway, one thought refused to leave my mind.

Why was Kai so convinced that Liam was hiding something?