Chapter 1

The morning lecture hall was freezing, but the atmosphere inside got hot real quick. Professor Anne Clair Montgomery stood in front of the projector, hyper-polished and intimidating in her tailored gray blazer.

On the screen was a blueprint of a sleek, minimalist glass skyscraper.

"Good morning," Anne said, her voice sharp and commanding.

"Today, we discuss the pinnacle of modern commercial architecture. High-end glass structures. They represent transparency, progress, and the future of urban design. Anyone care to analyze the cultural impact?"

Sa third row, napairap si Lauren Jade Miller. She didn't mean to do it out loud, pero binitawan niya bigla ang automatic pencil niya, creating a sharp clack sound on the wooden desk.

Anne’s eyes instantly locked onto her. Strict and unbothered, the professor crossed her arms.

"Miss... Miller, correct? You seem to disagree. Care to share your insights with the rest of the class?"

Lauren stood up slowly, fixing her oversized denim jacket. Hindi siya nagpatinag sa malamig na titig ng propesor.

"With all due respect, Prof, that's not transparency. That's capitalistic blindness," Lauren said, her tone completely calm but cutting.

"Sure, maganda siyang tingnan sa corporate portfolio. But look at the orientation. Monolithic glass towers in a tropical urban zone? It’s a literal greenhouse effect. Ang laking mechanical energy ang sasayangin sa air conditioning just to keep it livable inside."

Bahagyang itinaas ni Anne ang isang kilay niya, clearly surprised pero hindi magpapatalo.

"It’s called climate control engineering, Miss Miller. Modern technology solves structural inefficiencies. Progress demands innovation, not traditional limitations."

"But good design shouldn't rely on technology to fix its basic mistakes, Prof," Lauren fired back, leaning forward slightly against her desk.

"True innovation is sustainable. 'Yung hindi lang aesthetic ang iniisip, kundi kung paano ito makikipag-interact sa environment at sa komunidad sa labas. If a building requires massive carbon emissions just to survive the sun, it’s not the future. It's just a monument to ego."

Isang collective gasp ang narinig mula sa mga kaklase ni Lauren. Sobrang tahimik bigla sa lecture hall.

Everyone expected Anne to kick her out of the room or destroy her grade right then and there.

Instead, Anne stepped closer to the podium. Napako ang tingin niya kay Lauren, analyzing the younger woman’s fierce determination.

There was a dangerous, electric spark of tension in the air—an intellectual challenge that neither of them wanted to back down from.

A slow, barely visible smile crept up the corner of Anne's lips.

"An arrogant critique, Miss Miller," Anne murmured, her voice dropping to a softer but intense register.

"But... structurally sound. Class, open your textbooks to page forty-two. Let's see if Miss Miller can back up her theories with actual math."

Habang nauupo si Lauren, she caught Anne looking at her one last time before returning to the laptop. Pabilis nang pabilis ang tibok ng puso niya—not just because of the adrenaline from the argument, but because of the way Annne's eyes had held hers.

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Ang office ni Professor. Anne Clair Montgomery sa third floor ng faculty building ay amoy mamahaling kape at lumang libro. Kung gaano ka-cluttered ang setup ng karamihang prof, ganoon naman ka-minimalist at organized ang kay Anne.

No trash, no floating papers—everything was built on structural precision.

Lauren stood outside the heavy mahogany door, holding her massive leather drafting portfolio box.

Huminga muna siya nang malalim para pakalmahin ang tibok ng puso niya bago kumatok nang tatlong beses.