CHAPTER 3

ELI

He didn’t smile. Not once.

“I’ll be taking over Trial Advocacy this semester,” he said, placing a neat stack of books on the desk. “You’ve had your reading list emailed to you. The exam breakdown is already online. I don’t do reminders. I don’t do extensions. If you want to be lawyers, act like it.”

Silence. I could feel the entire room blinking in unison.

He didn’t wait for us to catch our breath.

“Before we begin,” he continued, pulling a marker from his coat pocket, “we’ll do quick introductions. Just your last names. Loud enough for me to hear. No explanations. Start from the first row.”

People started calling out names.

“Hassan.”

“Liu.”

“Martins.”

One by one. Flat, dry, nervous.

He barely nodded at each one. Didn’t write anything down. I doubt he even blinked.

Maya nudged me with her elbow. “He’s terrifying. I love it.”

I didn’t say anything.

When it got to her, she lifted her chin proudly and said, “Maya Adeniran.”

He looked at her for half a second before moving on.

I cleared my throat. “Rivera.”

That’s when his eyes paused on me.

Not long. Just long enough for me to feel it.

He nodded and moved on.

I sank lower in my seat.

This is insane.

Liam’s brother. Liam’s older brother was now my professor. Tall, cold, intimidating Carter Vale. The same man who barely spoke to me at family dinners. The same man who looked at me like I was a stain on his brother’s reputation. And now he was standing at the front of my class.

Could the universe get any more dramatic?

He turned back to the board and began scribbling down some terms.

“Cross-examination,” he wrote. “Witness credibility. Objection handling. Real-time strategy.”

“This course is practical. I don’t care how well you write essays. I care how well you think on your feet. If you can’t argue your point without stuttering, walk out now.”

Someone coughed awkwardly.

Maya leaned toward me. “He’s insane. I’m obsessed.”

I groaned quietly. “Please. That’s Liam’s brother.”

She blinked. “What?”

“Carter. He’s Liam’s older brother.”

Her eyes widened like saucers.

Then she screamed.

Okay—not screamed. But she gasped so dramatically it echoed.

Every single head turned toward us.

I wanted to melt into the seat and die.

Carter looked directly at her. “Is there something you’d like to share with the class, Miss Adeniran?”

Maya sat up straight like she’d been electrocuted. “No, sir. Sorry. I—uh—just remembered I left my flat iron on. It’s fine now. Very fine. Sorry. Continue.”

Carter raised an eyebrow. Then went right back to writing on the board.

I pressed my forehead against my notebook.

“I hate you,” I muttered.

“I’m sorry but I didn’t know,” she whispered back. “That makes this ten times hotter.”

“Kill me.”

He started teaching right away. No break. No mercy. Just straight into case law, courtroom procedures, and real-life examples.

“Who can tell me what happens when a lawyer makes a personal attack on opposing counsel during closing arguments?” he asked, turning around.

Silence.

He scanned the room.

“If you don’t know, say so. I’d rather have honesty than stupidity.”

Someone in the front raised their hand. “Objection for misconduct?”

“Which rule of professional conduct does that violate?”

Another silence.

I glanced down at my notes, hoping he wouldn’t—

“Rivera.”

I looked up.

My mouth was suddenly dry. “Yes?”

“What happens when personal attacks are made during closing arguments?”

I tried to remember. “Depends on context. It could lead to a sustained objection or, if extreme, a mistrial.”

“And what would the judge look for to decide that?”

I shifted in my seat. “Whether it prejudiced the jury, or if it was a direct attack on character rather than the facts.”

He crossed his arms. “What if the lawyer says, and I quote, ‘The defense is as pathetic as the lies they just told you’?”

I blinked. “That’s… clearly misconduct.”

“Clearly?” he repeated.

I bit my lip. “It’s inflammatory.”

“But is it reversible error?”

I hesitated. “Possibly, if the judge believes it affected the verdict.”

He tilted his head. “So only possibly?”

“It depends on whether it’s a pattern—”

“That wasn’t the question.”

My cheeks burned.

Maya glanced at me.

Carter stepped closer. “Confidence is crucial in court, Rivera. If you can’t answer clearly, how do you expect a jury to believe you?”

I exhaled slowly. “Then no. It’s not automatically reversible error.”

He stared at me. “Better.”

I looked away.

He kept going like nothing happened.

But my heart wouldn’t slow down.

He kept calling on other people after that. A few stumbled. One guy tried to flirt and got completely ignored. Carter didn’t give anyone special attention. But I still felt like he was watching me every time he turned toward the board.

When the class finally ended, people started packing their bags fast. Maya stood, ready to leave.

Then I heard him.

“Mr. Rivera.”

I froze.

Everyone else kept moving, but my feet stayed planted.

“Stay behind,” he said. Calm. Plain. Like he hadn’t just ruined my whole day.

Maya looked at me with wide eyes.

“I’ll wait outside,” she whispered, squeezing my arm.

I nodded.

My chest was tight again.

The room slowly emptied, leaving just the two of us.

I didn’t dare look up.

I already knew what was coming.

The room was quiet.

Carter closed the door behind the last student, then turned slowly. His eyes landed on me, sharp as always.

I stood near my seat, unsure what to do with my hands.

He walked toward the desk, set down a folder, and said flatly, “If you’re going to be in my class, I suggest you learn how to focus.”

I blinked. “I was—”

“You weren’t,” he cut in. “You were whispering. Distracted. Your answers lacked clarity. I expect better.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “Sorry.”

“I don’t want your apologies,” he said, still not looking at me. “I want improvement.”

I looked down at my shoes. My fingers were curled around the strap of my bag, tight.

He finally raised his head and stared straight at me. “You might be sleeping with Liam, but in this room, that doesn’t matter. You don’t get special treatment.”

My eyes widened. “We’re not—”

“I don’t care,” he snapped, cutting me off again.

I opened my mouth to explain. To say it ended. To say it hurt. But he already turned away.

“You’re dismissed.”

The words were like a door slamming in my face.

I stood there for a second, my mouth half open, chest burning.

Then I nodded slowly and grabbed my bag.

I walked out with my jaw tight and throat dry.

Maya was leaning against the wall, still scrolling through her phone.

“Finally,” she said, standing upright. “What happened?”

I exhaled hard. “He said I should pay attention. And that I won’t get special treatment just because I’m sleeping with Liam.”

She choked. “He what?”

I nodded, tired. “Yeah.”

“But—” she stared at me. “Did you tell him you broke up?”

“I tried.”

She shook her head. “And he didn’t let you talk?”

“Nope.”

She rolled her eyes hard. “Wow. He’s hot, but he’s a jerk. A cold, dramatic, six-foot jerk.”

I didn’t respond.

Maya stretched her arms. “I’m going to the salon. I’m tired of this growth. My scalp is crying. It’s been, what—seven weeks?”

I looked at her hair and nodded. “Yeah, it’s time.”

She tugged gently at one braid. “Edges are fighting for their life. Black girl emergency.”

I smiled weakly. “Tell Kemi I said hi.”

“I will,” she said, hugging me quickly. “Text me if that man bothers you again. I’ll come back and throw my whole purse at his head.”

I laughed under my breath. “Not the purse.”

She gave me a little wink and walked off down the hallway.

I walked in the opposite direction, still feeling Carter’s words echo in my head. I tried to shake it off, but it stuck to me like dust. Like shame.

The air outside felt dry. I pulled my hoodie tighter around me, shoved my hands into my pockets, and started heading home.

I was halfway to my apartment when my phone rang.

Unknown number.

I almost ignored it, but something inside me said pick up.

I answered.

And froze.

My legs stopped moving.

Then I started running.