Chapter 7

I was done playing small. After Julian’s latest threat and the way Professor Damien Vale had looked at my short skirt yesterday, something reckless woke up inside me. I wanted to be seen. Really seen, especially by him.

 So I chose my outfit deliberately this morning, a tight, deep V-neck top that plunged dangerously low, the kind of top I’d never dared wear before. My breasts were almost fully exposed, the soft curves on full display with every movement. Paired with the same short skirt from yesterday, I felt powerful, dangerous and alive. My heart pounded as I walked into Professor Damien Vale’s class. The room went noticeably quieter. Heads turned and whispers started immediately.

Sophia and Lila were already in the front row. Sophia’s eyes widened, then narrowed with vicious delight.

  “Oh my God,” she said loudly, laughing. “Look at Blake trying to cosplay as a stripper. Did you lose a bet, or are you just that desperate for attention?”

  Lila joined in, cackling. “Those things are practically falling out. Careful, Ava. One wrong move and the whole class gets a free show. The professor might actually notice you for something other than pity grades.”

  The mocking laughter spread through the room. My cheeks burned, but this time I didn’t shrink. I stopped in the middle of the aisle, turned toward them, and snapped.

  “At least I have something worth showing, Sophia,” I said clearly, voice steady and sharp. “Unlike you, whose entire personality is daddy’s money and fake tits. Keep talking though it’s the only way anyone remembers you exist.”

The class went dead silent for a beat, then erupted in shocked murmurs and a few laughs. Sophia’s face turned bright red. Lila looked stunned.

   “Excuse me?” Sophia hissed, standing up.

  “You heard me,” I shot back, refusing to back down. “Keep mocking me and I’ll start telling everyone the real reason you’re so obsessed with professors. Desperate much?”

Zara, sitting in our usual spot, grinned proudly. Mia looked a little nervous but gave me a supportive nod. I walked to my seat with my head high, chest out, feeling a rush I hadn’t expected. But when I glanced toward the front, my breath caught.

  Professor Damien Vale was staring.

His dark eyes were locked on my chest, the deep cleavage on full display. For several long seconds he lost focus completely, his sentence about the day’s topic trailed off mid-word. He cleared his throat, looking away sharply, but his gaze kept drifting back. The muscle in his jaw ticked. He gripped the edge of the lectern tighter than necessary.

He tried to continue the lecture, but his usual cold control was slipping. He avoided looking directly at me for the next ten minutes, staring at his notes or the back wall instead. But every so often his eyes would flick back to my breasts, dark and hungry, before he forced them away again.

The power I felt was intoxicating. Halfway through class, I pretended to adjust my top. I arched my back slightly and gave my chest a small, deliberate bounce, making my breasts jiggle noticeably under the thin fabric. I did it slowly, like I was simply fixing the neckline.

Damien’s reaction was immediate. He completely stopped talking. His eyes darkened with raw lust, locked on my chest for a full three seconds before he tore his gaze away. A faint flush appeared on his sharp cheekbones. He turned toward the whiteboard, back rigid, and stayed facing it longer than necessary, clearly trying to regain control.

My thighs pressed together under the desk. I had done that to him. The always-indifferent, ice-cold professor had lost his composure because of me.

In the back of the room, Julian sat with his arms crossed, looking absolutely furious. His eyes burned with jealousy and rage as he glared between me and the professor. I could feel the threat radiating from him, but right now, I didn’t care. When class finally ended, students filed out quickly. I took my time packing my bag, hoping for a moment alone with Damien. But he kept his head down, avoiding me completely now, as if the earlier loss of control had made him retreat behind his professional wall even harder.

As I walked past his desk, he didn’t look up.

But I swore I heard his breath hitch slightly when I passed close enough for him to catch another view of my cleavage.

Outside the lecture hall, Zara slapped my shoulder with a grin. 

  “Holy shit, Ava. You actually clapped back at Sophia. And the professor? He was practically undressing you with his eyes.”

  Mia looked worried but excited. “Be careful. Julian looked ready to explode.”

 smiled, still buzzing from the adrenaline and the memory of Damien’s heated stare.   

  “I know. But for once… it felt good.”

Deep down, I knew I was playing with fire. The short skirt yesterday and this top today. Pushing Professor Damien Vale’s control.

But I couldn’t stop. I wanted to see how far I could make the unbreakable man crack.

And something told me he was starting to want the same thing.