Chapter 2 The Teacher Card

Still, my conscience loomed over my subconscious desires like a relentless watchdog, growling in warning to watch myself. So, all I could do was swallow hard in frustration.

Cassian's eyes curved slightly as he leaned back against the sofa, completely at ease in his own skin. Nevertheless, it was obvious at this point that he was trying to tempt me into something.

'Damn it. How did a once-restrained man get this good at seducing people? I'm just an ordinary human! How am I supposed to withstand this?'

He quirked a brow. "Ms. Briarwood, do you like what you're seeing?"

I snapped back to my senses immediately. After all, the fact that only strangers and my students ever called me "Ms. Briarwood" killed the mood on the spot.

In that instant, it felt as if I had been transported back to the office. I felt as though I was hunched over lesson plans, working in a frenzy, only to be sternly criticized by the department head for whatever nonsense I had written.

The girl who used to crouch at the school gate, rushing homework, had now become a teacher sitting in an office. Instead of rushing assignments, she was rushing lesson plans. The only difference was that I looked a bit more put together now.

I mean… I was wearing a polka-dot tie.

Cassian rose to his feet, easily towering over me with his six-foot-two height.

Just then, an awkward-looking Elias came back with a pile of snacks in hand as he blurted, "Ms. Briarwood, you're still here…"

Then, he glanced at his brother. "Cass, the AC's been fixed for a while now. Aren't you cold walking around half-naked?"

I looked toward the living room air conditioner. Sure enough, I sensed cool air steadily drifting out, causing a chill to run down my spine.

'Shit! Cassian's anger toward me is so strong even the AC can't suppress it. What if he decides to take revenge if I stay any longer?'

I forced out an awkward laugh. "Since Elias seems fine at home, I'll see myself out now."

I promptly bolted for the door after that, but I could feel a resentful gaze drilling into my back the entire time.

…

The second I got downstairs, Elias' miserable scream wormed into my ears.

I froze before a surge of anger flared to life.

'How can he resort to violence just because the kid's grades dropped? Elias is a high school freshman. Kids his age care a lot about their image. I can't believe that Cassian has become this twisted after five years.'

As a teacher, I couldn't just ignore potential abuse happening under my nose. So, I turned around and rushed back upstairs, knocking on Cassian's door again.

When he opened it, he had already changed back into a shirt buttoned all the way up to the collar. He looked just like the ex-boyfriend I'd dumped back then.

This was the Cassian I remembered.

He looked at me and lowered his gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Did you forget something, Ms. Briarwood?"

"It's nothing, really. I just wanted to remind you that it's normal for a student's grades to fluctuate. But as a guardian, you absolutely can't use physical punishment. That's a crime."

Cassian quirked a brow and opened the door a little wider. "I didn't hit him. I just confiscated his snacks. It's not my fault that he insists on squealing like a pig."

The next second, Elias squeezed past Cassian pitifully as he whined, "Ms. Briarwood, you have to stand up for me! My brother took all my favorite snacks! He's ruthlessly destroyed my emotional support system!"

My heart softened, and I was just about to say something when Cassian cut in, "First of all, I did not physically punish Elias. Secondly, his grades dropped significantly. Isn't it right for me to discipline him, even a little?"

Elias' eyes widened as he quickly shouted, "My grades dropped only because—"

His voice got cut off abruptly as Cassian had clamped a hand over his mouth before dragging him back into the apartment.

When he came out again, two buttons of his shirt had been undone, and his hair looked slightly disheveled.

The faintly visible line of his collarbone was like a siren's call to me. My imagination ran wild, magnifying the effect a hundredfold.

I swallowed involuntarily.

Cassian smiled and handed me his phone. "You blocked me. Here. Save my number. You can contact me if anything comes up with my brother. Our parents are abroad, and they'll probably be working overseas for the next two years."

His words wiped out the excuses that had been on the tip of my tongue. Still, judging by his attitude, he didn't seem to have any intention of getting back at me. So, I found myself lowering my guard just a tad.

I took the phone and unlocked it. Soon, I was greeted by a picture of us standing in front of the lake.

I felt my muscles lock up once more.

And it seemed that he hadn't changed his passcode either, as it unlocked when I instinctively keyed in my birthday.

Cassian looked at me and smiled faintly. "It's just an old phone. I didn't bother changing it."

I nodded, but a trace of disappointment still flickered to life within me, causing me to overlook the slight curl at the corner of his lips.

Suddenly, my phone began vibrating like crazy. I blindly answered it, putting it on speaker. Soon, my mother's voice exploded through the call like a roaring lioness, nearly shattering my eardrums.

"What's wrong with your school? How could they ask young teachers like you to go on home visits on the weekend? Do you know how much effort I had to put into arranging for you to meet a few excellent young men? Get back here right now and go on those blind dates!"

I hurriedly agreed.

After all, I wasn't getting any younger. At my age, it was perfectly normal for me to meet a few people to see if anyone suitable came along.

When I looked up, I found myself staring at Cassian's red rimmed eyes.