Chapter 1-The Game Begins

ALEENA'S POV

Professor Lorcan stood at the podium, lecturing the whole class, but my mind was somewhere else—I was studying at him.

He had one hand in his pocket, his other hand gesturing loosely as he spoke. His blonde hair fell across his face, and his grey eyes shimmered under the light like glass. His tattoo was peeking out from under his sleeve—oh God!—I quickly pressed my lips together to make it less obvious that I was gawking at my professor during lectures.

The tattoo made him look hotter and more perfect for the plan that had been I had been working towards. Professor Lorcan Steele—the hottest and youngest professor in Westhaven’s history, and the most wanted man by every girl on campus.

I watched the other girls in class—most of them wore extra revealing clothes to charm Professor Lorcan, but he didn't seem to have interest in any of them—he didn't even spare them a glance.

He just delivered the lecture like it was a chore he couldn't wait to finish and disappear from the hungry gazes of the girls in class.

“Good,” I thought. “He is cold, and cold means, easily predictable, and that also means he had never been properly challenged.”

I was going to make him mine—that was the plan that had been brewing in my head for the last two weeks, and I had been taking baby steps towards it. I dressed provocatively on some days, occasionally bumped into Lorcan some times, and many other incidents disguised as coincidence.

I was going to make him want me, and make my douche ex—Xavier, watch his most idolized Professor fall for the girl he dumped, and he was so going to regret that fucking mistake.

Xavier was going to cry at my feet and beg for mercy after I was done with him. He made me the laughing stock of Westhaven. He made me sit and wait for him, all dressed up in a candle lit dinner, prepared by me for our anniversary, while he was busy drilling another girl.

That wasn't even the worst part—he had let his shameless act leak, and someone had to show me that disgusting video while I was still waiting there for him like a gullible fool.

But now, when he sees his Idol fawning over me he would be so full of regret.

My pen dropped from my hand and it made a noise that turned the whole class’ attention to me.

I chuckled nervously and picked up the pen, then I mouthed, “Sorry.”

Mirabel gave me a hard glare, and leaned over from her seat beside me. “You're staring again, Allie.” She whispered.

“What? No!” I denied it immediately as I opened my notebook without writing anything.

“Oh, come on,” She rolled her eyes. “it's pretty obvious that you were staring at Professor Lorcan. Drop the act.”

“Okay, fine.” I sighed. “I was looking at him though,” I leaned closer to her. “But I was also planning.”

"Planning what?" Her brows furrowed.

“Something big.” I shifted in my seat, closer to her. “You know how Xavier worships him right? Professor Lorcan?” I inclined my head towards the podium slightly. “He's been trying to impress him since freshman year. Now imagine this.”

I sat back on my chair and drew a triangle on my note. “This is Lorcan here,” I pointed at the tip of the triangle. “And this is Xavier and me.” I pointed at the two sides of the triangle. “Xavier wants to be like the peak of the triangle, but he can’t, since he’s the base, likewise me.” I dropped my pen and folded my arm. “Now, think about the blast that would happen if the base meets the top.” I smiled and looked at Mirabel, but her brows were knitted together.

“What the hell are you saying?” She asked and shook her head. “Explain this like a normal human, Allie, we're not in mathematics class.”

I chuckled. “Okay Mira, what I mean is, if I get Professor Lorcan to want me, do you know what it'll do to Xavier?” I tilted my head. “It'll crush his pride.”

Mira's eyes widened instantly. “Allie, he's a professor. Do you know what would happen if you're caught?” she leaned in and whispered.

I smiled. “Of course I know the risk. I am a dangerous girl, and dangerous girls do dangerous things.” My smile widened into a grin. “When I am done, Xavier would be the new laughing stock for dumping me, and I’ll walk away from both of them—unhurt.”

Mira shook her head. “This is insane girl.”

I shrugged. “Maybe, but it's the only solid plan I have.”

“Miss Marsh,” Professor Lorcan's deep voice cut through the room, my head snapped forward immediately.

The class was damn quiet now, and he was looking at me directly now. For the first time since I had bumped into him at the hallway—Professor Lorcan noticed me, and I wasn't going to let it slide.

His grey eyes were flat, and I looked into them directly even though my heart was doing something erratic against my chest.

"Since you're so engaged with the material, perhaps you can tell the class what Foucault argues about the relationship between power and knowledge."

All the students turned to look at me, and I felt my pulse hammering in my throat. Even with that, I didn't break eye contact with Lorcan—I knew rhe answer. I had read that topic three times and I could even recite it in my sleep.

I stood up, slightly adjusting tight fitted skirt I wore and I saw Lorcan's gaze follow my hand movement —good. "Foucault argues that power and knowledge are inseparable," I started and I forced my voice to remain steady. "That knowledge isn't neutral—it's produced by systems of power. And power isn't just repression — it's also productive. It creates the frameworks we use to understand the world."

I paused for a while, letting the silence stretch. "Which is why the person controlling the knowledge is always the person controlling the power." I still didn't break eye contact with him.

He looked at me for a second longer than he was supposed to, and my heart did a little flip-flop in my chest. Then he turned back to the podium.

"Correct." He said flatly and moved on with his lecture like nothing happened —but I noticed something.

Before he turned back to the podium I saw him tighten his jaw just for a moment, and it was enough to show me that my plan was already in motion.

—

Twenty minutes later, after Lorcan concluded his lecture, he said he was going to hand out the graded papers for our test, so we had to wait to see our grades.

When he reached my desk, he paused for a second, his eyes moving from my paper to my face, then he finally dropped it, face-down.

I knew I was going to get an A+ on this paper, and that would make Lorcan notice that I was a beauty and brains too.

I picked up the paper and turned it over with a huge smile on my face.

When I saw my grade, my throat went dry instantly.

What the hell!?