Chapter 1-The Trap

ALEENA'S POV

I looked at the F on my test results wide eyed, my head buzzing a little.

I blinked severally, refreshing the student portal but it didn't change. How on earth did I fail my essay?

Westhaven academy buzzed around me. Students checked their mid term results and screamed with joy. Nobody was paying attention to me, that was good because no one could know that Aleena Marsh, the scholarship prodigy had just been handed an academic death sentence. I couldn't afford for anyone else to find out about my failure, not until I verified directly from Professor Lorcan.

Professor Lorcan Steele, the youngest male professor in the university, also called Professor Untouchable because of his infamous acts in the university, the same professor I have been trying to ace to get back at my cheating ex, Xavier Woods.

The plan was to make Professor Untouchable want me, and Xavier could watch his idolized professor fall for the ex he tossed aside—that would burn more. Xavier had spent the night with another girl on our first anniversary while I waited for him like an idiot, prepared a candle lit dinner and even dressed up. He had humiliated me publicly when that video surfaced. He had made me a joke on this campus and I was going to make him pay for every single second of it.

And it was working, at least until this point.

I made sure my papers were flawless, triple checked my citation, and constructed valid arguments. I even handed it in two days early, meeting Professor Untouchable's cold grey eyes with a seductive smile.

My high heels, streaked hair, and tight fitted short gown suddenly felt like a costume, but I wasn't going to let that preparation go to waste.

At the end of my third class, I walked over to Professor Lorcan's office. I stood in the corridor, arranged my high ponytail hair over my shoulder, adjusted my bangs, raised the zipper at the side of my gown higher to expose a generous amount of my fair thighs, and chewed my bottom lip until it was red and impossible to ignore, perfect.

My hand hovered on the door, about to knock, then I heard a low laugh—a female was in there, Professor Lorcan was not alone.

I took a deep breath and knocked anyway.

The door swung open, it was Professor Sylvie. She was another one of Lorcan's flings, always clinging to him like a lost puppy.

“Yes Miss Marsh?” Professor Sylvie asked from behind the door, adjusting her slightly disheveled hair.

My brow furrowed slightly—Professor Lorcan could definitely have his way anytime, anywhere. And Sylvie was always at his beck and call. 

I managed to stifle my irritation into a smile. “I'm here to see Professor Lorcan, ma'am.”

She narrowed her eyes, looking at me from head to toe. “Hmmm, just wait outside, I'll inform him you're here.” She closed the door halfway, then opened it back. “Why do you want to see him?”

I looked at her, genuinely bewildered. Why the hell did she want to know?

“It's a bit private ma'am.” I said, my expression flat.

She closed the door without another word.

A minute later, she stepped out of his office, wrapping a silk scarf tightly around her neck. The placement was designed to cover marks I did not want to think about. “You may go in now,” she said, and walked away with obvious reluctance.

I rolled my eyes, pushed the door open, and walked in.

He was seated behind his desk, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the first two buttons of his shirt undone, revealing a little part of his tattoo.

“Close the door Miss Marsh.” He said without looking up from his phone.

I closed it and the lock clicked, that was when he finally looked up.

His gaze traveled from my face down to my knee, lingering a second longer, then he looked back up, his grey eyes staring at me flatly.

“My office hours are tomorrow," he said, his voice low and deep.

I stepped closer, until the edge of the desk pressed into my thigh. “I…. just wanted to know why you failed me.”

His cold eyes, still staring at me, made me almost fumble for a moment. “I wasn’t supposed to fail—my essay was perfect.”

“Yes, it was.”

I blinked. “Then why did I get an F?”

Professor Lorcan set down his phone and leaned back in his chair, studying me, with a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Your paper was brilliant,” he paused. “ But your intentions were not.”

I froze, “What's that supposed to mean?”

He stood up and moved around the desk, “You sit in the front row of my class, ask irrelevant questions, making accidental collisions, wearing attractive dresses, smiling seductively.” He stopped a few inches away from me and I stepped back. “Did you think I wouldn't notice you're desperately craving my attention?”

My heart slammed hard against my rib cage, but I managed to maintain my composure. I stepped back again, raised my chin, and met his eyes. “I do not know what you are talking about, sir.”

“Oh really?” His voice dropped. “Your skirt last Tuesday was two inches shorter than the normal dress code, yesterday—you dropped your books in the hallway, while colliding with me, still making sure our fingers touched while I was trying to help you pick them.” He tilted his head. “To mention a few, Miss Marsh.”

Then he tilted his head and smiled again. “You wanted the attention, now you’ve gotten it, you think I don't notice a setup, little rebel? I’m better at playing these games.”

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

“You wanted to hurt your ex, to make him see you with someone he admires.” He walked behind me. I felt his presence at my back, his hot breath fanning my neck. “The problem is, I don't enjoy being someone's revenge, it's…..insulting.” He whispered in my ears, as his knuckles grazed my collarbone.

I held my breath, I was terrified. But beneath it—God help me—there was a thrill I couldn't explain. He had known all along, and I'd walked right into his trap.

“Then report me.” I said, backing away from him, my voice came out steadier than I felt. I turned to face him, not meeting eye contact. “Tell the board I tried to seduce you, get me expelled.”

He laughed and approached me again. “And lose the most interesting student I've had in years? Nope, not gonna happen.”

He turned and sat at the edge of the desk, crossing his arms over his chest. “Here's your situation,” he paused. “You're on scholarship, a fully funded one, and it requires a B average. You're currently failing my class, a major class. And...without my credit, you don't graduate this year. Your scholarship gets revoked, and you're sent home with nothing but debt and a very interesting backstory.”

My nails dug into my palms fisted at my sides. “So I'll appeal the grade.” 

He leaned forward, “On what grounds? You’re a scholarship student, and—you have only one chance to appeal to the board every semester, and you already used it for your previous assessment, so I guess there’s literally no way out now, Miss Marsh.”

I pressed my lips together and stared at him, refusing to let him see how badly he had cornered me.

“But I'm reasonable, I'm willing to give you an alternative.” He ran his hand through his blonde hair.

My stomach dropped. “What alternative?”

“Detention—in my penthouse office, three nights a week. You will follow every command I give you—and that's without hesitation. You will arrive on time, and leave when I ask you too. When we are done with all the private detention,I guarantee an A in this course, and I’ll pretend this sad seduction attempt never happened.”

My throat went dry. “That's unethical.” I managed to whisper.

“Oh...so seducing your professor to hurt your ex is ethical?” He chuckled, “Let's be for real, Miss Marsh, we're both playing games, I'm just being honest about mine.”

I stared at him, my mind racing with alternatives—but every path ended on the same dead end. If I failed, Professor Lorcan won, my mother would be deeply hurt, and most of all, Xavier would be thrilled to see me disgraced.

And I couldn't let that happen.

“When does the tutorial start?” I forced the words out of my throat.

He smiled in satisfaction. “Tonight, at my penthouse office by seven, don't be late.”

I turned around to leave, my hand already reaching for the door handle.

“Oh…. and Miss Marsh?”

I paused and looked at him.

He was still sitting on the edge of his desk, smiling. “Wear something comfortable.”