LOGINChapter Sixty-EightLucian chugged down the last shot and slammed the glass down on the table. Cheers erupted around him. “You handle your alcohol well, Mr Meyers,” Laura laughed. “That’s your tenth shot and I'm still struggling on my second because I'm too scared to get drunk. “Hmmpphhh,” Lucian nodded absentmindedly, reaching for the next bottle. Laura exchanged glances with the other professors. They'd decided to go out for drinks after the college exams to unwound from the day’s stress and toast to ending the semester in one piece. Laura was certain that Lucian would decline so she had prepared to convince him. He'd been very quiet in the last few weeks and withdrew from everyone. She rarely caught him in his office and at a certain point, he stopped showing up to the college all together. Most of her calls went unanswered with one word responses to her texts. She suspected it might have had something to do with his lover’s disappearance but she never got the chance to ask him
Chapter Sixty-SevenArtemis stood there for several seconds without a word. Lucian wasn’t even a real professor anyway. Even if the news got out, there was no reputation to be ruined. He would continue working for his father like usual. Nothing would change. Memories of Lucian’s exhausted eyes behind the screen flickered in his mind. The endless stacks of paper on his desk. Even if it wasn't a fake identity, Lucian still poured his heart into it. If he was going to leave, it should be on his own terms, not because someone forced him too. Artemis’ fists clenched. He was doing it again. Considering the stupid man’s feelings when the man never once put him first. His voice locked tightly. “So what now? You want sex? Is that good enough?” Artemis turned to him. “If I let you have me for one night, is that enough for you to leave him out of your petty little games?”Stefan was momentarily stunned. He never imagines once that Artemis would be so easy to get. He thought he would have t
Chapter sixty-sixA full minute passed and neither male uttered a word. Artemis dropped the bag on the counter, next to the cocktail. Stefan's eyes flickered to the bag briefly before locking on those steel grey eyes. He didn't know what to do or even say. He took off his glasses, cussing under his breath. The room suddenly felt hot. He ran a hand over his face, wiping the patches of sweat breaking out. The music around them slowed, even the background noise faded in his ears. Artemis picked up the cocktail again, sipping slowly while guaging Stefan's reaction. “What gave it away?” Stefan finally mustered the courage to ask. He did everything Keila suggested. He made sure not to act like a smitten puppy. Yet…“Hmmm, where do I start?” Artemis feigned thoughtfulness. “The obvious drunk acting or the hungry stares?”Stefan's cheeks colored in embarrassment. Keila made him take a shot so he could smell like alcohol, just enough to sell the act. He thought he was doing pretty great un
Chapter sixty-five Music echoed through the room as bodies collided. Alcohol mixed with sweat filled the room and glasses clicked from every corner, accompanied by loud cheers. Artemis glanced at the invitation one last time. Apartment 579. He was in the right place. His eyes scanned through the room of college kids, searching for someone that gave even a little vibe of a secret admirer. The gift bag was in his hand. When Melinda brought over the stuff from his locker—which he hadn’t asked her to—he wanted to dump it all and just forget everything about Kingston until he saw the gift bag. It was different from the ones he always got—customized with his initials on them. Curiosity won over and he opened it, only to find the most ridiculously expensive gifts. He also noticed that the admirer had taken time to correct the scent. The effort was what prompted him to accept the invitation.He wanted to know what this person looked like at least and why she had so much money to spare. H
Chapter Sixty-FourLet’s Not See Each Other AgainLucian froze in his step on hearing those words. He turned towards the students who were gossiping. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t even notice him walking towards them.“I don’t think Artemis would just drop out like that. This isn’t the first time he’s skipping school for weeks,” the second girl argued. “I’m serious! Everyone is talking about it. You know that new girl?” The first girl defended. “Melinda? The one who claimed to have something to do with him? She came yesterday to transfer schools. Those two girls that always hang around her said she was leaving because Artemis was leaving.”Lucian stopped in front of them. Melinda? The same girl Artemis kissed back then?An ugly feeling rose in his chest but he ignored it and cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the girls. They jumped back in fright, ready to scurry away when Lucian threw his question. “Is it true? Artemis McAlester is really
Chapter Sixty-ThreeGOSSIPTwo weeks. Two whole weeks and Lucian was yet to hear a word from Artemis. He tried everything he could think of, even contacted Trevor but the man refused to give him any answers. Exams were just around the corner and after that Kingston was going on break. The week had been hectic and this week was going to be even worse but all eh could think about Artemis.Lucian had replayed their last conversation over a thousand times in his head but he still couldn't figure out what went wrong. He couldn't shake off this nagging feeling in his chest that something was wrong. “Professor Lucian! Are you listening?” Fingers snapped in his face and he blinked, realizing he'd zoned out on Laura again. “Sorry, what did you say?” He asked politely. The woman's nose flared in annoyance. “You've been out of it these days. Am I that much of a bore or is there something bothering you?” She questioned. Lucian stared at her blankly for a second. The woman was still the sam
Chapter Sixty-TwoA mess“I didn't find any name under Terry or Levi. There is no Lucian Meyers either,” Leo informed Artemis. “I did find one remotely related to the specialized security service your father partners with.” Artemis chewed on his fingernails nervously. It had been a week since Lucia
Chapter Sixty-TwoTHE BRUTAL REALITY When Artemis opened his eyes, his body felt several pounds heavier than normal. It ached everywhere and his head was splitting like he was having a bad hangover. He blinked repeatedly, unable to fully open his eyes to the blinding lights. He tried turning over
Chapter Sixty-OneTerry was silent throughout the drive. Lucian has sped past the third red light in a roll. After that phonecall, he just grabbed the keys and drove into the streets like a maniac. The only sound in the car was that of the AI, reading directions. He pulled over at the scene at th
Chapter SixtyHE’LL LIVE“So, what’s this thing you have planned out for today?” Terry lips curled in a knowing smile as he pushed forward the question. Lucian paused halfway through buttoning his shirt.Cluelessness enveloped his features as he whipped his head to look at his friend. Terry’s smir







