เข้าสู่ระบบIVY POVFor the past two weeks, Hale had been on his best behavior.And that alone was terrifying.He was… nice. Shockingly nice. Polite. No snapping. No attitude. No bossy commands.Just calm answers and actual effort during our tutoring sessions. All of it started after I helped him bake that strawberry pie for the NHL scout… which was still one of the weirdest things I did ever thought I would do in my life… baking for Hale.Nice Ronan Hale didn’t sit right with me.Classes that day were the usual kind of chaos. Professors rushing through lectures, deadlines piling up, my brain juggling too many things at once. I barely made it to my last class on time and had to sprint across campus just to submit an assignment before the deadline.By the time I was done, my legs ached and my head throbbed.I checked the time and groaned. I was late.Stuffing my notebook into my bag, I hurried toward the cafeteria to meet Zoe and Max, hoping food and familiar faces would calm the restless feeling
IVY POVHe just stared at me, that unreadable smirk still tugging at the corner of his lips. My stomach churned. How is he so calm? Doesn’t he even care that he’s failing?“Are you going to start or just stare at me like that all day?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I meant.He tilted his head, blue-hazel eyes locked on mine. “You’re really serious about this, huh?”I crossed my arms, refusing to look away. “Of course I’m serious. You want to pass, right?”“Eh… kinda,” he said lazily, leaning back in his chair.I almost dropped my pencil. Kinda? I wanted to scream. “Kinda?! Hale, this isn’t a game! You can’t just ‘kinda’ know Algebra if you want to graduate!”He shrugged again, acting like my frustration amused him. And it did… almost.My chest tightened.I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Focus, Ivy. You came here to teach, not to kill him.. Cos I'm a step away from committing murder.“Fine,” I said, flipping open my notebook. “We’re starting with Linear Equations. One st
IVY POVThe hiccups wouldn’t stop as I followed him upstairs, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. Every step made me feel like the world was watching me fail.We entered a huge lounge that took my breath away. Dark hardwood floors gleamed under soft, golden lighting. Plush sofas and armchairs were scattered around, some with velvet throws. A massive fireplace dominated one wall, flames dancing behind glass. Floor-to-ceiling windows showed the city lights outside, and I could see that the room was decorated with expensive art, crystal chandeliers, and a bar in the corner stocked with everything I couldn’t even name. It was… overwhelming.And of course, my hiccups wouldn’t stop.Ronan turned to Walter, his face unreadable, lips pressed into a thin line. Finally, he spoke.“Walter, get her a glass of water… or a jug. I don’t think a glass can stop this,” he said, mockingly calm.I glared at him, my cheeks burning hotter.Walter moved quietly to the fridge and handed me a bottle of wate
IVY POVWe drove in silence for a while, the hum of the Mercedes the only sound. My hands gripped mybag in my lap, my mind spinning a million miles an hour.Finally, the man broke the silence.“I’m Walter… Butler, bodyguard to Ronan Hale,” he said, giving me a small smile. “You cancall me Walt.”I nodded, my throat suddenly dry. “Okay… Walt.”“You seem tense,” he said, his voice calm, almost gentle. “I understand. Thank you for doingthis… it means a lot to Ron.”I nodded again, unsure what to say. My heart was still racing, half from the car ride, half fromthe thought of Ronan Hale waiting somewhere out there to torture me.“You know,” Walt continued, his eyes on the road, “he missed two years. He attended classesonline, but he still struggles with some courses.”I bit my lip, my stomach twisting. Of course he is. It’s Ronan Hale. Annoying,… and somehowstill arrogantly failing.“Yeah,” I said softly, not trusting my voice to be steady.“Thank you again, Miss Cross,” he said, his
IVY POVI don’t know what’s scarier… waking up to your phone ringing nonstop at 2 a.m., or the fact thatmy body already knew who it was before I even checked the screen.Aghhh.My thoughts went wild as the phone buzzed again. And again. Five missed calls.I groaned, burying my face in the pillow. I tried to ignore it, really did. But the ringing wouldn’tstop, and my chest tightened with dread.I reached for my phone and squinted at the screen.Ronan Hale.Of course.I answered before it could ring again. “He…” My voice came out sleepy and rough.“Tutor girl,” he cut in. “Get ready. I’ll be at your place in twenty minutes.”I blinked, my brain struggling to catch up. I checked the time.2:00 a.m.“It’s… two a.m.,” I said, still half-asleep.“Yeah. I know that,” he replied, completely unbothered. “Get ready.”“Can’t we do this…”“You already know my rules,” he snapped, cutting me off again. “I’m already pissed you missedmy calls six times. Don’t make me wait.”The line went dead.I s
Ivy PovI headed inside, my head still spinning, my chest still tight with everything that had justhappened.I pushed the door open… And walked straight into another nightmare.Max was on the couch.Making out.With a girl.Her tits out..“Fuck… Max!” I shouted, my hands flying up to my face like that might erase the image. “Youhave a room, for fuck’s sake!”They broke apart so fast it was almost impressive. Max nearly fell off the couch trying to situpright.“Ivy!” he yelled. “I thought you’d be out longer!”“Well, clearly I wasn’t,” I groaned, still covering my eyes. “This day has already traumatized meenough… I don't need the image of this.. adding to it”The girl scrambled up, cheeks burning red. “I… I’m so sorry,” she mumbled, grabbing her bagbefore practically sprinting past me and out the door.Silence filled the apartment.I dropped my hands and stared at Max. “Unbelievable.”He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Okay, yeah. My bad. Bad timing… ” his eyesnarrowed,







