All Chapters of My Professor’s Obsession: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The walk from the parking lot to the architecture building felt like balancing on a thin wire. My legs were heavy from the night on the cot, and every time the wind hit my neck, I felt like the iron collar was still there. I had to look like a normal student. I had to act like I wasn't living in a secret room with a man who had been watching me for years."Sera! Hey, Sera!"I stopped near the fountain. It was Dominic. He was wearing his team jacket, looking like he owned the sun and the air."I'm late for class, Dominic," I said. I kept my eyes on my shoes."You're always late lately," he said. He stepped in front of me, blocking the path. "And you look like you haven't slept in a week. What’s the matter? Is the Ice Professor working you too hard on those... archives?""It’s a big project," I said. "He wants the exhibition to be perfect."Dominic laughed. It was a loud, mean sound. "He wants you to be perfect. But you don't look perfect today. You look messy. You look like you're fall

The next morning, the black car didn't take me to the architecture building. It stopped in front of a private club by the harbor. The air tasted like salt and money."Wait here," the driver said.I didn't have to wait long. A woman walked out of the club. She looked like a older, sharper version of Caspian. Her hair was pulled back so tight it looked painful, and her suit cost more than my father’s old house. This was Helena Blackwood. The woman who really ran the Board."You’re smaller than the photos suggest," Helena said. She didn't say hello. She just got into the back seat next to me."I’m Seraphina St. Claire," I said. I tried to keep my voice steady."I know who you are, child. I’ve spent the last hour looking at your family’s debt records," she said. She tapped a gold pen against her leather bag. "My son has a habit of collecting broken things. He thinks it makes him a better architect. I think it makes him a target.""I'm not a thing," I said. "And I'm not broken."Helena lau

The next afternoon, the Glass Cage felt like a giant fishbowl. Caspian had gone to the university to sign some papers, leaving me with strict orders to keep the doors locked. I was sitting at the drafting table, staring at a floor plan I couldn't focus on, when a heavy knock rattled the glass.I looked up. My heart dropped. It was Dominic. He wasn't in his tuxedo or his school jacket. He was wearing a plain sweater, and he looked… sad? He held up a white paper bag from the bakery I used to love.I walked to the door but didn't open it. "You aren't supposed to be here, Dominic. Caspian will be back soon.""I just wanted to bring you a croissant, Sera," he said through the glass. His voice was soft, like it used to be before everything broke. "The almond ones you like. I heard you weren't allowed to leave the house anymore. It sounded like a prison sentence."I hesitated, then unlocked the door just an inch. "I'm working. He’s protecting me from the rumors.""Is that what he calls it?"

The Glass Cage was full of shopping bags when I woke up. Caspian was standing by the window, drinking black coffee. He looked at a long, silver dress hanging from the ceiling. It looked like it was made of starlight and ice."Put it on," he said. He didn't say good morning."Is this the 'show' you talked about?" I asked. I touched the fabric. It felt cold."It’s a statement, Sera. The university thinks you are a scandal to be hidden. I am going to show them you are the center of the room.""I don't think I can do this, Caspian," I said. My hands were shaking. "Your mother told me to be invisible. If I show up in this, she’ll have me expelled before the dessert is served.""My mother doesn't own the Founders' Ball," Caspian said. He walked over and stood behind me, looking at my reflection in the dark glass. "I do. I am the guest of honor. And every guest of honor needs an assistant to handle his notes.""Notes? You don't use notes when you speak.""Exactly," he whispered. "You are goi

The hallway was quiet, but my ears were still ringing from the noise of the ballroom. I pushed open the heavy door to the ladies' lounge. It was all white marble and gold mirrors. I leaned over the sink and splashed cold water on my face, careful not to ruin my makeup."You should have stayed in the basement, Sera."I looked up in the mirror. Isolde was standing behind me. She looked like a doll made of gold, but her eyes were mean. She didn't look like she was here to fix her hair."I'm just fixing my face, Isolde," I said. I grabbed a paper towel and dried my hands."You're trying to fix a life that's already broken," she said. She walked closer until she was standing right next to me. "Do you think wearing a big diamond makes you special? Do you think because Caspian held your hand under a table, you’re suddenly one of us?""I don't want to be one of you," I said. "I just want to finish my degree.""Then you should have picked a different Professor to sleep with," Isolde snapped. "