My Professor’s Obsession のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

The blue light from the monitors made Caspian look like a ghost. He didn't move for a long time. He just stared at the picture of Isolde crying by the fountain. I felt like the walls were closing in, even though they were made of metal."We have to say something," I said. "We can't just let her lie to everyone.""If I speak, I give her power," Caspian said. His voice was flat. "She wants me to scream. She wants me to deny it so she can play the victim even harder."The house phone rang. It was a loud, sharp sound that made me jump. Caspian didn't pick it up. He just watched the light blink on the machine."Caspian, pick up," a woman's voice said. It was cold and sounded like pearls hitting a marble floor. It was Helena, his grandmother. "The Board is calling an emergency session. Isolde’s father is threatening to sue the university for moral turpitude. You need to come to the estate. Now.""Don't go," I whispered."I'm not going," Caspian said to the room.The machine beeped again. "A

The six hours felt like six years. I sat on the edge of the sofa, watching the clock on the wall. Caspian was back at his screens, but he wasn't looking at the security cameras anymore. He was staring at the blank space where the results would appear.Then, my phone didn't just buzz. It screamed. It was a private number."Hello?" I said. I stood up so fast the blood rushed out of my head."Sera?" It was Sloane, my roommate. She sounded like she was running. "Sera, are you there? I went to the apartment. The one Caspian got for Vane.""What's wrong?" I asked. I looked at Caspian. He stood up, his eyes locking onto mine. "Sloane, talk to me.""He's gone, Sera," she sobbed. "The door was wide open. There were two guys in suits standing on the sidewalk. When they saw me, they just drove away. Vane isn't here. His phone is on the floor. It's smashed.""What do you mean he's gone?" I yelled. I dropped the phone, and it hit the rug.Caspian was at my side in a second. He picked up the phone

The air in the studio felt like it had turned into ice. I stood by the kitchen counter, watching Caspian. He was typing again, his face calm, like he hadn't just told me he had been watching my life like a TV show for months."What do you mean you've been keeping Vane alive since before we met?" I asked. My voice was shaking. "The deal was for thirty days. You said you’d save him if I modeled for you. That was the trade."Caspian stopped typing. He turned his chair toward me. "The trade was a formality, Sera. It gave you a reason to stay. It gave your pride a place to hide. But Vane’s debt? That was gone long before you stepped into my lecture hall.""You lied to me," I said. I walked over to him, my hands balled into fists. "You let me sit on that platform for hours, thinking I was earning his freedom. You let me wear that collar. You let me hold those poses until my back felt like it was going to snap. And the whole time, you already owned him?""I didn't just own his debt, Sera," C

The car ride was quiet. Caspian didn't look at me once, but he kept his hand on the seat next to mine. I was wearing the black dress. It felt tight, like it was trying to hold my heart in place. We stopped in front of a big stone building with ivy growing up the sides. This was the hall where the Board made the big decisions."Remember," Caspian said as he opened the door. "They will try to make you feel small. That is how they win. If you feel small, they can step on you.""I feel like a target," I said. My voice was steady, just like we practiced."A target is hard to hit if it doesn't move," Caspian said. "Follow me. Do not speak until I look at you."We walked inside. The room was huge. It had a long wooden table and heavy velvet curtains. Twelve people sat there. Arthur Calloway was at the end. Helena Blackwood was at the top. They all looked up when we entered."Caspian," Helena said. She didn't sound happy. "This is a private meeting. Why is this girl here?""She is the subject

The sirens outside eventually faded into the distance. The crowd was gone, but the silence that took its place was heavy. I sat on the stool in the studio, staring at my hands. Caspian was at the window. He wasn't hiding behind the monitors anymore. He was just standing there, looking out at the dark trees.The house phone rang once. It was a short, sharp chirp. Caspian picked it up."Yes?" he said. He didn't say hello. He didn't even sound like he was breathing."I understand," Caspian said to the phone. He looked at me, but his eyes felt like they were seeing through me. "No, Dean. I won't be coming in to sign the papers. You can mail them. Or don't. It won't change the outcome."He hung up the phone. He didn't look angry. He looked like a man who had just taken off a heavy coat."What did he say?" I asked. I stood up, my heart racing. "Is it about the hearing tomorrow?""There is no hearing for me, Sera," Caspian said. He walked to his desk and began closing every window on his com