All Chapters of Tamed By The Campus Bad Boy: Chapter 141 - Chapter 150

AARON'S POVI stared at the photo for longer than I meant to, something ugly and unfamiliar twisting through my chest.It wasn't the arm around Leon's shoulders exactly, or the easy, comfortable smile on both their faces. It was the five-hour time difference, the fact that Leon was building an entire life full of moments I wasn't part of, full of people I'd never met and couldn't picture clearly, while I sat alone in our too-quiet apartment scrolling through evidence of it on a screen.Leon called almost immediately after my text, his voice tight with confusion and something that sounded uncomfortably close to hurt."Aaron, what is this about? Theo's just a friend from my program. We study together sometimes. That photo was completely random, someone just took it during a group outing.""I know," I said, though the words came out stiffer than I intended. "I'm not accusing you of anything, Leon. I just — I don't know. It's hard seeing you build a whole life over there without me in it.

AARON'S POVThe message cutting off mid-sentence sent ice straight through every vein in my body.I stared at my phone, refreshing it obsessively, willing another message to appear, but nothing came — not a text, not a call, just an unbearable, expanding silence that stretched on for minutes that felt like hours.I turned on the news, my hands unsteady, and the images filling the screen did nothing to calm the roaring panic building in my chest — flooded streets, downed power lines, a reporter shouting over howling wind about the storm's unexpectedly severe intensity as it tore through the exact region where Leon was sheltering.I called the program's emergency line immediately, getting nothing but a busy signal for the first several attempts, finally connecting to an overwhelmed staff member who could only confirm that communications across the region were down broadly, that they were doing everything they could to account for every student, and that they'd update host families as so

AARON'S POVLeon showed me the email with hands still heavy from interrupted sleep, and something about the initials made my stomach tighten before he'd even opened it."D.R.," I said slowly. "Leon, that's not—""I don't know," he admitted, already tapping it open despite the caution radiating off both of us. "Let's just see."The message loaded, longer than either of us expected, and Leon read it aloud quietly, his voice growing more unsettled with every line.Leon — this is Damian. I got a new email address after everything, wanted a clean break from all the accounts tied to who I used to be. I'm sorry to reach out like this, especially after everything, especially knowing you're overseas dealing with your own stuff right now. But I don't know who else to ask.My leave of absence wasn't just about "figuring things out" the way I told everyone. I've been struggling more than I let on — with my own mental health, mostly, some stuff from my family I never talked about with anyone. I ch

AARON'S POV"What do you mean connected to something bigger," Leon said, his voice sharp with confusion and dawning alarm. "Aaron, what is Rose talking about?"I put the call on speaker so Leon could hear directly, Rose's voice coming through fast and urgent."There's a news story breaking right now," she said. "About a fraud investigation targeting international study programs — fake host family placements, students being systematically overcharged, some kind of elaborate scheme running through multiple countries. They just released a list of names connected to the investigation, and Leon, Theo's name is on it. Apparently he's been working as some kind of recruiter for the operation, targeting specific students."Leon's face had gone completely white, his hand gripping mine tight enough to hurt. "Targeting specific students how?""They're saying the recruiters would identify students dealing with personal drama or vulnerability, build friendships with them specifically to keep them i

AARON'S POVI read the headline over Leon's shoulder and felt something cold and furious settle into my chest."Deadly," I repeated. "She's making this sound like a murder mystery."Leon scrolled further, his hands unsteady, and the draft that unfolded beneath the sensational headline was somehow worse than either of us expected — details about the alley attack lifted almost verbatim from what must have been secondhand accounts, speculation about our relationship framed in language that felt exploitative rather than sympathetic, and, most alarmingly, a section referencing Rose's history with Marcus written with an invasive specificity that made my stomach turn."She's not asking permission at all," I said. "This isn't a preview asking for our input. This reads like she's already decided how the whole story goes and just wants us to react to it before it publishes.""There's a line at the bottom," Leon said quietly, scrolling further. "She wants comment by end of week or she runs it as