CHAPTER 40 ~ UNSPOKEN WANT

RYDER'S POV Ryder sits on the edge of the beige velvet sofa, his elbows resting on his knees, staring at the black charging cable snaking across the floor to the outlet. He told himself yesterday, and the day before that, that he would avoid Adrian. He promised to keep his distance, to stop showing up at the professor’s house like a lost dog looking for a handout. Yet here he is, sitting in the quiet living room, waiting for the red battery icon on his phone to turn green. The silence in the house is heavy, broken only by the low hum of the refrigerator and the rhythmic ticking of a clock on the wall. A sharp, wet sound echoes from the hallway—achoo. Ryder’s head snaps up. He knows that sound. Moments later, Adrian shuffles into the living room, clutching a fistful of tissues. His nose is pink, rubbed raw at the tip, and his eyes are watery and glassy. He looks wrecked, smaller than usual in a loose sweater that hangs off one shoulder. He opens his mouth to speak, but another

CHAPTER 41 ~ YOU ARE DONE

ADRIAN'S POV The air in the exam hall hangs heavy, stagnant with the scent of graphite dust and nervous sweat. It is a suffocating silence, broken only by the rhythmic, aggressive scratching of pens against paper and the occasional, shifting creak of a wooden chair. Professor Adrian paces the narrow aisles between the desks, the heels of his polished oxfords clicking sharply against the linoleum, a metronome for the students’ anxiety. He moves like a predator, his gaze sweeping over the bowed heads, looking for the slightest twitch of dishonesty. The fluorescent lights hum overhead, casting a stark, clinical light over the room. Adrian stops near the back row. Something is off. Kai, usually a slouching mess of arrogance, is sitting rigid, his eyes darting not to his paper, but downward toward his lap. Adrian narrows his eyes, taking a silent step closer. The blue glow of a screen illuminates Kai’s thigh, reflecting sharply against the varnished wood of the desk. He is cheating,

CHAPTER 42 ~ CORNERED

RYDER'S POV Adrian stands at the front of the room, his usually composed posture rigid, a muscle ticking in his jaw. He doesn’t look at the class as he begins to collect the papers, moving down the rows with aggressive efficiency. The air around him practically vibrates with suppressed fury, a direct result of the filth Kai had spewed just while the test was going on. Ryder finishes his final sentence and stands up, approaching the desk. He watches Adrian closely, noting the tightness around the professor’s eyes, the way his fingers white-knuckle the stack of exam sheets. Ryder places his paper on top of the pile. Adrian doesn’t look up. He doesn’t offer a nod or a glance of acknowledgment. He simply scoops up the paper, turns on his heel, and marches out of the hall, the door clicking shut with a final, sharp snap. Ryder stands there for a moment, his hand hovering in the empty air. He runs a hand through his hair, tugging at the roots in frustration. He wants to go after A

All Chapters of My Off-limits Professor... But He's Mine (MM Romance): Chapter 41 - Chapter 43

CHAPTER 40 ~ UNSPOKEN WANT

CHAPTER 41 ~ YOU ARE DONE

CHAPTER 42 ~ CORNERED