All Chapters of Secrets with Mr. Professor : Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

CHARLOTTE’S POVThe following morning, I woke up with one simple goal: survive the day without asking myself why I had agreed to spend thirty days living under the same roof as Professor Zade Stone. Unfortunately, the estate made that difficult. Everything about the place reminded me that I was no longer living the life I had known. By the time I reached the kitchen, I had convinced myself that coffee was more important than overthinking, so I sat at the large island with both hands wrapped around my mug, hoping for one peaceful moment.“You're coming to dinner with me tonight,” Zade announced as he walked into the kitchen already dressed as though he had somewhere important to be, his tone so matter-of-fact that I immediately lowered my mug and stared at him. “It's connected to my work, and before you start refusing, understand that this isn't a request because I want to parade you around. You're going because you're going to be around me for the next thirty days, and you need to und

CHARLOTTE’S POV I noticed the change in Sophie before she even reached me. She appeared outside my first lecture with a bright smile and two cups of coffee, looking so cheerful that for a moment I wondered whether I had somehow imagined everything that happened between us. But I hadn't. I remembered walking in on her with Lucas, the shock, the excuses, and the humiliation of realizing that my best friend had betrayed me. “Charlotte, I got you your usual,” Sophie said as she held one of the cups toward me, her smile carefully warm as she watched my reaction. “I know things between us have been awful, and I know I don't deserve for you to accept anything from me, but I thought maybe this could be a small way of showing you that I'm sorry.” I stared at the coffee without taking it, studying her face instead. “You don't have to buy me coffee, Sophie,” I replied as I adjusted my bag. “If you're trying to apologize, then just apologize. You don't need to bring gifts or act like everyth

ZADE’S POV“Zade, we need to talk about the girl you've brought into this,” Jasmine said through the phone, her voice immediately recognizable despite the years I had spent trying to keep my family at a comfortable distance.I turned toward the window and lowered my voice, making sure Charlotte couldn't hear more than she already had. She was still standing near the door, watching me with a worried expression, and I didn't want Jasmine's interference to make her feel even more trapped.“What exactly do you think we need to talk about?” I asked as I stared through the glass at the dark grounds surrounding the estate. “Because if this is another one of your lectures about my personal life, I'm really not interested.”“This isn't a lecture,” Jasmine replied as she settled into her usual confident tone. “I'm telling you that Charlotte is your student, Zade, and the rumors surrounding the two of you could damage your reputation if they become public.”“My reputation is my responsibility,”

ZADE’S POVThe anonymous message had been sitting at the back of my mind since I received it, refusing to disappear no matter how many times I tried to convince myself that it was nothing more than another attempt to unsettle me. The warning about Charlotte, the photograph of her speaking with Sophie, and the knowledge that someone was watching the people around me had turned what should have been a private arrangement into something far more complicated. By the time Charlotte returned to the estate that evening, I was already waiting for her in my office.“You’re back earlier than I expected,” I said as Charlotte entered the room and set her bag beside the chair. “Did something happen at the university? You look like you’ve been thinking about something all the way home.”Charlotte hesitated before pulling out her phone. “Something did happen,” she admitted as she showed me the screen. “I saw a man near the campus exit, and he was watching me in a way that made me uncomfortable. I th