I didn't sleep well. My dreams were a confused mess of legal contracts, masked men, and Adrian Black's eyes staring at me through a screen.
Thump. Thump.
Something heavy landed on my stomach. Then, something sharp pricked my leg.
"Tom! Jerry! Get off Mommy!" a small voice giggled.
I cracked one eye open. My two rescue cats—Tom, a fat orange tabby, and Jerry, a scrawny black cat—were using me as a trampoline. And right in the middle of the feline wrestling match was Milo.
"Good morning, Mommy!" Milo beamed, his dark eyes sparkling.
I groaned, but I couldn't help smiling. I pulled Milo down for a hug, burying my face in his neck. He smelled like milk and sleep. This was my safe place.
"Good morning, baby," I whispered. "Did the kitties wake you up?"
"Jerry was hungry," Milo stated seriously. "And I am hungry for pancakes!"
I looked at the clock. 6:30 AM. My body ached from sitting in Adrian's stiff chair for some hours last night, but for Milo, I would move mountains. Or at least, make pancakes.
"Okay, okay. Let's go."
Ten minutes later, the small kitchen was chaotic. Tom was meowing loudly by his bowl, Jerry was trying to steal a piece of bacon from the counter, and Milo was sitting at the table, drawing with his crayons.
"Mommy?" Milo asked, not looking up from his drawing. "Is Mrs. Elena watching me again tonight?"
I paused, the spatula freezing in my hand. The guilt hit me hard.
"Yes, baby. Mommy has... a new job. I have to work late for a little while."
Milo put his crayon down. "But you said you would finish your book soon. You said we could watch the movie about the robots."
My heart broke. I walked over and kissed the top of his head. "I know, Milo. I promise, on the weekend, we will watch robots, aliens, and dinosaurs. Okay? But right now, Mommy needs to work to buy more kibble for Tom and Jerry."
Milo looked at the cats, then back at me. He nodded slowly. "Okay. Tom eats a lot."
I laughed, but it sounded weak. I was missing his childhood to work for a man who despised me.
Two hours later, I was walking through the gates of Sterling University.
I felt like everyone was looking at me. Paranoia? Maybe. But ever since Professor Black took my notebook, I felt like I had a target on my back.
"Maya! Over here!"
I spotted Larry standing near the fountain. He was wearing oversized sunglasses and holding two iced coffees. Beside him was Cleo, looking effortlessly cool in a vintage leather jacket, smoking a cigarette she definitely wasn't allowed to smoke on campus.
"You look like a walking zombie, darling," Cleo announced as I approached.
"Thanks, Cleo. I feel like one," I muttered.
Larry shoved a coffee into my hand. "Drink. You need it. The rumor mill is on fire today."
I choked on my first sip. "Rumors? What rumors?"
"Oh, you know," Larry said, lowering his sunglasses to give me a serious look. "Everyone saw Black whisper to you yesterday. And then, Vanessa saw you leaving campus in a rush, looking like you were about to cry. The current theory is that he failed you on the spot and you're begging for a second chance."
"If only it were that simple," I sighed. "I didn't fail. I just... I have to do some extra credit work for him. Filing papers. Organizing his life. It's boring."
"Boring?" Cleo raised an eyebrow, exhaling a puff of smoke. "You were at his house last night? The mysterious fortress on the hill?"
I widened my eyes. "How do you know where he lives?"
"Honey, everyone knows where he lives," Cleo laughed. "We just didn't know you were invited. Was it dark? Gloomy? Did he have a dungeon?"
"No dungeon," I lied, thinking of the locked door. "Just a lot of books and a very expensive whiskey collection."
"Careful, Maya," Cleo warned, her voice losing its teasing tone. "Men like Adrian Black don't just ask students over for 'filing papers'. Watch your back."
She checked her watch and dropped her cigarette, crushing it with her boot.
"Anyway, I'm off. My drama professor is having a meltdown about Shakespeare today. Good luck with the vultures, you two."
Cleo winked and strutted away toward the Arts building.
"She's right, you know," Larry said, adjusting his bag. "Vanessa has been staring at us for five minutes."
I turned around. Sure enough, Vanessa Vanderwaal was standing by the entrance of the Law building. She wasn't looking at Larry. She was looking directly at me, a cruel smirk playing on her red lips.
"Let's just go to class," I whispered, clutching my bag tighter.
We walked up the steps. As we passed Vanessa, she didn't move out of the way.
"Nice cardigan, Lin," she drawled. "Does it come in 'desperation'?"
"Move, Vanessa," Larry snapped.
Vanessa ignored him. She leaned in close to me, her voice a poisonous whisper.
"I don't know what you're doing to get private time with Professor Black," she hissed. "But enjoy it while it lasts. I found out something interesting about scholarship students and 'moral conduct' clauses. One slip up, and you're out."
She pulled back, winked, and walked into the building.
My blood ran cold. Moral conduct. If she found out about Velvet Rose...
"Don't listen to her," Larry said, grabbing my arm. "She's bluffing."
"Yeah," I breathed. "Bluffing."
We reached the door of the lecture hall. My hand hovered over the handle. I was terrified to go inside. Terrified to see him again after last night.
Buzz.
My phone vibrated in my hand. A text message.
I looked down, expecting a message from Elena about Milo.
It wasn't Elena.
Unknown Number:
Don't sit in the back today, Miss Lin. I need my assistant where I can see her. Front row.
I stared at the screen. I didn't have his number saved, but I knew that tone.
He was watching me. Right now.
I looked up at the security camera in the hallway, then at the closed door of the classroom.
"Maya? You coming?" Larry asked, holding the door open.
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. He wasn't just my professor anymore. He was the puppet master, and I was walking right onto his stage.
"I'm coming," I whispered.