Chapter 7: The substitute professor

Clearing her thoughts, Mia hurried along the cobbled paths in the university grounds. She clutched her bag to her chest with her head lowered. Just when she was about to make a turn towards a left intersection of the cobbled roads. "Ow!" She realized a second too late that she had collided with someone. The papers the person was initially holding fluttered down in the air, a pleasant yet familiar scent wafted into her nose, she looked up, meaning to apologize, and suddenly froze. Her gaze met a pair of deep-set gray eyes glowing with frost. She gasped. Trailing the nose down to the defined Cupid’s bow, leading to a pair of alluring, thin lips that were slightly raised in a scowl. His brows slightly knitted together in displeasure. Mia gazed at the familiar handsome man in front of her in a daze. It was him, the man she had been thinking about last night! She only resumed her senses when the deep masculine voice said. "Excuse me." Mia suddenly jolts, trying to peel her eyes from his face. The words of apology she had initially wanted to voice remained stuck in her throat as she continued to stare at the man, even until he squatted down patiently, picking up the fallen papers swiftly and fluidly. Her gaze still followed him as he stood up to face her after picking up his papers. "Next time, watch where you’re going." His deep voice spoke again with an unfazed tone, before walking around her to leave. She finally regained her senses when he disappeared into the school. "What is he doing here?" She wondered with a frown while taming the fluttery feeling in her stomach. It was him, the dark angel on the rooftop, but why did she let him leave without an introduction? What if he disappeared again? She hadn’t even bothered trying to find out who he was, just letting him disappear just like that. How stupid of her to lose the opportunity of being acquainted with him. "Hmm, stupid Mia." She pouted, hitting her head. "Wait, I can still go after him, right?" With that, though, she swiftly ran in the direction she saw him leave. Reaching the path from which he disappeared, she realized it led back to the class she was supposed to have in the morning. She had stormed out, irked by Diane’s presence, completely forgetting about her morning lessons. Just then, she spotted Rayne’s shadow from afar, looking around searchingly before finally landing on her. She hurriedly walked towards her. "Mia, where the hell have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you. You just suddenly walked out without even waiting for me." Rayne nagged. "Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. I just wanted to get away from the class." Mia apologized before adding. "Right, did the class already start?" "Yes, Mr. Olsen’s substitute already arrived. I excused myself, saying I needed to use the restroom, to look for you." She hadn’t followed Mia out immediately because she’d wanted to give her a little space after Diane’s little stunt, but she ended up taking longer than anticipated. Rayne couldn’t help but fear that she might have gone to the top of some building again. "Substitute? Mr. Olsen was replaced?" Mia suddenly paused her steps to ask as they’d started walking towards the class. "Yeah, he was admitted to a hospital for cancer surgery last week, remember, and this week the replacement is supposed to be taking his place." Rayne’s voice rose enthusiastically as she said. "God! You need to have seen the commotion in class when he arrived, damn, he’s good looking. All the girls in class were almost falling over themselves, even Diane couldn’t help herself;f, you should have seen the mesmerized look on her face. I wonder who made such a gorgeous man a professor; he should be a model instead with those looks and that body. You should have seen him." Rayne ranted on in excitement, and Mia couldn’t help but remember the face of the man she had seen earlier. Finding Rayne’s words an exaggeration. However good-looking the new professor could be, there was no way he could compare to this gray-eyed Prince Charming. If Rayne saw him, she’d immediately dismiss her words of praise for the new professor, however good-looking he was. Mia thought. Finally arriving at the class, Rayne proceeded to enter, taking her seat, when she suddenly realized Mia was standing by the door with a shocked look on her face, staring at the new professor. She couldn’t help but let out a smile in amusement. Was Mia also mesmerized by the new professor’s beauty? Rayne thought. But the stupid girl, why was she just standing there in a daze? She was supposed to just enter, not letting him notice her, but too la;e, he already did. Neil raised his head, glancing at the student by the door who had just arrived. He frowned, recognizing her, ’Wasn’t she the careless student who had just bumped into him earlier?’ He thought as he didn’t even recognize her as the girl from the rooftop. She had a pleasantly surprised look on her face, with her palms against her lips as she gasped disbelievingly, in awe. Neil wasn’t surprised at the girl’s fawning expression; he’d gotten a lot of that since arriving at this school, and he couldn’t be bothered by it. However, he couldn’t help his rising irritation. "You’re late. Since I’m just starting the class today, you can take a seat, but be sure that next time you’re late, you can forget about attending my class." He warned in a firm and rigid tone. Since he would be posing as a damn professor, he had to act like one. Not bothering to spare her another glance, he turned to the class. Mia dragged her feet to her seat while occasionally turning her glance towards the strict man. He was the new professor and a stern one at that. She thought in disbelief. He wasn’t friendly at all. Rayne shot her a knowing smile as Mia sat beside her. "Stunned, huh? God! Where did such a handsome man appear from? I wonder if he has a girlfriend. What are you looking so dazed for?" She playfully nudged Mia as she whispered. "It was him," Mia whispered back. "Him who? Do you know him? Don’t tell me he’s the prince charming of your dreams."Rayne said jokingly, as Mia had never been in a relationship, claiming she was waiting for the prince charming of her dreams. A loving gentleman, who would give her flowers and his coat when the weather turned cold. Rayne would always tease her, er saying she’d remain single forever. "What prince charming of my dreams? Hethethat man who pulled me yesterday on the rooftop." Mia whispered with a frown. Rayne shot the man a look, trying to recognize him. On that day, though she’d seen the person who supposedly saved Mia, she hadn’t bothered to look at him thoroughly. She did, however, remember his tall and broad back, which she could recognize from his build. "Oh crap! Iy is, now I see why you called me up disturbing my sleep last night, it turns out you’re nursing a crush for our new professor." Rayne grinned widely, shrinking her neck so the professor wouldn’t notice her speaking. "Leo Bennett. Even his name is attractive." Rayne added, glancing at the name written in bold letters on the board, it seemed he’d already introduced himself before she and Mia arrived. "Leo." Mia breathed out the name. Mia felt every sound from the room fade into the background, even Rayne’s whispers beside her ears. She leaned on the table, resting her chin in her palms as she lost herself staring at the new professor. His eyes were the most beautiful thing she’d ever set her eyes on. His voice was deep and masculine. His actions and every movement seemed to slow down entirely. His luscious lips parted slowly as he spoke; whatever today’s lesson was, it didn’t interest her as much as the person giving the lesson. Throughout the class, not a single word from today’s lesson registered in Main’s brain, as all her attention was focused on the person giving the lecture; she left the class with a bounce in her steps. On the outskirts of Zen City. Inside a huge mansion, a man could be seen sitting on a rocking chair. As he slowly moved back and forth, an ugly expression on his face, making his wrinkled skin look even more frightening. A deep brown scar ran the length of his cheeks to his ears, and his eyes closed tightly, yet he seemed alert to his surroundings. "Did you find out what I asked?" His hoarse voice echoed across the spacious hallway, along with the repetitive tapping of boots against the tiled floors as a few burly men entered the hall. "Boss, we found out that the person who disclosed the information was a young girlshe’s currently studying to become a journalist at the Ivy Grove Institute. She’s the daughter of some rich businessman in Zen City; her name’s Diane Foster. Though we couldn’t find out how she knew about this information." A tall man with a muscular build reported, he seemed to be the leader of the men who’d just entered the mansio, as the rest just stood respectfully behind him like bodyguards. "Humph, merely a little rat trying to mess with me, apparently Kaleb wasn’t as careful as he thought the other day, letting himself get followed by a little brat. Unfortunately for her, she doesn’t know who she’s messing with." The Boss snorted. "So what do we do with her now, boss?" The man queried with a ruthless expression, seemingly ready to take the girl’s life without a moment’s hesitation. "Nothing, for now, just let her be, but monitor her every move every action, I want to see how much more she knows about us, she wouldn’t have just followed Kaleb for no reason, the moment you notice anything suspicious, report back to me, and if she makes a wrong move, then eliminate her before she ruins another operation for us. Do you understand?" The boss’s voice sounded dull and lazy as he ordered. "Yes, boss." The man lowered his head respectfully before turning to leave along with his men. The expression on the boss turned even deadlier.