《Hot Night With My Professor》


 Chapter 1

    ¡°I love you, professor,¡± I said while looking into his eyes and pressing him with a sweet and warm kiss. I can¡¯t ask for anything more. Even if our rtionship is a secret, as long as he¡¯s here, I can get through the days that will pass between us with a smile on our faces. Fulfilled and content.


    ¡°I know, and you have my love as well, my student.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but break a smile as I nced at his stunning face. His charm is irresistible to anyone, and I consider myself quite fortunate that, out of all the girls on this campus, he chose to spend time with me. My beauty got his attention, and despite the number of women he wanted to be with, including the number of female professors, he chose me to be in amitted rtionship.


    We were making the most of our time in his office at this very moment. I alwayse here to see and be with him. We only have one hour of ss with him, so I¡¯m trying to find a way to somehow spend more time together.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Professor Sybill Enciso is our calculus professor, and even though I struggle with her subject, I find myself paying attention to what he discusses. At least I¡¯m learning somehow, although the majority of it was really hard to understand for me. To get things straight, my intention of having a rtionship with him is not for me to pass the subject; I really love him. It¡¯s just a bonus that he teaches me when there are points where I don¡¯t really understand the lesson. And I¡¯m d that this also bes a way for us to have a moment together. He is teaching me in private after ss, of course, along with some extra fun activities that only we know. So I don¡¯t hate calculus, if he is the professor.


    I am currently in my fourth year of college, and my rtionship with Professor Sybill will soon be one year. No one knows. No one notices. We always hide. And I enjoy our stolen moments, secret nces, and touches during ss. And it¡¯s fine with me; I¡¯ll just have to wait a little longer, and we¡¯ll be freer together. And one more thing: I don¡¯t really want anyone else to know about us because I don¡¯t want him to get dismissed or for it to cause a separation between us. Marcus University does not permit any form of intimate rtionship between its faculty and students. Well, all of the schools prohibited that, and I don¡¯t really understand.


    I couldn¡¯t help but grin when I felt him lightly touching my cheek. My flesh and bones are dissolving because of his caress, which is full of warmth and love.


    ¡°Our first anniversary ising around, my dear. What do you want to do?¡± I shed a smile once more. That means he is aware of when we started.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d like to spend it with you,¡± was my response, which came out while I was giddy with excitement.


    ¡°Would you like to go to my t instead?¡± My irises shone brightly. To go to his apartment is exactly what I¡¯ve been requesting of him for a considerable amount of time now because he¡¯s always at my house. I really want to go to him this time.


    I inquired, ¡°Is that something I can do?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, my dear,¡± he said, kissing me again. I can¡¯t keep my mind off the possibility that something exciting will have happened in his unit by the time I get there. What does his ce look like? Is it big? Beautiful? Clean? How about doing it there? I want to spend the rest of the day with him in every corner of his house.


    My fantasy was interrupted when the door opened unexpectedly. It shattered my world of make-believe. After that, some faculty walked into Professor Sybill¡¯s office, both of them shaken by what they had just seen. Even I was unable to put clothes on and had to resort to blocking my upper body with the professor¡¯s coat instead.


    The head teacher turned his eyes to the man beside me and asked, ¡°Professor Enciso, what is the meaning of this?¡± My chest started to tighten almost instantly with anxiety. Even my hands trembled with fear. Even my knees lost strength. Why are they here?


    It was difficult for me to follow what exactly they were debating. I found myself alone in the office after they took Professor Sybill from me. And I didn¡¯t know that would be thest time I would see him.


    No one knew what happened, apart from me and the teachers. And because of that, I can¡¯t help but me myself for everything that happened. After everything that took ce, I never saw Professor Sybill again. When he left, it was almost as if all of my hopes and dreams had been shattered and vanished.


    I don¡¯t even know how to continue my life now. Why is it not possible for us to be together? Why do they prohibit teacher-student rtionships? Is it because I¡¯m too young for him? Too immature? But I love him. We love each other.


    What will happen to me? Now that he¡¯s gone, what about the dreams we built together? We still n to celebrate our anniversary. Is that gone too?


    I didn¡¯t hear from him after what happened. Even after several attempts to call him, he is now unreachable. He disappeared like a bubble. And no matter what question I asked the faculty about Professor Sybill, not a single one of them was able to provide me with an answer. Everyone was advising me to just put him out of my mind because what we were doing together was against thew.


    What¡¯s wrong with love? We just love each other. And how can they tell me to stop doing it when we have just started? We were only together for one year, but they cut it off! I haven¡¯t talked to him yet! I don¡¯t understand. They are all unreasonable. They denied me the opportunity to enjoy myself, particrly having a rtionship with the professor. They have all devastated my life, and the least I can do is return the misery they caused me.


    ¡°Why are youte again?¡±

 Chapter 2

    ¡°Why are youte again?¡±


    That was the question that the new professor asked me the moment I entered the room. Oh well, he¡¯s not just a professor but also a curmudgeon. My patience with him has long since worn thin. He consistently berates my tardiness and absences, and he humiliates me each time I attend ss, but I couldn¡¯t care less. I will not stop this. They started this war. I will do what I want, no matter how much he humiliates me. He is unyielding in hisints, but I won¡¯t make any changes to myself. I am still astounded that they intend to swiftly rece Professor Sybill with a man who is not even the individual I hold in the highest regard. And the way he talked to me-look, it was obvious that he possessed a high level of arrogance. Did he think he was so good? When ites to teaching calculus, no one is better than Professor Sybill!


    I entered the ss without any dust and pretended that Ismael Monda¡¯s presence didn¡¯t bother me at all. I know he¡¯s following me with his eyes, but I won¡¯t answer his useless question. Unless he forces me, I will answer him in a way he wouldn¡¯t like.


    ¡°Miss Jothea Alvandra, I¡¯m talking to you.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you,¡± I stated. I told him he wouldn¡¯t like to mess with me.


    Time passes, as it always does. It¡¯s a mystery to me why I still attend this ss.


    Okay, maybe it¡¯s simply to piss the new professor off. Considering all of this, my level of irritation with him was quite high. What right does he have to immediately ept this offer to rece the former professor? Does he not realize that the instructor he will be recing is an excellent professor to be changed by him alone? He still gives off the impression of being a young man. What does he knowpared to Professor Sybill? How did he get into Marcus University anyway? Is he really good? Well, why did he choose to teach here? Can it be someone else? And if he¡¯s really good, why don¡¯t I understand a single thing he teaches? A waste of time! Unworthy!


    The ss finished, which was undoubtedly the best thing that happened today. When Ismael saw that I was going to leave, he stopped me and preached, ¡°Except for you, Miss Jothea Alvandra, we have to talk.¡±


    My eyes rolled in my head. ¡°What else do you need?¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Everyone exits the room. Leaving a good show of war.


    ¡°Would you mind closing the door?¡± He issued a directive to the final pupil, who was leaving. Ismael appears to be so enraged that he is very annoyed, to the point where he wants me to disappearpletely.


    ¡°What is your problem?¡± He inquired while making an effort to maintain hisposure in front of this whore. Is he seriously asking me? He wants to know my answer?


    I exhaled. I do not have the time to attend to these matters. I still have lots to do. I¡¯m going to try to locate my boyfriend again by going outside and calling him indefinitely. It¡¯s been a couple of weeks, and he hasn¡¯t done anything to put me at ease about what happened to us. I want to know why he disappeared. I am very worried that the board members have done something to him since they discovered our connection.


    Professor Sybill is not like this. It is very unusual for him not to contact me. He always texts me. And I¡¯m not used to him disappearing like this. And it¡¯s insane because I have no friends and, therefore, only speak to myself. There¡¯s nobody here for me. Why is it when I¡¯m about to graduate that he disappears like this? How am I supposed to take this?


    ¡°What do you want, Miss Alvandra?¡± Ismael continued. I remembered that I was even talking to this man, the new calculus professor. He is staring right into my eyes as a wrinkle forms in the middle of his forehead. One hand was in his pocket.


    ¡°Just mind your own business,¡± I responded, and I meant it. He used his other hand to brush his hair while continuing to stare intently into my soul.


    ¡°I hope this is thest time you¡¯ll bete again, Miss Alvandra.¡±


    I cocked one eyebrow in question. ¡°Who are you to tell me what to do?¡± I asked sarcastically. Is he really testing me? Not because he is a professor here; I will follow him. No! I will act however I like, and no one will be able to stop me unless Professor Sybilles back.


    ¡°I am your professor. Shouldn¡¯t you at least have some semnce of respect for me?¡±


    Even though he was speaking to me, it was clear from the tone of his voice that he was attempting to regain hisposure. Tsk. Let¡¯s see how far you can go. Your genuine self is going to surface sooner orter, and when it does, Marcus University will have no choice but to eliminate you. I will not stop until I have rid myself of you.


    ¡°Why? Do you belong to the list of men I should respect?¡± I blurted out.


    I heard him let out a long and deep breath as he sucked his teeth. Look who is going to go down in defeat tonight. ¡°Well, your demeanor will show up in your grades,¡± the professor said. ¡°I wish you the best of luck on your graduation, that is, if you belong to the list of graduates.¡±


    I squinted. This person is really fighting me.


    He started to march away from me, but I stopped him by yelling, ¡°I don¡¯t care if I don¡¯t graduate, but I will make sure you disappear from this ce!¡± He then paused, walking away from me. ¡°Professor, I hope you enjoy the time you have left. You won¡¯t even have time to realize it when you leave.¡±


    He left the ssroom without turning around or even looking back. I attempted to maintain myposure while brushing my hair and stomping my feet. I despise him to the core.


    ¡°I will make sure to get Ismael Monda dismissed from Marcus University,¡± I murmured to myself as I made my way to the cafeteria. He interrupted my lunch, and it annoyed me even more. His constant arrogance tests my limits.


    Did he purposely ask for me to remain in the ssroom to confront or threaten me with the idea that I wouldn¡¯t be able to graduate because of how I acted toward him? Tsk. That¡¯s his problem too. If he does not allow me to pass, he will simply make himself more miserable by doing so.


    I was in the middle of getting my lunch when I realized that some of my other ssmates were staring at me. I can still hear them whispering about me. Are they talking shit behind my back? What have I done? It is so unusual for my usual morning here at Marcus University to be talked about by those people because they always treat me like the wind. I didn¡¯t know that they would add to the annoyance I felt towards the professor.


    After settling in at the table, I immediately began nibbling on the pastil I ordered. But never did I imagine that someone would being to disgust my appetite. I waspletely unprepared. I was even more depressed. What¡¯s her problem?


    My fellow student, whose name I can¡¯t recall, asked me, ¡°Are you flirting with our new calculus professor, Jothea?¡±

 Chapter 3

    ¡°Are you flirting with our new calculus professor, Jothea?¡± My fellow student, whose name I can¡¯t recall, asked me that. She was referring to Ismael Monda. Almost instantly, I frowned.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± was my answer. What in the world? What was on her mind to think I was flirting with that professor? All I know is that I hate him to death. ¡°Why would I even consider doing that?¡± I inquired as I let go of the spoon in my hand and turned to face her.


    ¡°Because you were deliberatelyte to his ss to get attention,¡± she remarked. ¡°You were attempting to get him interested in you, weren¡¯t you? Why? To pass his subject? That¡¯s what you did with Professor Enciso, right?¡±


    My hand felt the urge to p her face, and I¡¯m sure it caused amotion across the entire cafeteria. I was very surprised to see the look on her face. Why? She started it. Involving Professor Sybill in this situation is what prompted me to pull the trigger.


    ¡°Gosh! Why did you p me?¡± said the woman while cradling her left cheek in her hand. ¡°Motherfucker!¡±


    I gasped. ¡°Because you deliberately chose to mess with me, woman! Do you have anything else to say? Because if there is anything else, I will dly smack you again on the other side,¡± I warned, leaving her grimace.


    ¡°Fuck you, Jothea! You¡¯ll definitely pay for this!¡±


    Before she walked away in front of me, she let out a scream of frustration. Why does she choose this moment to attempt to trip me when she has done so numerous times in the past? Isn¡¯t she aware that I shouldn¡¯t be bullied because I fight back? The fuck? They have been here with me for the past four years, but they still don¡¯t know me. Even more so, having the guts to involve Professor Sybill, who had to leave this institution due to that fuckingw, is a no-no for me. She should not mess with me and use him against me. She should know her ce.


    I didn¡¯t even finish my meal because Ipletely lost my appetite. I won¡¯t even go to the next ss because I will only see their faces. But that was before Dean summoned me to her office. Of course, because of what happened in the cafeteria. Because Savannah reported me and what I did to her, I missed the chance to ditch the ss.


    ¡°Kindly bring your parents here, Miss Alvandra,¡± Dean Dator said, making me immediately depressed. Isn¡¯t she aware of how things are going with my family?


    ¡°Dean, she doesn¡¯t have any family.¡± Savannahmented as if it made her more of a person than me. She still has a knowing grin. Would she be capable of grinning that way if I pulled her hair in front of Dean?


    Dean Dator sighed as I could see that she was trying to figure out what to do about me. ¡°At the very least, bring here your guardian. I need to talk to them about your performance.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Guardian? Tsk. You have already taken away the one person in this world who truly cares about me, and now you intend to ask me to bring my guardian for me?


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone,¡± I stated. When Dean sees me, she slumps her shoulders and gives me a sad look, but it¡¯s unclear whether she does this out of sympathy or because she finds the fact that I¡¯m by myself in this ce sad.


    I gasped. There is no reason to feel sorry for me at all. It is a benefit to have no one. No one will interfere in my life. Every choice I make in my life is only me who has a say. Just me.


    ¡°There is no way out for you then. Tell Savannah that you are sorry for what you have done.¡± It seemed as though Savannah was satisfied with Dean Dator¡¯s suggestion, but me? Nope.


    ¡°Not going to happen. It was she who started. If she hadn¡¯t messed with me, she wouldn¡¯t have received a big, loud p. Her face deserves it anyway.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as I stepped away from the office, and the next thing I knew was that Ismael was standing there, leaning beside the door, listening to us. What a pain in my sight! The idea of flirting with someone like him has never crossed my mind. I have a standard! And he will never reach that.


    I walked out of the office in a huff. I was aware that Dean Dator was calling my name, but I chose to ignore her and keep going.


    The moment I walked out of the college campus was when I first became acutely aware of my istion. I remembered again the family I didn¡¯t have.


    My parents are separated and are now both married to someone else. My younger brother has also started his own family and is currently raising his two children. Although they aren¡¯t married yet, they have two children now. It was only a month ago when his live-in partner gave birth. I sighed. How can I bother people who no longer care about me? They didn¡¯t even say hello to me or ask how I was. How am I going to ask them to go over here for a mess I made?


    And now I only have Professor Sybill; they even took it from me. I can¡¯t believe this is my life right now. What a fucking life!


    I reached into my pocket, took out a cigarette, and lit it before I made the decision to go to the pub and be intoxicated. Recent events havepletely derailed my life. What is the point of studying now? No one will go on stage with me anyway. No one will p for me either. No one will be happy that I have finished my degree. Graduating is not on my list now.


    I looked at the screen on my mobile device, hoping that Sybill¡¯s name would pop out, but even at this time, he still did not feel the need to contact me. What is the real reason why he suddenly disappeared? Has he forgotten me as well as his promise? Our first anniversary is around the corner.


    After having onest drag before putting the cigarette out for good, I gged down a cab and traveled to a nearby bar. What time is it? One in the afternoon? It looks like I would have a long drink.


    I went into the pub, which was bustling with activity despite the fact that it was just afternoon. The majority of people are dancing along with the lights in the air. Others are casually talking with theirpanions whileughing. While I was alone. Are there any of them like me who drink to forget their problems for a while?


    ¡°What can I have for you, Miss?¡±

 Chapter 4

    As soon as I sat down at the bar counter, the bartender immediately asked what I wanted. Tequ will do. I will just drink that until I pass out.


    I looked around. I¡¯m not used to such ces. This is something that Professor Sybill taught me when we were here celebrating his birthday together, and now, what in the world was I thinking to choose to go here when all I will remember is him? Such a bad idea.


    I sighed as the memories of me and Professor Sybill came back to my mind. Even all the ones we¡¯ve been together with. I missed him so much. How awful it was for me that he vanished out of nowhere like a bubble, and I was left sitting here like an idiot, not sure if he woulde back. I couldn¡¯t even find it in myself to stop hoping. I feel that he wille back, that he will stop by my room again at some point during the night, but he has never shown up since then. I hope it¡¯s easy to forget him, but I don¡¯t think I have the right to do that either. I¡¯m still hoping. What if he was merely holding off to go to me? What if he has a valid excuse for not being able toe to see me? What if he¡¯s just waiting for me to graduate?


    I suppressed a yawn and took another swig of the tequ I was drinking before closing my eyes. I¡¯m making an effort to clear out the mess in my head, but it just keeps getting worse. It¡¯s gotten to the point where I have no idea what time it is. It seems like I¡¯ve been at this bar for a very long time already, drinking. Even my hearing is deteriorating due to the loud music in the environment as well as the loudness of the crying in my heart.


    ¡°Sir, what time is it?¡± I asked the bartender.


    ¡°It¡¯s five in the afternoon.¡±


    My lips curved. Why does it take so long? I thought it was alreadyte. Will I be sad for a long time?


    I shook my head as I attempted to stand up after I had paid for my drinks. I tried to go away from the counter, but my head was spinning, and everything looked like it was moving in front of my eyes. Wait, is there an earthquake going on here?


    I grasped my head and forced myself to mend myself. However, what can I expect after spending that much time drinking? Is it four hours? It¡¯s very likely that I¡¯m going to experience some severe vertigo. I really have no hope.


    I simply decided to take a break and rx for a little while by sitting on the couch in the corner of the bar. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing for a few seconds before suddenly bing aware of someone¡¯s hand on myp, caressing my thighs. When I opened my eyes, I was startled to find a man grinning at me. He was standing directly beside me while stroking various areas of my body at random. Indiscriminately. I shot him a death re and made a futile attempt to take his hand away, but he swiftly reced it.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I asked as I pped him. It took him by surprise, and just as he was going to touch me once more, someone else grabbed my hand. Someone pushed his way in front of me in order to battle over the perverted guy. All I could see was his broad back.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Get your hands off of her,¡± he told the man who had touched me.


    I let out a sigh. If I had the strength to fight, I would, but I¡¯m fortunate that this other man is taking care of it for me.


    I noticed that the other man appeared anxious and promptly extended an apology to me before he left. I couldn¡¯t help but frown. That man walks away so fast. Was he scared of this man in front of me? Why? Who is this?


    When I turned my head to gaze at the man who had helped me, I abruptly felt lightheaded.


    ¡°Hey there, are you okay?¡± I heard him ask in his deep voice. I felt his warm and rough hand as he supported me. He held my elbow.


    I was ready to nce up at his face when a light suddenly appeared in my field of vision, preventing me from doing so. I grabbed his necktie, and the next thing I remembered, I was unconscious.


    *****


    I cautiously opened my eyes, and the sight that greeted me was that of a spotless white room. Not cold at all. Not even remotely warm. Where am I?


    When I turned my head to look behind me, I noticed that I was out of my ce. Am I in the hospital? No, I am not there. I tried to recall my memories, but all that came to me was that I had spent my time drinking in the pub.


    What the hell happened after that? How did I end up in this ce?


    I climbed down from the bed and left the room. At that point, I became aware that I was in a room in a hotel. Why am I even here?


    I took a nce at what I was wearing, and I was shocked to see that it was not what I was wearing yesterday. Wasn¡¯t I dressed in my uniform? Yesterday, the bouncer almost prevented me from entering the bar since I was still wearing my identification card. Fortunately, I was resourceful; I had also taken off my tie, so it was not immediately clear that I was wearing a university uniform. I just look like ady who works in an office. But why am I wearing long sleeves that are not in my size today? And why am I only wearing underwear?


    I made an effort to settle my nerves. At least I¡¯m wearing my panties. It¡¯s worse if there aren¡¯t.


    Hold on.


    When I looked down at what I was holding, a red necktie with a straightforward line design caught my attention, and I immediately came to a halt at the front door. Whose necktie is this? Why am I holding it?


    I frowned when I noticed that the necktie I was holding looked familiar. It seems to me like I¡¯ve seen it before.


    I looked at the back of the tie, and there was a capital letter M there. M? Wait a minute¡­


    I had to close my eyes when suddenly, a memory emerged in my mind that took me back. I drank too much tequ yesterday, and after drinking it, I rested on the couch. And just as someone was going to molest me, a man came to my rescue and prevented it. Does he own this necktie?


    Wait, let me get this straight: does it mean he brought me here?


    But where is he? Is this his house? But why does it seem that there are none other than my things?

 Chapter 5

    I burst into the room again as quickly as I could while simultaneously attempting to retrieve the memories that had slipped me. But no matter what I try, I just can¡¯t recall anything at all.


    I went back to the bed in which I had been sleeping. I caught a whiff of it. Trying to track out any evidence of a male because he isn¡¯t there, even though in most movies, a girl will wake up with a gentleman by her side after spending the night. What really happened? Did something really happen? It¡¯s annoying that I had a one-night stand with a man whose face I didn¡¯t even see, and then he left me in the air.


    I facepalmed, but I still tried my best to think. I looked at the bed again. Besides the scent of alcohol, there is also a pungent and recognizable smell of perfume present.


    The rate of my breathing increased. I have no idea what triggered this rapid change in my feelings towards the guy who was helpful to me the night before. Perhaps it¡¯s because I¡¯m curious about what went down or whether anything significant urred between the two of us yesterday night.


    What will happen to me if I get pregnant? Did he use protection? I won¡¯t even know the father if there is something left in my womb. Wait, Jothea! What are you thinking?


    Is this a sign that I am panicking? Shit. I need to calm down.


    But it was only after I made the conscious decision to keep calm that I recalled something important.


    I was holding a tie when I suddenly lost my bnce and fell to the ground at the bar. After that, someone lifted me and brought me here, and as I continued recalling what had just happened, my eyes became wider. When he wasying me on this bed, I loosened his necktie and kissed him on the lips. What the heck did I do?


    Did I really do that? Have I just fucked and kissed a total stranger? I blinked my eyes numerous times while I was holding my head. I mean, did something happen?


    I closed my eyes. This is cheating! The feeling of guilt is killing me now! What will Professor Sybill say if he finds out? Will he still ept me?Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I was ready to get out of bed when I noticed that the bed was damp. W-why is this wet? Don¡¯t dare tell me! Did I take a shower before going to bed the other night? No, I always dry my hair using a blow dryer. But what if I wasn¡¯t able to because I was under the influence of alcohol?


    I tried to remember everything while holding and pulling my hair in disgust while concentrating hard. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I can not remember! Did something really happen? It¡¯s annoying.


    I checked out of my stay. I tried to ask the receptionist who had rented the room for me, but she would not reveal their identity because the information is considered to be private. She simply mentioned that a wealthy patron who stayed there frequently had paid for it. I have my eyes currently closed. What should I do now? I need to meet the man who helped me to know if something really happened, because this guilty feeling won¡¯t let me sleep if there is. What excuses will I make to Professor Sybill when hees back to me?


    I cleared my throat. I decided to take a cab to school rather than walk. I still should go to ss. A moment ago, as I was in the lobby, I checked the time and saw that it was already past seven in the morning. I think it would be fine if I just attended the next subject, right? Or just bug into the ss, just like I always do.


    I haven¡¯t eaten yet, so I¡¯m quite hungry and feeling dizzy. Thest time I ate was yesterday at lunch, so my stomach is now growling. As I reached to pat my stomach, I became cognizant of the garments that I was presently donning. Earlier, before heading downstairs, I decided to take a quick shower, and I was a little taken aback when a room attendant knocked to deliver my freshly washed uniforms. I had just gotten out of the shower at that time. I was really surprised. The man who helped mest night was very gentlemanly enough to even think about getting my clothes drywashed. I can¡¯t believe that a man would be that kind. And there was something in me that wanted to know him.


    But on the other hand, I can¡¯t help but think that maybe Professor Sybill saved mest night. Maybe I just didn¡¯t get a chance to see him because he didn¡¯t want to show himself to me. Hell! I do not know anymore! I¡¯m reaping again.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, ma¡¯am,¡± the driver said. I nced outside the window and saw Marcus University. We are here.


    I went down after paying, and I immediately touched my head when I felt a bit dizzy. This merely serves as further evidence that I consumed an excessive amount of alcoholst night, as my hangover remains intense. It¡¯s like splitting my head. I just hope the professor currently in our ss won¡¯t scold me. Wait, what day is it today, and what is our first subject?


    I closed my eyes when I realized that today is Wednesday, and I guess I am that lucky, knowing that Ismael Monda is our professor. My neck felt like it hurt right away, but it didn¡¯t matter; I could argue with him anyway. Who is he to be afraid of?


    The only sounds I could hear were the clicks of my high heels as I walked down the hallway at a leisurely pace. It looks like everything around me is shifting.


    When I entered the room, I was anticipating that Monda would yell at me, but he didn¡¯t, which left me perplexed. Even the students who were in my ss seemed to be waiting for that, but they did not receive anything. So I just let it go and didn¡¯t waste any more time sitting down. I looked at Ismael. What did he eat, and he didn¡¯t scold the hell out of me?


    I noticed the looks of my ssmates, particrly Savannah, who appeared to be confused as well. She never stopped whispering to the person next to her. Tsk. She thought that gossiping about me made her look good. She¡¯s not even prettier than my nails!


    ¡°So, foundation day is drawing near. Each section is responsible for putting together something simr to what you did at this timest year. The good news is that if you reached the most profitable booth, I would cheerfully exempt your section from the final examinations,¡± Monda stated to the joy of my ssmates. ¡°But the bad news is that if your booth doesn¡¯t do well, some of you won¡¯t graduate.¡±


    Tsk. He just really wants to bring me down. But that won¡¯t happen because the section I¡¯m in is hostile. Even if I don¡¯t help, I know we will win the most profitable booth this year. Our ssroom president won¡¯ty back to lose. She always ims perfection and the top. So I don¡¯t have to worry.


    I let out a sigh of relief, and for a split second, I felt the weight of my eyelids. I didn¡¯t realize I was taking a nap.


    ¡°Professor, I have missed you so much.¡± I began to rip his necktie off and kiss him as I told him. I was in tears as I reached for his warm and red lips, which I hadn¡¯t enjoyed in a very long time. ¡°Why did you have to leave me without a warning?¡± I inquired about it once again when I finally left his lips. Now that he is here and hase back, I can finally tell him how sad and miserable I am.


    ¡°You already know how much I love you, and you also know that I just can¡¯t imagine my life without you. I have neither friends nor family; you are the only person I have. Don¡¯t ever go away from me again, please. Just stay here with me. The professor who took your ce did nothing but torture and humiliate me every day. That substitute professor was terribly unkind to me. I really need you to stay here, Professor¡­ I can¡¯t function without you, Sybill.¡±


    ¡°He is not who I am.¡±

 Chapter 6

    ¡°He is not who I am.¡±


    I was startled awake by the sound of a low voice. I was so tired that it just hit me that I fell asleep in ss. I looked around while dabbing at the corner of my eyes that was filling up with tears and wiped away the rest of it. I noticed that I was the only one left in the ssroom. So it was only a dream the whole time? Was I just dreaming of Professor Sybill?


    My chest was filled with a tremendous amount of sadness, and something was even blocking my throat. My loneliness is suffocating me.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re awake now.¡±


    I almost jumped when I heard a voiceing from behind me. When I turned back, I found Professor Ismael seated behind me on the chair. He was looking at me.


    ¡°You came to my ss intoxicated andte, and all you did was nod off,¡± he stated. I heaved a sigh. I felt like I lost my energy and was toozy to argue with him. I was too consumed with grief because of my dream earlier. Add to that, it is a fantasy that I will never experience in real life.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologized, surprising him.


    He cleared his throat before folding his arms. He was looking at me intently while he ced his left leg over his right leg. Is he trying to scrutinize me?


    ¡°Don¡¯t throw away your life for a man who isn¡¯t worth it. He¡¯s just a useless man.¡±


    My eyebrows rose quickly. Is he starting a fight again? I apologized, didn¡¯t I?


    ¡°Useless? Are you talking about Professor Sybill?¡±


    He merely gave a shrug. ¡°Why? Is he the man you¡¯re dating? Is he the reason why you are rebelling against me?¡± He inquired with a grin on his face. ¡°Is he that useless man?¡± I find it offensive when he talks about Professor Sybill in that manner. Grr! He really makes my blood boil.


    As I struggled to get away, I clenched my fist and sucked my teeth. Then so be it. I was silent, and he started teasing me again. I won¡¯t let myself be ruined like this, even if my head is still throbbing, and the presence of this man is making my vertigo significantly worse.


    ¡°What right do you have to say that Professor Sybill is worthless? Why? Are you better than him?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but raise the volume of my voice. Even though there is no one else in the room, I get the impression that the conversation that the two of us are having is getting more heated.


    ¡°Better? Yes,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°Why? Where is he good at? What are you referring to? Calculus or in bed?¡±


    My ears tingled. Is this his return after not criticizing me earlier for entering his ss thatte? He will insult me?


    ¡°I¡¯m better at both,¡± he added.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! Besides, can you notpare the person I love to you? You can¡¯t match him! You don¡¯t even cross a line!¡±


    He let out augh. ¡°Love? Are you quite certain that you love him? Do you even know what love is?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but scowl. Is there nothing else that wille out of his mouth aside from making people feel worse and belittled? I truly feel like strangling him due to the fact that he causes my forehead and neck to protrude. ¡°Of course, I know what love is! What right do you have to question my feelings? Why, how about you? Do you know the word love? All thates out of your mouth is how to hurt someone!¡±


    He got to his feet and started walking in my direction. He did not change the expression he was giving me, which made me feel as though he wasughing at me. ¡°I am aware of the distinction that exists between love and lust. I have no doubt that what you feel for him is nothing more than lust, just as he likely feels about you.¡±


    As my lungs burned with rage, I waspelled to p his face indignantly. ¡°You don¡¯t know how I feel!¡± I said, trembling.


    It took some time before he switched his attention back to me after my p turned his face to look in a different direction.


    But because of what I did, the way he looked at me got deeper and darker. The smile was gone from his lips. He is angry.


    ¡°I definitely know how you feel.¡± He grabbed my wrist, which caused me to feel suffocated and furious at the same time. Because of the way that he dismissed me and my most precious emotions, I can feel the beginnings of new tears welling up in my eyes. Does he not know that my love is full of waiting? Why would I spend my life trivially ignorant if I did not adore Professor Sybill? And he says it¡¯s just lust? We don¡¯t even do that very often. If only he knew what really happened, he wouldn¡¯t judge me like this.


    ¡°You know nothing! You don¡¯t know love!¡± I yelled and reached out to grab my hand back to p him again, but he was more powerful than me and prevented me from doing so.


    ¡°What does love mean?¡± He grinned and looked straight at me, as if challenging me. ¡°I will make you feel it and ensure that you experience the consequences of your next attempt to p me, Miss Alvandra. And I will p you harder to the part where you will be disgraced. This is myst warning.¡±


    Due to my extreme disgust at this freaking individual, I found myself clenching my teeth and uttering numerous rounds of profanities. But I couldn¡¯t speak when he interrupted.


    ¡°What kind of professor is he to have a rtionship with his student? Isn¡¯t that what a useless man does? Taking advantage of his weak student,¡± he keeps on blurting out bullshit.


    ¡°I am not weak,¡± I said to him while still attempting to free myself from his firm hold on my arm. ¡°I know what I am doing. He¡¯s not taking advantage of me. He loves me.¡±


    He smirked. ¡°Then where is he at this time? Are you sure he loves you? Are you sure he wants to be with someone like you?¡± He stated this to me, adding, ¡°Even I don¡¯t like girls who act like brats.¡±


    My nose got more and more smoky. Does he make me look stupid? Yes, I don¡¯t like him but to say those words to me-doesn¡¯t he know he¡¯s hurting me too much?


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± I inquired while simultaneously attempting to reim the throne that he was working so hard to steal from me. It is never the King who exercises authority; rather, it is the Queen. And it¡¯s me.


    ¡°That you won¡¯t fall for me?¡±


    He moved closer and pressed his mouth against my ear. I could hear him taking long breaths, and the sensation of his breath on my neck gave me a tingling feeling. ¡°I am not Sybill Enciso, Miss Alvandra. I am aware of what it is that I desire, and it is definitely not you.¡±


    I gulped down, but it¡¯s not because I¡¯m admitting defeat. No more ceasefire between us. I¡¯m bringing it on.


    I looked up at him. Our eyes met. The two of us are very close and even this close I am not attracted. I can still smell his fragrant breath.


    I grabbed hold of his necktie to prevent him from escaping. Before I speak, I ensure that the words my lovely lips will utter will leave an impression on his cock.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk too much, Professor. I am Jothea Alvandra, and I have the power to make you desire me and even be obsessed with me.¡± I cautioned him while maintaining a seductive tone. I stole a quick glimpse in his direction before I licked his lips sexily. I smirked as I shoved him before walking away.


    Ismael Monda, you¡¯ll definitely regret this.

 Chapter 7

    That professor¡¯s behavior is the worst. What right does he have to care about my life and tell me not to waste it on a worthless man?


    I finally left the ssroom and rushed to the nearbyfort room to cry. I couldn¡¯t stop it. All the tears that had been hidden for days and weeks, they all poured out.


    I have no one else to turn to. And even if I destroy my life, no one cares.


    *****


    A week passed and again, I had no choice but to face that Ismael again but this time I had something with me-I had revenge. Of all the things he said to me, especially the words that he would not like someone like me, it is demeaning.


    I went to ss early in the morning and I was right-he was there in the ss, even though my ssmates weren¡¯t there yet. Busy using aptop.


    I grinned. I immediately opened the two buttons on the uniform I was wearing and walked in front of him. The skirt I¡¯m wearing is also short, which shows the curve that needs to be curved. Who will not be affected by this?


    Ismael¡¯s eyesnded on me. You¡¯re now defeated, asshole. You can¡¯t escape me anymore.


    But he only looked at me for a moment before returning his eyes to what he was doing. Did he just ignore me?


    ¡°Kindly fix your uniform, Miss Alvandra. What you are wearing is very painful to the eyes.¡±


    What he said left my mouth open. What kind of man would refuse such grace? I sucked my teeth as I marched my way to him. I turned his swivel chair to face him in front of me. Our eyes met and we didn¡¯t let go of each other for a few seconds. Is it true that I have no effect on this human being?


    ¡°Are you gay?¡± I eximed.


    ¡°No,¡± he answered in a deep voice that raised my eyebrows. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to seduce me by wearing your uniform in that way and acting like a whore, I appreciate it but sadly, it doesn¡¯t affect me.¡±


    ¡°What kind of man are you?¡± I asked out of annoyance.


    ¡°Not a man like Professor Sybill, I guess. Did you act like this in front of him?¡± hemented sarcastically. I immediately closed the buttons on my clothes and adjusted my appearance. I even raised my loose hair into a ponytail.


    ¡°No! What do you think of me?!¡±


    ¡°Then, why are you being like this in front of me?¡± he asked with a grin.


    ¡°None of your business!¡± I shouted and turned my back on him but before I could leave, he grabbed my waist and I faced him again.


    I swallowed and for the first time, I was nervous about what he did. Shit. Ah, it seems that what I do has an impact on me. This can¡¯t be.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why this idea keepsing into my mind. Are you doing this on purpose for me to notice you?¡±


    I immediately frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I remembered Savannah¡¯s usation against me again. Is he telling me that I¡¯m flirting with him? No way!


    ¡°Are you trying to hit on me, Miss Alvandra?¡±


    My forehead twitches. ¡°No way. I don¡¯t like you!¡±


    I was surprised when he pulled me to sit on hisp. I almost lost my breath because of what he did. ¡°Even at flirting, I¡¯m good. Are you sure you don¡¯t like me?¡± It seems that he returned my threat to him in the past.


    And there I stopped and saw his damn gorgeous face. Only now have I examined his face for so long and so closely. I frowned.


    His strong perfume stung me as if I were being pulled to consume that smell. I came closer to his neck to smell his scent. This scent. It is very familiar.


    I swallowed when he turned to me as if asking what I was doing. Our lips are so close to each other. We can smell each other¡¯s breath. It is making my knees weak.


    But suddenly, my fantasy stopped when a memory entered my mind. My dream and the memory came back to me in the hotel room. I immediately looked at his necktie and, without hesitation, grabbed it to look at the back.


    M¡­Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    My eyes met his eyes again and at that moment, the answer to the questions formed in my brain. He was the guy who saved me that night. He was the one who took care of me and brought me to the hotel room. He was the one for whom I grabbed the tie and sealed a kiss.


    I stood still, watching his face. I cannot believe it. He was the guy I was looking for. No, this is not happening. I must be out of my mind.


    I was about to confront him about what happened when my ssmates gradually arrived so I couldn¡¯t do anything but go to my seat.


    ¡°Good morning, everyone,¡± greeted Ismael. I can¡¯t stop looking at him while he¡¯s talking but at the same time, I can¡¯t help but look away when he nces at me. The strength of my heartbeat suffocates me. I guess I got punished for what I did. I can¡¯t evenst long here because of the trembling I feel. I mean, he helped me but why is he acting like nothing happened? If he really is that man, why doesn¡¯t he talk to me about it? He saw me at the bar, very drunk in uniform. Isn¡¯t that one reason for being reported to Guidance? And one more thing: I kissed him.


    I covered my eyes with one of my hands, with my elbow resting on my desk. I even touched the side of my forehead with my thumb and middle finger. This is so embarrassing.


    ¡°Today, we¡¯re going to talk about Section 2, Point 4, which is the Chain Rule. In addition to the product rule and the quotient rule, there are certain functions where we have to use another rule. That rule is called the chain rule¡­¡±


    It was the first time Ismael had caught my attention, and my jaw dropped. The way he talked and exined the lesson was way more enthusiastic and professional. I looked around the whole ss and noticed their silence. All attention was on the professor in front.


    ¡°So if you have a function, let¡¯s call it p of x and that function is built on a function living within another function¡­ so you have f of g of x¡­¡± I can¡¯t take it anymore. Am I really listening to that Ismael Monda discussion? In Calculus? And since when did I have the interest to listen to him? Is it because of what happened earlier?


    No, no, this can¡¯t be. Am I losing between our fight? I am just starting yet. No, I should straighten up. I still want him to disappear and Professor Sybill toe back. So, what I should do now is ask Ismael if something happened to us or not. Because if there is, I don¡¯t know if I still have a face to present to Professor Sybill when he returns. And I have to think of another way to get him out of here because what I did earlier doesn¡¯t seem to be effective. He is as numb as stone and as cold as ice.


    ¡°Alright, ss. See you on Wednesday.¡± Ismael said goodbye to us. My eyes narrowed as I followed the professor out the door. I have to follow him.


    But the moment I stood up from my chair was the moment Savannah blocked me. And she¡¯s not alone now; she has back-ups that you¡¯d think could match my courage. Hell, no!


    ¡°What else do you need?¡± I asked arrogantly. Savannah tapped my shoulder violently. ¡°You are very flirtatious, Jothea.¡±


    I frowned because of what she said. Didn¡¯t she fully awaken when I pped her thest time? Because here she is again ruining my day.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t miss the opportunity to flirt with Professor Monda, do you? And you really came in early to see and seduce him?¡± I was stunned. At first, she was annoyed because I was alwayste and used me of wanting attention. Now that I¡¯m early, she still has something to say. What does this girl really want?


    ¡°What do you care? Are you jealous of me?¡± I asked her directly.


    Sheughed at me in an insulting way while she crossed her arms. She is rolling her eyes. What if I abducted those eyes from her, huh? ¡°Why would I be jealous of you? Who are you? You don¡¯t even have anything.¡±


    I was the one who grinned. ¡°Yeah, right? Isn¡¯t it ironic? I don¡¯t have what you have anymore. I don¡¯t have a family, I don¡¯t have friends, and I don¡¯t have a boyfriend, but your interference in my life is excessive. What if I have what you have? Then for sure, you will be even more annoyed with envy.¡±


    She was about to speak when someone knocked on our ssroom door. I was surprised to see Ismael standing straight at the doorway. ¡°Miss Alvandra,e to me.¡±


    My heart started beating fast. Shit. What is this? ¡°Why would I do that?¡± I asked artfully while suppressing the strange behavior of my heart.


    ¡°Just do what I say.¡±

 Chapter 8

    I could do nothing but follow Ismael. I was following his steps even though I didn¡¯t know where we were going. Tsk. What does he need from me?


    ¡°Get inside my office.¡±


    I looked at the door he was referring to. This was Professor Sybill¡¯s office before. My breathing became heavy. Everythinges back to my memory, even my longing for him.


    Ismael noticed that I wasn¡¯t by myself so he grabbed the doorknob and opened the door for me. He entered first, while I was still having second thoughts about whether to stay outside or get in. It¡¯s hard to go to the ce you used to go with the person you love now that you are no longer with them.


    ¡°Sit,¡± Ismael ordered so I looked at him with my eyebrows raised. I noticed that he was treating me like a dog because of the way hemanded me to do anything, just like when he summoned me here without telling me the reason before hand.


    ¡°Why would I?¡± Iined.


    ¡°Then, just stand there. It wouldn¡¯t be me who¡¯d get tired,¡± he sarcastically rebutted.


    He sat in front of me, where his table was. I saw the namete for his name. What does this mean? I thought he was just a sub-professor. Why does he have a namete here? Is he a regr now? Is Professor Sybill noting back?


    ¡°Did you send me here to hurt me more?¡± I asked angrily. Even my teeth gnashed from annoyance. ¡°To make it look to me that this is your office and you already have a name for this ce now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he answered inly, cing his two arms on the table and putting his hands together. ¡°That won¡¯t happen as long as you behave like that, Miss Alvandra. You¡¯re here because I want you to cooperate with me. I know you hate me and you want me to be dismissed, but I won¡¯t let it happen.¡±


    ¡°So, are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°No, I am here to request.¡± I was too stunned to speak from what he said. Request? Did I hear it correctly? Why would a professor request something from his student? I doubt what he really wants. ¡°I want this position. I want to teach here at Marcus University. And I don¡¯t want you to be the reason why I will be dismissed. This is my first time teaching here, and they told me that if one of my students failed, it would stain my records. My students are a reflection of how I teach.¡± His face showed sincerity. What does Marcus University have and why does he like to be here anyway?


    ¡°No, just fake my records. You can pass me, I know, even if Iin.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Integrity, Miss Alvandra.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. Why does it seem like his problem is my problem now? Did he really think I would follow what he wanted? He wants me to behave in his way? No way; now that I know his weakness, I might take advantage of it. I will make sure he is removed from here.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help you.¡± I said it firmly as I turned away from him but what he said next made me stop walking.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Then I must do my part. Should I tell Professor Sybill about how you kissed me that night?¡±


    I gulped. So now, he¡¯s trying to ckmail me. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what a useless man would do?¡± I answered while holding myself back. That means it was confirmed that he was the one I was with that night and I kissed him. Then, is it possible that something really happened between the two of us? There¡¯s no way! It¡¯s nauseating!


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I a useless man in your eyes already?¡±


    I sighed. I really hate him to the extreme. I thought he was here to request something from me. Why do I seem to be at a disadvantage here? Why does he have to use what happened against me?


    ¡°It was a mistake! I thought you were Professor Sybill; that¡¯s why I kissed you! Why were you there at the bar in the first ce? Why did you help me? Why did you take me to the hotel?¡±


    ¡°Why? Should it be at my house?¡±


    I grimaced. He should have only taught philosophy because he is very philosophical in a sarcastic way. Such an annoying human being! He¡¯s draining my patience! If I could strangle him, I would!


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have helped me because I can take care of myself. Also, I didn¡¯t ask for your help.¡±


    ¡°And left you there being molested? You¡¯re my student, after all. Why should I leave you?¡±


    I lost the answer. I would have preferred that he irritated me rather than speak to me in this manner as if he were genuinely concerned. I am more and more at a loss for words against him.


    I sighed. ¡°What do you really want?¡± I asked hard. It¡¯s boring to argue with him. It¡¯s like if I don¡¯t give up, he won¡¯t let me rest either.


    ¡°I told you what I wanted. I want to stay here.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to stay here. Why do you even want to stay here?¡±


    ¡°I have my reasons and I¡¯m desperate.¡±


    My tongue was lost for words after what he said. I can see in his eyes the depth of his desire to stay in this ce, which I don¡¯t have. Why would I want to stay here if what I will always remember is my longing for the person I love? I was only going in because I was hoping to see hime back or maybe get a hint as to where he was.


    ¡°If you want, I will help you locate where your professor is.¡±


    I blinked in an instant. At that time, my tears fell because it was as if I had the hope of seeing Professor Sybill again. I fell to my knees and couldn¡¯t stop crying. I don¡¯t care if Ismael sees me crying because of a man. I don¡¯t care what he says if I¡¯m stupid. What I wanted right now was his offer. If he helps me find Professor Sybill¡­ I¡¯ll also help him make his stay here stable.


    I noticed footstepsing towards me. ¡°Here.¡± I looked up and saw him handing me his handkerchief. My heart shattered. Why is he being so rude all the time and in an instant he¡¯ll be this thoughtful?


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t cry in front of guys; they might take advantage of your weakness,¡± he said in a concerned manner. I reached for the handkerchief he was giving me and wiped it on my cheek.


    ¡°You won¡¯t take advantage of me since I am yourst card.¡± I stand. ¡°If you don¡¯t follow the agreement, I¡¯ll definitely erase you here.¡±


    He grinned as he watched my face, as if he were amazed at how I recovered from the moment of breakdown. ¡°So, it¡¯s a deal?¡± he asked.


    I nodded. I was surprised when he extended his hand. I exhaled as I held his hand.


    ¡°You really love that guy, huh?¡± he still hissed.


    ¡°I do, so help me find his whereabouts in exchange for my kind behavior in your ss. I also promise I won¡¯t be an obstacle to your dreams.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Right. You should behave.¡± I was surprised when he put his hand on my head and ruffled my hair. I red at him. Am I a dog?

 Chapter 9

    CEASEFIRE. That¡¯s what we are. Weeks went by, and I wasing in early and listening to Ismael¡¯s sses. And just like he promised, he helped me locate Professor Sybill.


    ¡°What does calculus have to do with business management?¡± Iined to him.


    ¡°Did you also ask that of him?¡± I tormented him with his question. ¡°Look, students should learn calculus since it can be applied in economic and business settings such as maximizing profit or minimizing average cost, finding sticity of demand, or finding the present value of a continuous ie stream,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Remember the chain rule? It helps us deduce rates of change in the real world. From the Chain Rule, we can see how variables like time, speed, distance, volume, and weight are interrted. Imagine you¡¯re standing on a mountain, and you need to reach the bottom by taking a series of steps, each leading to a lower level. The chain rule is the mental map that guides you through each step, ensuring yound exactly where you intend. In calculus, it helps us navigate the intricate paths ofposite functions.¡± I was amazed at his exnation but he wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°Aposite function is like a chain reaction. It¡¯s theposition of two or more functions. Think of it as putting one function inside another, creating a new function. The chain rule provides a way to calcte how changes in the input of the outer function ripple through to affect the output. Haven¡¯t I already discussed this?¡± added to Professor Monda¡¯sint. Made me scratch my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s so hard,¡± I whispered. I am currently here in his office because he is privately teaching me lessons that I didn¡¯t quite understand. Because he¡¯s too much of a perfectionist, but me? I am the lowest performer in his ss. Since he doesn¡¯t want to be dangerous in the eyes of the board members, especially the dean and the other faculty, he¡¯s trying his best to teach me. ¡°Because what I know is a different chain.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He stared at me in disbelief. I don¡¯t know if he is conservative but every time I joke like that, he gives me a death stare. ¡°What now? I mean nothing?¡±


    ¡°I am not stupid, Miss Alvandra.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, Professor Monda.¡± I¡¯m more used to calling him by his first name, but because he wants me to respect him at least a little bit, I couldn¡¯t do anything but call him the way he calls me. In fairness, I like the way he calls me. Too professional. ¡°So, before anything else, is there any progress in your search for Professor Sybill? How can I be sure you¡¯re really looking for him, huh? Maybe you¡¯re just fooling me around,¡± I stated while moving the books and notebooks away from me.


    ¡°I have my connections. And yeah, I forgot to tell you about this but this Saturday, he¡¯ll be at the bar where I saw you.¡±


    Saturday? Wait a minute; that is our first anniversary. Why would Professor Sybill be there?


    I bit my lip. Is it because he expects me to go there even if he doesn¡¯t say it to me? It was at the bar that he taught me; that¡¯s why I go there every time I escape from the world. Will I really see him there?


    I became emotional again. You can see the ultimate happiness on my face. Now that there is news of where I can see him, I am so happy. What if I can see him right in front of me?


    ¡°What time? I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°Around eight in the evening. My friend told me that Professor Sybill booked a private room there,¡± he exined.


    I smiled. ¡°Okay, copy.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to go there? Maybe someone will try to molest you again,¡± he said. I shook my head. ¡°I can do it alone. I told you, I didn¡¯t even need your help that night. And besides, Professor Sybill is there; I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t leave me.¡±


    The smile couldn¡¯t leave my lips because I finally had information about Professor Sybill. I have a chance to see him and talk about what happened. My questions will be answered once I get to see him.


    It seems that I had the inspiration to finish what I was doing. I answered all the questions given to me by Ismael and even he was amazed that I answered everything correctly. Well, what can¡¯t love do?


    *****


    Saturday came and I was so nervous. I feel like I¡¯m having diarrhea. The anxiety in my chest was extreme and no matter what I did to calm down, I couldn¡¯t do it. This is the day of our first anniversary and I can¡¯t believe I will see him.


    I was so excited that it was only seven p. m. since I arrived and I¡¯ve been hanging out at the Ind Motel Bar. I also realized that the hotel that Ismael took me to the night he saw me here was right next to this bar. I still haven¡¯t asked him about the whole thing but it¡¯s certain that nothing really happened between us because he told me I was not his type, and he¡¯s not my type either. Good lord! Even though he¡¯s been kind to me these past few days, of course that¡¯s because he was after something; he doesn¡¯t want me to get in the way of his ns so he¡¯s teaching me. I even had a private tutor for free.


    I looked at my mobile phone to check the time. Quarter to eight. That¡¯s why there are already a lot of people inside the bar. What a relief that people don¡¯t look at me or in my direction. No man approached me either. I sipped my tequ, which I ordered the moment I came here. The bartender even remembered me and asked if I was going to get the usual one. I was amazed.


    Suddenly, my phone rang. I jumped because of shock. I immediately answered the call when I saw Ismael¡¯s name on the screen.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I greeted.


    ¡°Nothing. I just want to know where you are but based on the loud screams and music, you¡¯re at the venue now.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Yeah, and I thank you for helping me. I can¡¯t wait to see Professor Sybill. This night will be long. It¡¯s our first anniversary after all.¡±


    ¡°Right. Take care.¡±

 Chapter 10

    ¡°Right. Take care.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He hung up so I just focused on the door while waiting for Professor Sybill to arrive. Wait, I should retouch!


    I hurried to thefort room to re-perfume and fix my make-up. I am wearing a beautiful ck satin dress and dark red lips that would be ruined tonight. I shed my one-million dor smile as I said to myself-¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡±-while thrilled.


    I decided to leave the restroom but when I went out, the man I saw first was the man I never imagined seeing here. ¡°Professor Monda, what are you doing here?¡±


    But he didn¡¯t answer me; instead, he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the bar, which annoyed me. ¡°Hey! Let go of me!¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother to listen and still dragged me wherever he wanted.


    ¡°What¡¯s your problem? Why did you bring me here?¡± I asked when he stopped walking and let go of my hand. I met his eyes with a frown.


    ¡°Professor Sybill is not here so you better go home now,¡± he answered nonchntly.


    My forehead twitches in frustration. ¡°What? I thought he was here. Isn¡¯t that what you said?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but he canceled his reservation.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer right away because the frustration was gradually getting on my nerves. I looked away to find some patience and I noticed we were in the parking lot next to the bar.


    ¡°What do you mean he canceled his reservation? Are your sources reliable?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I sighed and watched him closely. I feel the weight of my heart and it seems that in a few moments, my tears will start to pour. I prepared myself for this to meet the one I love and then suddenly this will happen, and of course, the rush will drop. I feel like I¡¯ve lost my energy.


    I just stared into Ismael¡¯s eyes while praying to the wind that he would take back what he said. ¡°No, this is the only chance that I would get to see him. Give me the contacts of your sources; for sure, they will know where Professor Sybill is now. I will go to him,¡± I pleaded desperately.


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t go to him.¡±


    I furrowed my brow even more in annoyance because I was astounded by what he said. ¡°What do you mean? Are you hiding something? Why don¡¯t you want me to go to him? Are you jealous?¡± I asked directly.


    He didn¡¯t answer so I panicked even more. I tried to engage myself in staring at him and when I did that, I saw him avert his eyes. What the hell is going on with him?


    It was just a moment ago when he called me. How did this man get here in an instant? Something is off. How would he know that Professor Sybill canceled his reservation so fast?


    ¡°I need to check. I¡¯ming back,¡± I stated.


    I turned my back on him but when he grabbed my hand again to stop me, I was startled. Our eyes met again and I know that eyes can¡¯t lie.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± I mouthed. ¡°You¡¯re hiding something.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Then, let me go,¡± I said firmly as I removed his hand from my arm. I burst into the bar and ran my eyes all around. No, I should check the rooms. I¡¯m sure Professor Sybill is here. I have a strong feeling that he is just around and Ismael is lying. Woman¡¯s instinct is always right and the female energy we have is the basis.


    I opened the rooms one by one. I don¡¯t care if their clients are surprised by me. I need to see Professor Sybill. I need to talk to him. And I¡¯d be crazy if I didn¡¯t see him today.


    ¡°Miss Alvandra!¡± I heard Ismael shout from a distance but I ignored him. I just keep opening the door.


    I hold the doorknob to thest room. I felt the strong energy that someone I was looking for was inside. I breathed out and was about to open the door when a warm hand stopped me.


    ¡°Let go of my hand, Ismael,¡± Imanded as I stared into his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do but can you step out of my way?¡±


    I removed his hand and opened the door but it was locked.


    ¡°You¡¯re just bothering the guests. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, get the keys. He¡¯s inside, Ismael.¡±


    ¡°No, Miss Alvandra. This is enough. You need to calm down.¡±


    I was looking at him when I moved my hand. I knocked on the door. Many times. And Ismael could do nothing but watch me.


    I held my breath and watched the door slowly open while praying that Professor Sybill would be there, but I felt as if heaven and earth were entwined when a woman greeted us.


    ¡°Yes? How can I help you?¡± asked a beautiful and somewhat elderly woman. She looks to be in her mid-30s.


    I couldn¡¯t speak immediately. I just want to cry. I was hoping that Professor Sybill was here but he¡¯s not.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I thought this was our room. My apologies,¡± said Ismael for me.


    I slowly walked away from that room. Carrying heavy feelings. I never thought that this day would end like this. I thought I would wake up with the person I love but no, there¡¯s no Professor Sybill here, not even his shadow. My tears started to flow. I couldn¡¯t stop it. It hurts so much that I hope to see him again and I am making every effort to locate him since he has just vanished like a bubble. I¡¯m about to be crazy. What about me that he left? How about me, who was waiting?


    I¡¯ve been trying my best to survive because I still hope for the day that we can be together again. I even made a deal with Ismael because I really wanted to see him. I stopped my rebellions because I was looking forward to this day but in the end, all my efforts were in vain.


    I got a tequ from the waiter who passed by. Not just one but I drunk up all the sses on the tray he was holding. He even stopped me because he said it was someone else¡¯s order but he kept quiet when I put down money.


    I staggered my way to the center of the bar. I am not drunk. I can still see everything, even the man I was about to bump into.


    ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡± he asked but his concern disappeared as soon as he saw me. My drunkenness also disappeared when I recognized who he was.


    ¡°Jothea? What are you doing here?¡± He helped me stand up.


    My lips curled downward when I got to see his face. ¡°Professor Sybill?¡±

 Chapter 11

    ¡°Professor Sybill?¡± I eximed. My drunkenness disappeared when I saw the person I had been looking for for a long time. I even tried not to cry but my lips were shaking. ¡°Are you really here?¡±


    But my question was not answered when he took me away from him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should go,¡± he said, then turned his back on me.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked after. I also chased him and stopped him from walking. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to celebrate our first anniversary?¡±


    He sighed and appeared to me straight. ¡°No, there¡¯s no anniversary, Jothea. We are done.¡±


    I was stunned and at that moment, my tears fell. My lips trembled but I couldn¡¯t call his name. I can no longer chase the person who keeps walking away from me. How easy is it for him to say we¡¯re done? Is that it?


    I tried to walk and chase him, but the moment he opened that door-in the farthest room-I felt defeated. The woman we saw earlier is with him. And it must be his wife. I saw her ring the moment she opened the door for us.


    I covered my mouth because loud weeping escaped my lips. My sobs and cries dominate the loud music around the bar. I felt like I was going to copse. The pain is suffocating me. It¡¯s like my heart is being squeezed. Why did he do this to me? I gave everything to him.


    I wiped my tears and tried to walk away from that bar, even though my whole being felt weak. If he were married, then would I be his mistress? No, he already cut me off. And he really abandoned me.


    I keep on crying and wiping my tears away. I feel so devastated and miserable, realizing that there really isn¡¯t even a person for me. All of them are gone. I¡¯m really alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    I turned to the man who spoke next to me. Ismael is here. And because of what he said, I cried even more.


    ¡°I told you not to cry in front of guys.¡± He wiped my cheek. ¡°I might take advantage of you,¡± he said, and I knew he was just trying to mess with me tofort me, but I managed to take it seriously. I stared at his face intently, giving him a hint. I also met his eyes, looking deeply into mine.


    I don¡¯t know what sent me into saying, ¡°Then, take advantage of me.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    *****


    The same white, clean room. The air was not hot. Not cold either. This is where he took me that night. But I don¡¯t know if something happened to us; if nothing, now I can be sure that something will happen between the two of us.


    The moment the door closed was the moment I grabbed his nape to seal for a kiss. Aggressively. He immediately recovered and I admit that I was surprised by the way he was able to nt warm kisses on my lips.


    His soft lips are ying with me as if he is helping me forget the scenes I witnessed earlier. He leaned me against the wall; no, his arm was blocking my head so my head was leaning there on his firm arm. And because of his position, we became closer to each other, and even if he only had one hand free to move, he could do the work I needed tonight.


    He lowered the strap of my short dress before kissing my shoulder up to my neck. I couldn¡¯t stop closing my eyes and moaning. I can feel his tongue tasting me. He is really good. He is really amazing.


    My eyes immediately opened when I felt his hand on my thigh. He was caressing it and I was just surprised when he touched his palm to my womanhood. Our eyes met. As we were so close to each other, I could see his beautiful ck eyes twinkling. Full of desire. I only now realized his handsome face, which I often target with insults. Even his beloved fitted gray long sleeves, which showed the beautiful shape of his body better, as well as his big biceps and wide back. I never thought I would be with this man tonight. Does all of this happen because of the hit of alcohol and sadness towards me?


    ¡°Can you tell me why it¡¯s wet already?¡± He whispered in a deep voice, which sent me shivers down my spine. My body hair stood on end and he seemed to notice because heughed. He put his hand inside my underwear so I clung to him very tightly.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re so handsome tonight,¡± I retorted teasingly and Iughed when I felt something bump into my thighs. I bit my lip when I saw that.


    I was about to unbuckle his belt when he inserted a finger inside me. He immediately entered me, as if I had been waiting for a long time.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered as I looked back and forth at Ismael¡¯s face as well as at his hand, enjoying the lower part of my body.


    He immediately inserted another digit, which made me spread my legs more. My thighs were shaking because of the way he was moving his fingers in and out. I was also clinging to his firm arm.


    ¡°Are you sure you want me to take advantage of you tonight?¡±


    I gulped hard and nodded softly as I admitted, ¡°Yes, take me down, professor.¡±


    He smirked. He removed his hand from my underwear before kissing me again, full of passion, as he wrapped my thighs around his waist. My arm immediately wrapped around his neck. His strength was surprising because he quickly lifted me onto the bed without even letting go of my lips.


    Heid me down on the soft bed while continuing to devour me. Our saliva is mixing as if we were aware of the delicious taste before. Later, it wouldn¡¯t be just saliva but also our sweat as well as the juices of our hard work.


    He quickly removed his belt and pulled down his pants. I almost lost my drunkenness when I saw what he owned.


    ¡°Are you blushing?¡± he asked, full of jest.


    ¡°N-no! Why would I? Can that finish me off?¡± I refused, even though my eagerness could be seen on my face.


    Hepletely removed my underwear and also inserted his manhood into me. No warning. I was surprised when I felt him inside my wet walls. Because of the way he romanced me earlier, he was able to enter me easily and smoothly. His thing was huge. His length is enough to satisfy me.


    My breathing became shallow and it felt like I was drowning in the thrust inside me. It¡¯s like he¡¯s pushing me into the sea that he¡¯s about to destroy. He kissed my neck again while his hands conquered my body.


    I exhaled with a sigh. No matter how hard I tried to pretend, his movements brought me to cloud nine. He seems to have his own rhythm. This is the very first time I have experienced this. His movement is at a slow pace as if he is springing to tease, and then suddenly speeds up. Slowing down again to hang on and speeding up to take me to heaven. This is driving me crazy; I can¡¯t get enough of moaning. He collided with the deepest part of my flesh, which made me sway to his rhythm.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ shit.¡±

 Chapter 12

    ¡°Ahh¡­ shit.¡±


    I feel the heat of my body rising more and more because of the tension he builds inside me. I know the juices of happiness are rushing out of me. Any minute now, I will conclude.


    I was clinging to his clothes and because of my violent pulling, the buttons were torn but I didn¡¯t care. I want to kiss him because I¡¯m about to explode. Additionally, I prefer that he not overhear my loud moaning, as it could potentially reveal my immense enjoyment. Shit. This is my first time feeling an orgasm. This is insane.


    I was surprised when he picked me up and put me on hisp. I was already sitting on hisp while looking up because he was continuing to thrust into my flesh. The next thing I knew, I felt our explosion inside me. He kissed me again. And because our faces were close to each other, I noticed that his forehead was furrowed.


    A few seconds passed when he released me. Our eyes met again. I am looking into his eyes, like a pool of ck holes, pulling me to give in. I couldn¡¯t stop touching his face and caressing it. I can still feel the shivers in my body because of what we did.


    ¡°Did you finish?¡± he whispered. I nodded, which caused his face to lighten up.


    He fixed my hair. He tucked a few pieces of hair from my cheek behind my ear. He kissed me again and then touched my lips. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t cry for someone who can¡¯t make you finish,¡± hemented.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± I questioned seriously. I noticed him taking off his clothes. I bit my lip as I saw his whole body. What kind of workout does he do to have such a beautiful body?


    ¡°Because it is just our first round and you finished already.¡± He caressed both of my shoulders as if he were asking my hands to lift up. I followed that and he took off my dress in no time.


    ¡°I¡¯m just getting started, Miss Alvandra.¡±


    He grabbed my hair and put it behind me so that it wouldn¡¯t get in the way. He kissed my neck down to my chest. And I¡¯m embarrassed because of what he¡¯s doing.


    ¡°Wait a minute. I can¡¯t take it anymore,¡± I told him but he didn¡¯t listen to me and just held my hands. He sucks my breasts like it is the sweetest thing he could ever suck in this world.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Ismael¡­¡±


    He nced at me again. His hands rested on my smooth back. ¡°Why? Haven¡¯t you told me to take advantage of you?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t answer any more. Heid me down on the bed again but this time closer to the headboard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do the work. You will have more of it tonight.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He put a pillow on my head. I was even surprised because he hadn¡¯t even removed his manhood from inside me so I could still feel it oozing out inside me. He was so focused on the bed and immediately cursed because of that, which was another indication that what he did had an impact on him as well.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± he murmured, and he took off his pants before taking his ce again in front of me. I was biting my lip while looking at his beautiful body. Pulling my flesh to let him do what he wanted to do more to my body.


    He lifted my right foot and licked it up to my thigh. I flinched when his tongue hit my sticky, wet womanhood. I just bit the back of my finger while looking up. My eyes are now white because of the pleasure I received from him.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ fuck¡­ Ismael¡­ this feels so good,¡± I eximed. I heard him chuckle near my womanhood and I felt his breath. Shit. My mouth can¡¯t help but escape those truthful words. Who would have thought that a professor who had always been my enemy would be willing to eat my privacy? He continues licking it and it is drawing me insane. I held his head. And my thighs start to thrust.


    And because he yed with his tongue inside me, I released that fluid of satisfaction again. I thought he was going to stop, but not yet. It seems he has no intention of stopping.


    He took a position in front of me again with his weapon ready. He ced my right leg over his shoulder and gently inserted his manhood. It grew even more. And because of his size, I can feel myself tight.


    His hand traced his thing above my belly. I can see him do that-his quick riding brings the ultimate happiness to him and especially to me. I grabbed the headboard. Fortunately, I was shielded by a pillow, which prevented me from being bumped by his forceful advances within me.


    ¡°How can you be so tight?¡± hemented while still working on me. Sweat was dripping from the side of his head. Our bodies are sticking together and because of that, I can hear every sound of our collisions.


    My whole being was shaking at the extreme speed of his action. Fortunately, I can keep up but even my flesh tightens. My breathing became deeper than the sea. I feel like I ran a few kilometers. And even turning my head anywhere became difficult for me.


    He slowly came closer to my body to reach the hands that he wanted to touch. All of my fingers are interlocked with his, and he then ced them near my head.


    I heard his deep breathing as well as his shivering. Even I feel like I¡¯m going to lose my life. This is fucking tasty. I will never forget it. ¡°Ismael,¡± I moaned. ¡°Give it all to me.¡±


    He kissed my lips again at the same time that he was riding faster.


    ¡°I¡¯m close,¡± he promised.


    ¡°And so do I.¡± His head is on my neck when he gives all of him inside me. He even bit my neck, which tickled me. I just closed my eyes at the height of happiness that ended in me.


    I couldn¡¯t stop hugging him and when he raised his head to look at me, I kissed him deeply. He responded like he still has a long way to go, and even I want more. I don¡¯t want this night to end like that. I want to make the most of it because he is the only person who can make me finish like this.


    I pushed him and ced myself in front of him. As a reward for eating me, I should also do my part. I touched his shaft, which, all of a sudden, saluted at me again. He just cursed at his pet¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°It looks like it knows who to salute. He knows his master,¡± I shouted.


    I moved my hands while looking at him. His reaction is so pleasing to my eyes. Even simply biting his lower lips is an amazement to me.


    I kissed the tip of his thing and, without a word, inserted it in my mouth. I even yed with it, using my tongue inside. It is really huge. I can¡¯t believe I can taste this much.


    I sped up my movement. I was still holding his thigh while doing that.


    ¡°Fuck, Miss Alvandra.¡±


    ¡°Call me by my name¡­ I am yours tonight,¡± I answered, taking another bite of his manhood in my mouth.


    ¡°Then, Miss Monda¡­¡± I gawked when I heard that from him. My heart skips a beat. I looked at him and all I could see was his straight eyes looking at me while doing my business. It was also obvious that he was having a hard time with what I was doing. No, he was enjoying it. ¡°I am yours too.¡±


    Next was his explosion inside my mouth. A lot. And because I still couldn¡¯t get over what I heard from him, I couldn¡¯t swallow his juice.


    I couldn¡¯t move immediately. If he hadn¡¯t pulled me back to kiss me again, I wouldn¡¯t havee back to myself.


    Did I hear it right?


    He called me his Miss Monda?


    *****


    I slowly opened my eyes. There are tears on my cheeks. I was in a bad dream. A huge heartbreak¡­


    But what breaks my heart the most is when I see myself alone in this room. Naked. Underneath the thick nket.


    The man I was withst night is nowhere here, just like how he left mest time¡­ he left me again. Just like what Professor Sybill did.


    I can see it now. All men do this. After they get what they want, they will abandon you.


    I gulped. It¡¯s my fault. I let things happen that I will eventually regret. And having a one-night stand with Ismael is a mere fact of my defeat. Because of my impulsiveness, I got swayed by my emotions¡­ he conquered me. And here I am¡­ Still alone.

 Chapter 13

    I tried my best to walk, but I couldn¡¯t. Ismael really did a lot for mest night. And that was my request; it wasn¡¯t his fault, but I don¡¯t know why I feel heavy today. Is it because I woke up again without him when I expected he would?


    No. Definitely not. Why would I expect some man to be with me after a one-night stand? Of course, he will leave. Just like Professor Sybill.


    Tears fell down my cheeks. What I sawst nightes back to my memory-Professor Sybill, as well as him ending our rtionship. I looked for him for a long time and longed to see him again but he would just ignore me. It was our first anniversary.


    I closed my eyes while preventing myself from being disappointed. Why am I so stupid for believing he really loves me? I held my lips. He was my first kiss. My first love. The first man to whom I gave everything-but why did he throw it all away? Was it because I was just his toy?


    I sat on the bed. Although my hands are on my face and I am attempting to hold back my tears, it is difficult to do so when all the heartaches are escaping me.


    My tears continue to fall, and my sobs are getting louder. It was all heard across the room. I hope someone hears this because I¡¯m begging for someone to help me out of this mess that I made.


    I nced at the bed again. I remembered everything that happenedst night. It was supposed to pamper me. Ismael did his best to satisfy me, to forget the man who left mest night but the thought of him doing the same this morning hurt me more. Why am I hurting more because of him? Did I really hope to wake up with him?


    I took my phone to check the time. It is already ten in the morning. I was in the middle of crying when someone knocked. I tried to make my way quickly to the person behind the door and I was surprised to see ady attendant. But she looked more surprised by what she saw and it was toote for me to notice that I was still naked. But she still managed to do her job rather than be affected by what she saw. I just took those pillows from the couch and blocked my body. Where are my clothes?


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Alvandra. This is your breakfast,¡± she said while pushing the service trolley. I frowned. ¡°S-sorry? I did not order this.¡±


    ¡°My son did.¡±


    I was stunned. Son? My eyes widened at what I heard. ¡°Y-your son, Ismael?¡±


    She came to me and handed me something-a paper bag that I didn¡¯t notice she was also carrying earlier. ¡°Yes.¡±


    I felt shy and nervous. I did not expect this! H-how on Earth is Ismael¡¯s mother here? And why is she delivering food for me? Wait! I¡¯m confused!


    ¡°Better yet, get dressed, hija, before you eat.¡± She pointed to the paper bag that I am now holding. It contains clothes. Even though my brain was confused, I followed her order. Howe Mrs. Monda is here? And she saw me naked. Does that mean she knows something happened between us and her son? Wait, does she know that I am her son¡¯s student? Wait, are there so many women that Ismael has brought here already that Mrs. Monda was really calm when she saw me?


    I sighed as I put on my clothes. I also took a bath for a while while solving the questions in my mind. Just a while ago, I couldn¡¯t stop my tears; now it is the trembling in my chest that is unstoppable. It was diverted in a short span of time and it was because of that professor.


    I am wearing a floral, modest dress that fits my body perfectly. I was amazed by it at first but thinking that Ismael saw my whole bodyst night, I won¡¯t wonder anymore. Is this how he treats his girls? Is this the kind of aftercare they are talking about? Even if he were not here, he would have somebody to take care of his fling. Then I shouldn¡¯t sulk.


    Wait, why would I be in the first ce?


    I came out of the shower room and I was surprised to see the variety of foodid out on the table. It was a lot. It¡¯s not just breakfast because I don¡¯t eat enough; it will take three days before I finish it.


    ¡°Come on, have a bite,¡± said Mrs. Monda. She serves me the soup and also the soup spoon. I tasted it and it was really delicious. The warmth of it defeated my cold stomach.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I stopped eating for a moment when I noticed the namete on her chest. Mrs. Silvia Estanio. I frowned and she seemed to notice because she was holding her namete now.


    She smiled at me. ¡°You must be confused. I am not his biological mother, Miss Alvandra. I am his nanny and the manager of this hotel.¡±


    ¡°Nanny?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Since birth, I am the one who takes care of him and even his mess when he grows up.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I eximed. Am I included in that mess? Well, I think so. The fact that she saw me naked. I was also surprised by my appearance earlier when I faced the mirror because of the spread of mascara on my eyes. I need to prepare myself because Ismael surely saw that and he will fool me about that.


    ¡°Has he brought many women here?¡± I¡¯m curious.


    She shook her head. ¡°You are the first one here.¡± I was stunned. Is she serious? I¡¯m the first? But my amazement also disappeared when Mrs. Estanio made her statement. ¡°Maybe somewhere else, yes.¡±


    I just nodded. That¡¯s right. Ismael informed me beforehand that he is exceptionally good at flirting and being in bed. And I¡¯m not the first to be convinced. Probably, from what he didst night, he has a lot of experience. Perhaps he is not present at this moment because he has another woman in mind. Who knows?


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s a bad person. He¡¯s a good son, Miss Alvandra, and because of him, I felt like having a son. And he treated me well, like his true mother. He¡¯s very caring when ites todies, even though his parents didn¡¯t raise and teach him because they left him early and both married other people.¡±


    I was too stunned to speak at what Mrs. Estanio told me. So, we¡¯re on the same page? Both of our parents are married to someone else?


    ¡°Well, it affected him in his early years, so that boy also became mischievous, but now, all he wants is to focus on himself and be a good professor. It is his long-time dream, so he is working hard to get into Marcus University. And earlier, maybe you were wondering where he was; he was summoned to the university early in the morning.¡±


    And he went right away? Is he that dedicated? Even today, which is Sunday?


    ¡°And here in his business. I was very lucky because he made me the manager of his hotel.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°This is his hotel?¡±


    ¡°Yup, but it is a secret. Even the Ind Motel Bar is his too.¡±


    Fuck. Is he really an asset?

 Chapter 14

    ¡°W-why are you telling me if this is a secret?¡± I asked.


    She held my hand. There was hope in her eyes. ¡°Because I see goodness in your heart, Miss Alvandra. Please take care of my son. Don¡¯t break his heart.¡±


    Goodness? Since when? All I know is that I¡¯m a bad woman.


    ¡°B-but Ismael and I don¡¯t have a rtionship,¡± I answered.


    She took a deep breath and sadness appeared on her face. ¡°I see. I must be wrong. My vision must be blurry.¡±


    She let go of my hand and let me finish my meal. She also said goodbye to me while I stayed for a while.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Hold on, if this hotel and that bar are in Ismael¡¯s possession, does that mean he knew everything in the first ce? About Professor Sybill¡¯s reservation here. About the woman who was in the room that night. Is that why he was forcing me to leave? Did he try to get me away from the heartache?


    Also, that answers my question about why he saved me from being molested that night because he was there since he is actually the owner. Gosh. That was why it was not impossible to see him there but Mrs. Estanio said it was a secret. Why? Is it because he is a professor? Is that why people shouldn¡¯t know about him owning a bar and a hotel? Then, why did Mrs. Estanio tell me? Was it because she thought I was Ismael¡¯s girlfriend? No way!


    I was still deep in thought even as I boarded the elevator. It is Sunday today and I have no sses so I should go home first. I need to rest from the wild activities I engaged inst night.


    The door opened and to my surprise, the man who would enter the elevator was Professor Sybill. He is with a woman. We looked at each other for a while, as if he were hesitant to enter. If the woman hadn¡¯t pulled him, it looks like he would have chosen to take the stairs.


    My breathing became heavy. I felt sadness again. Now I can see him with a couple of rings, the same as the woman who is clinging to his arms. It is true. I was just a mistress. And I lose my dignity even more because of that. I am a woman but he made me feel like garbage.


    I just quietly watched their backs. Secretly listening to their soft conversations. It really hurts to see the person you love with someone else. I can¡¯t fight because I don¡¯t have the right. And I don¡¯t want to destroy the family. Thinking that they were here, it looks like they also spent the night together. Are they here to celebrate? Is it supposed to be our first anniversary at the same time as their celebration?


    I heaved a sigh. A lot of things areing to my mind again. There are a lot of questions. What did I do to be wasted like this?


    ¡°We should be at home now. The children are waiting,¡± said the woman. I looked up and tried not to gasp. So, they already have kids?


    I bit my lip.


    ¡°I really enjoyed our time together since we were both busy. Thank you, Sybill, for making this n to be with me on our fifth anniversary.¡±


    My heart shattered into pieces. They have been together for five years but he still managed to cheat on his wife for a year with me. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have done that. I will not force myself into something stupid like this.


    I can¡¯t help but feel pity. And in an instant, anger took the ce of my love for Professor Sybill. If I could have confronted him right away, I would have, but what I would do would have an impact on a lot of people, even their children.


    The elevator rang. I didn¡¯t let myself stay in that ce anymore and I excused myself from them. No looking back.


    I stopped a taxi and then got in before going straight to my house. Weekends should be my rest days but I was filled with stress because of various things that happened. But the thing is¡­ I began to miss someone. And that someone is Ismael. I felt like I wanted to rest in his arms.


    *****


    I went to ss and as usual, I waste. I have a bit of a headache because I stayed uptest night. Professor Sybill was texting me nonstop and even telling me not to talk about our affair to his wife.


    That really made my day worse. He didn¡¯t have to tell me. After he broke my heart, he still had the courage to threaten me not to ckmail him. Why would I even do that?


    To think of it, he was also asking why I was in that hotel looking so tired. Well, I left him on seen. Let his brain run wild.


    ¡°Hey, do you know the issue?¡± I heard one of my ssmates whisper when I sat in my seat. They are seated at the back of my chair so I can hear what they are talking about.


    ¡°What issue?¡±


    ¡°Professor Monda was seen in a barst Saturday night. That¡¯s why he was admitted early yesterday to exin.¡±


    ¡°And why would they ask him about that? It was his private life. Why would they care if he¡¯s at the bar? Does he not have the right to have fun?¡±


    ¡°Because he was seen with a student. They said that student was from Marcus University.¡±


    I was stunned. Did they see us? Are they talking about me?


    ¡°Same issue with Professor Sybill before. The source also said that Professor Sybill was also there at the bar on Saturday but he was with his wife so, technically, the issues about him being a womanizer were false. He is a faithful husband. And the deal here is that Professor Monda is victimizing a student to satisfy his hunger for lust.¡±


    I immediately stood up to them because of what I heard and looked at them evilly with raised eyebrows. They stared at me too. Both were shocked and scared. How can they talk so much about a man they don¡¯t know well? I don¡¯t know but I was hurt hearing those baseless usations.


    ¡°Shut up if you¡¯re just spitting out nonsense,¡± I told them firmly.


    ¡°Why? Are you affected? Are you the girl who was with Professor Mondast Saturday night?¡±


    I looked at someone who bugged into our conversation. Who else? It was Savannah. So she was also listening to them?


    She approached me. ¡°Are you the reason why our calculus professor will be changed again?¡±


    I gulped. Because of what she said, I realized what I did would stain Ismael¡¯s profile and surely his records here will be affected. And what I promised him-that I would not be a hindrance-seems to have been broken. Because of the burst of my emotions, I got him involved in my mess. Someone else saw us being with each other and that was something I never expected.


    ¡°Why did you be speechless? Are you hurt? Well, after all, why would Professor Monda hit on you in the first ce? Of course, it wasn¡¯t you he was with if the issue is true. He loathed you,¡± she added before returning to her seat.


    The moment she said that, that was the beginning of my anxiety. I can¡¯t help but admit that I am starting to be concerned about Ismael. Clearly, because of my mess, he is at a disadvantage. All he wanted was to stay here but because of my selfishness and foolishness towards the man who never sees my worth, Ismael is the victim of all of my mess.


    I can¡¯t stop being ashamed of myself. I should probably distance myself from him now.


    I picked up my bag and decided to leave the room but I stopped walking when I met him-the man I should avoid.


    My heart melted when I saw his face. I was weak. It was as if my heart was taking all my strength¡­to beat this fast.


    ¡°Where are you going, Miss Alvandra?¡±

 Chapter 15

    ¡°Where are you going, Miss Alvandra?¡± he asked when he saw meing out of his ss.


    ¡°None of your business.¡±


    I walked past him but he grabbed my hand to stop me from going away.


    ¡°You¡¯re not leaving. Come inside or else¡­¡±


    I swallowed in anxiety and slowly turned to him. ¡°Or else?¡±


    ¡°Or else I¡¯ll do something you wouldn¡¯t like.¡±


    I sighed as I brought myself to enter the room again. I rushed to my seat and sat down.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I kept sighing as I watched Ismael teach, as if he were unaffected by what was happening in his career. I can¡¯t help feeling sorry for him and seeing the goodness he has. All he did was discipline me but this is what I did in return. I feel so guilty.


    ¡°ss dismissed. Miss Alvandra,e to my office.¡±


    I closed my eyes again when he called my name in front of the ss. What would others think of him, as he always asks me to go to him after ss? They¡¯ll be suspicious. Is he really ruining his career?


    ¡°Good luck, Jothea. Professor Monda seems really mad. Be kind,¡± one of my ssmatesmented while shaking his head.


    ¡°Maybe his anger will be heaped on you because of the issues about him. Poor you,¡± added another, which caused my forehead to furrow.


    ¡°Miss Alvandra, do I have to tell you twice toe to me?¡±


    I was shaken by Ismael¡¯s voice so I took action and followed him. It was real; he was angry. Is this because of his issues? It seems that anger will be heaped on me.


    I was biting my lips while ying with my nails nervously. He opened the door of his office for me and when I entered after him, he closed it.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    I obeyed his order without appealing. I was sitting there, waiting for him. I was about to ask him what he wanted and why he asked me to be there when a hand lifted my chin and his lips imed mine.


    I hadn¡¯t reacted immediately when I realized Ismael was kissing me deeply. Aggressive. His making me run out of breath and blending his saliva with mine like it were an alcoholic drink induces intoxication in me. But I don¡¯t feel his annoyance at kissing me. What is this?


    I grabbed his arm and responded. But in a snap, I remember that this is wrong. I tried to push him away and when I looked into his eyes, they were all weary and tired.


    ¡°What are you doing? Why did you do that?¡± I asked while frowning. I¡¯m not upset about what he did; I¡¯m upset because I feel like he has a big problem that he¡¯s trying to conceal, even though it¡¯s my fault.


    He did not answer me; instead, he went in front of the window to observe the outside. I sighed.


    ¡°If there¡¯s no reason why you called me, I¡¯d better leave,¡± I chanted as I stood up but his words stopped me.


    ¡°What are you doing to me?¡± he said firmly before turning to me. ¡°What are you doing to me, Miss Alvandra?¡±


    I blinked several times to find the answer to his question but first of all, what am I doing to him to answer that?


    ¡°What am I doing to you?¡± I repeated his question to me.


    ¡°Definitely. That¡¯s the question. What are you doing to me, Miss Alvandra?¡± He shouted, which scared me. I thought his screaming in ss earlier was scary; now it¡¯s scarier up close. My hands were shaking. It was not a long time ago when we used to share a night; now we¡¯re arguing like we¡¯re something. Anyway, there¡¯s no string attached when we do that and it prickles my heart with horror.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I¡¯m sorry! This is all my fault. Everything would have been different if I hadn¡¯t been the fool who asked you to spend the night with me. You won¡¯t be in this position where you will face a lot of issues and be the reason for your dismissal. I know I wanted this to happen before but now it has not. I am sorry if this thing happened. It¡¯s all because of me. I¡¯m sorry, P-professor¡­¡±


    My voice broke and I couldn¡¯t stop crying in front of him. I remembered again the hurtful words I heard from my ssmates. That¡¯s how quickly they changed their view of this teacher when it was really my fault. Ismael is the victim here. It was me who asked him for a night. It was me who had a desire for him to satisfy my hunger for lust-to get away from the heartache temporarily.


    ¡°I promised I wouldn¡¯t bother you again. I¡¯ll try my best to disappear from your sight.¡±


    I turned my back on him and was holding the doorknob when he spoke again.


    ¡°And what would you do? Drop my subject? Drop out of this university?¡±


    I closed my eyes. So this is his real problem. Even if I didn¡¯t ask him, what he was hiding came out. It was because he was worried about his position here at this university. He kissed me because he wanted me to be aware of what I had done.


    ¡°If the situation calls for it, why not?¡±


    I finally left his office. I heard him calling me but I didn¡¯t listen to him anymore.


    Honestly, I don¡¯t even know what I should do. I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m ready to let go of myst year at university. I know I messed up. What I wanted first was for him to vanish and it doesn¡¯t matter to me if I don¡¯t graduate but my selfish self wants to see him every day now, despite the fact that I just told him that I would disappear from his sight. I do not know!


    What do I really want? I need time to think!


    *****


    Days passed and I still couldn¡¯t decide what to do. I was so deep in thought that I didn¡¯t know the day anymore. I went to the ss and sat at the back. I put my head on my desk and tried to sleep, even though I could sense that students were continuouslying in since the ss was about to begin. I don¡¯t care. I still need to figure out a lot of things. Should I drop out of his subject? Would that be enough? Or should I just drop out of this university? Because if I don¡¯t leave here, I feel like I¡¯ll hurt him even more. Should I just not attend the ss or should I talk to our dean?


    ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡±

 Chapter 16

    ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± Somebody¡¯s poking me, and I manage to peek. I saw a familiar face, but I didn¡¯t even know his name. All I know is that he¡¯s one of my ssmates in this subject.


    ¡°You want me to take you to the infirmary?¡± He asked, but I declined.


    ¡°The guy at the back, what are you doing?¡± I heard Ismael¡¯s voice being extremely annoyed, and that was the time I froze. I checked my phone and saw it was Wednesday.


    ¡°I just¡­ I checked my seatmate to see if she was alright. Something¡¯s odd about her.¡±


    I sighed and sat properly. I saw Ismael walking towards us. His gaze is way too unpredictable. Is he mad seeing me here when I protested to be out of his sight?


    ¡°If you¡¯re not fine, then tell me so I can let you leave.¡±


    I swallowed a lump in my throat. Does he really want me to leave? I clenched my fist. Does he hate me because of what I did? I looked away. I felt hurt because of that. I shouldn¡¯t be here then. I also heard him sigh, but because of the difort I was feeling from what he said, I took my bag and left his ss.


    This is what he wants; I must give it to him.


    I suddenly felt a hand on my arms, which made me hope it was Ismael who was stopping me, but it was the guy poking me earlier.


    ¡°Jothea, right?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m Raviel,¡± he introduced himself. ¡°Are you ditching ss? Can I join you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I again walked away after removing his hand from my arm, but this individual was absolutely insane for continuing to follow me despite my repeated warnings to the contrary.


    ¡°I know this is random, but I think I know now what your problem is, and I must say, I know the solution,¡± he added, which made me be interested in the thing he was implying.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I heard him chuckle. ¡°The case must be serious. It looks like you were hit all over, ah.¡±


    I shrugged. What is he talking about? I am not hurt.


    I was shocked when he grabbed my hand. He ran off while holding me. I tried to pull myself, but due to being surprised, I wasn¡¯t able to do that. I was out of breath when we reached the front gate. I saw him take a cab and make me enter it. I am really insane for letting myself follow him.


    My phone rang, and I was about to answer it when he grabbed it from me. ¡°No phones.¡± He smiles yfully.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you forget your problems.¡±


    *****


    Raviel brought me to the casino. It was my first time being here, and I was amazed. Is this an appropriate way to ease my problems?


    I sighed and looked at him. ¡°I should go now. This won¡¯t help me,¡± I said and I was about to leave when he pulled me again.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I saw a lot of elites there, busy ying with each other. iming checks, money, and titles from their opponents. I then noticed the elegant design of the ce. The interiors are made of the colors brown, red, orange, and gold, but the whole ce is covered by the smoke from the left and right chain smokers.


    ¡°Sit down; I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    He gave me those chips, which I don¡¯t know how to use.


    And there he lets me y, and from a moment on, I forget my problems. I can admit that it was quite exciting and fun. I never deposit even a single penny, and I let him just pay everything. We¡¯re bothughing and having a smoke while going out of the casino. I enjoyed it so much.


    ¡°How was it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It was fun,¡± I replied and smiled.


    ¡°I told you, this is the right answer to your problems. If you have a problem, you just need to divert your thinking to some new, interesting things. It will help,¡± he exined. ¡°Here¡¯s your phone.¡± He gave me my phone, which I had forgotten was in his possession.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take you home because surely someone will fetch you.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Who¡¯ll fetch me?¡±


    ¡°Someone who keeps calling your phone.¡±


    The number of missed calls surprised me when I looked at my phone. It was from Ismael. Why would he call me? Did something happen?


    ¡°I think I should go now. Bye, Jothea.¡±


    I smiled and nodded before saying goodbye to him. I never thought that, in a glimpse of time, I would have a friend. We had some conversations, and I found it veryfortable to talk to him.


    I was about to smoke my cigarette when someone took it. I was surprised to see Ismael. There is a trace of annoyance on his face but I can clearly see how he can suppress it. He stepped on the cigarette butt that came from my lips and hand.


    ¡°You know how to smoke?¡± he asked in disbelief, which made me frown. His face shows disgust.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± I arrogantly answered. ¡°What are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to teach the ss? What brought you here?¡±


    ¡°It is what brought you here, Miss Alvandra? Why are you being like this?!¡± His face turns red; it seems like he¡¯s fucking annoyed with me. I can see that he¡¯s just suppressing himself. But why did he end up here? And how did he know I was here? What the hell is going on?


    ¡°Being like this? This is the normal me, Ismael. It is you who are acting unusual. What do you care if I¡¯m here?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°You¡¯re messing with your life¡­ again,¡± he emphasized as if he wasn¡¯t even sure what he answered me.


    ¡°And what does it have to do with you?¡± I inquired. I am looking into his eyes, trying to find the right answer, but no matter what I look at, I can¡¯t read it.


    ¡°You¡¯re putting my life in danger. Didn¡¯t you promise not to be a hindrance to my dreams? Then, what are you doing? You are clearly ruining me.¡±


    My forehead creased. ¡°Fuck, Ismael! I don¡¯t understand you! I am trying my best to distance myself, but what are you doing? Care to borate? ¡®Cause my brain can¡¯tprehend everything, even your fucking subject-Calculus!¡±


    I saw how his jaw tightened in annoyance. Even his throat moves while he talks and gulps.


    ¡°What you¡¯re doing is destroying me more. Do you think your stubbornness can solve everything? You¡¯ll just run away from me when you promise to do everything? I told you, I need you here. I am requesting that you be a good student because it will have a lot of effect on my records. Why can¡¯t you just think straight?¡±


    I was blown away. I¡¯m not sure why what he said hurt me. Was he here just because he was concerned about his position? He really exerted a lot of effort that made me think he was here for me when, in fact, he was doing everything just for him.


    ¡°Sorry if I think like this, huh? Sorry if the only thing I know to solve your problem is distance. I just don¡¯t want to hear any more bad criticism about your character. Fine! I¡¯ll do what you want! What else do you want me to do, Professor?¡± I asked hard while staring into his eyes. I hope he can see how annoyed I am with him. I was concerned about him hoping that he would at least care about me because I am his student; that¡¯s what he told me before when he saved me from being molested, but the thing is, he is still numb as stone and cold as ice; he just cares about his career.


    ¡°None, for now,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Then good, ¡¯cause I¡¯m leaving.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Days passed when I only did what Ismael wanted. I go into his ss and listen to his discussion. I¡¯m trying to pass the activities that he makes me answer so that he doesn¡¯t have to call me to his office after ss. And I can prove that¡¯s all he really wanted from me because he didn¡¯t talk to me after our arguments in front of the casino. All he wants is for me to seed academically so he can stop having headaches. He even acted like what happened that night never happened at all. And I¡¯m here, trying to deny the fact that I¡¯m hurting.


    And I¡¯m annoyed because I feel this pesty feeling. Is it because he made me finish so many times that he has this effect on me? Do I miss him? Do I want to be united again? Was that the reason I¡¯m bing like this? How about him? Do I really have no effect on him?


    I sighed. I should stop having these thoughts. This is not worthy.


    ¡°Jothea,¡± I turned to the one who called me. It was Raviel. I shed a smile when I saw him sitting beside me. ¡°I heard you would be my partner.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Partner? Where?¡±


    ¡°At our booth for foundation day.¡± I was stunned. I almost forgot about that thing. Wait, I am his partner?


    ¡°What do you mean by partner?¡± I asked more but he just smiled and focused his gaze ahead. I also put my attention to the front, where I saw Ismael staring at me nkly. What have I done? Why is he angry again?


    I¡¯m the one who should be angry because of the agreement between the two of us; it seems like I¡¯m the only one being used since the case with Professor Sybill vanished after he broke up with me. Anyway, it¡¯s my fault too.


    *****


    Foundation Day arrived and I realized what Raviel was talking aboutst time. Our booth is a marriage booth; it is like a wedding reception and everybody was invited to attend. Well, they are invited but they will avail of our buffet. What a bright idea, isn¡¯t it? There are many food warmers lined up on the side with different foods. My ssmates are in formal uniform serving our lively guests, and I can see they are all enjoying our set-up. It is said to be a control buffet. In fairness, everything was beautiful, and this marriage booth has the theme of a rustic wedding.


    And speaking of weddings, I am now wearing a bridal gown. I was forced to! Because I didn¡¯t cooperate with the nning and setting up, they punished me by pretending to be newly married to Raviel. I was wearing a simple off-shoulderced gown and a veil while holding a bouquet of flowers, while my groom was perfect in a white tuxedo. He smiled widely while I frowned. Who wants to be a bride when heartbreak is overwhelming?


    We were sitting here in the front. It¡¯s a good thing there was no ceremony because I didn¡¯t know what to do. They just made me wear the gown. They also fixed my face, putting on some light makeup.


    And a while ago, I could see Savannah staring at me like she wanted to murder someone. She was full of envy but since she was a receptionist, she couldn¡¯t do anything but look.


    ¡°Smile, aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Raviel asked, surprising me. I know he became a friend but engaging in small talk is really new for me. I¡¯m more used to arguing and blocking conversations. In short, people don¡¯t want to talk to me so no one talks to me anymore.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Then you want to go to the casino after this?¡±


    I smiled and shook my head. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t go there.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t feel like going today.¡±


    ¡°What about next time? You don¡¯t have to worry about the money. We¡¯ll just y. I will be the one paying, just to ease your sentiments and problems,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°Well, uhmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Jothea, Professor Ismael is looking for you.¡± I frowned at what I heard. ¡°It¡¯s about your grades. Go there after lunch,¡± said our president, who was the event organizer for our wedding reception.


    I sighed. What did I do again? I was behaving myself and all. What could be the reason he wants to see me?


    ¡°Professor Ismael must really like you.¡±


    I was stunned and quickly looked at Raviel. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You must be his favorite student.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. Everyone knows how he hates me.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°He hates you because he likes you?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Are you kidding me? Stop feeding nonsense into my brain! You are so BI!¡± I hit him jokingly. He justughed. ¡°Well, I just said what I observed. Isn¡¯t he the one who keeps calling you that time when you went to the casino?¡±


    ¡°H-how did you know?¡± I gulped. ¡°Did you look at my phone?¡± I distanced myself from him.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just my hunch. Of course, he would be med because we went out during his ss.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t speak. Was that the reason Ismael went out and followed me to the casinost time? Was it also because he doesn¡¯t want to be med if something happens to us because he is our professor?


    I let out a deep breath. Will everything I do cause problems for him? Do I no longer have the freedom to do what I want? Is that why he is calling me again? Is it because of my grades? My performance? I am trying my best toply!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to our guests; let¡¯s give them a word and act like a married couple,¡± Raviel invited me. He held out his hand, which I took. He helped me down the stairs to go to the tables and talk to the diners.


    Somehow, I felt happy because they were telling me I was really pretty in my gown. If this marriage is not a project, they will suspect that Raviel and I really have a rtionship because we look like a perfect match. Ipletely refused, while Raviel went ahead with his gratuity. When someone asked us to take a picture, I waspelled to refuse, but Raviel forced me, so I couldn¡¯t do anything but face the camera and give my best soft smile.


    Lunch ended and our president let me take a break. She was handing me food but I said I was going to see Professor Monda, which she almost forgot about.


    ¡°Alright,e back soon. We¡¯ll resume after lunch!¡± she reminded. I just nodded as I walked away from the event. I held the lower part of the traje de boda as I walked down the corridor to Ismael¡¯s office. Why is it that on all the days he calls me, he chooses to summon me while I¡¯m still wearing something heavy?


    Is he really torturing me?


    I hold my heart; the beat is fast. I am anticipating what¡¯s waiting for me when I get there. Will hein again?


    A sigh escaped my lips when I saw myself in front of Ismael¡¯s office. I muster up the courage to knock on the door.


    ¡°Professor, Atacia said you were looking for me.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 18

    ¡°Come inside,¡± I heard him say from the other side of the door. I slowly opened the door and I saw him sitting on his chair while looking at some papers in a folder. ¡°Close the door ande quickly.¡±


    I immediately shut the door and walked towards him, just like he hadmanded me. ¡°Why did you call me?¡± I asked in the softest voice I could. I was a bit shy because he didn¡¯t even look at me when I entered. I walked toward his table. Ever since we fought, this is how I talk to him. I tried to show some respect, and because of that, I felt the distance between us.


    ¡°You see, your performance in my ss is getting better. I just want to tell you that-¡± He stopped speaking when he raised his chin to see me. Our eyes met for a few seconds. I was a bit surprised by his appearance because he was wearing sses and a ck tuxedo.


    ¡°That?¡± I asked, waiting for his response. I couldn¡¯t help but fiddle with my nails nervously.


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    I was shocked when I heard that from him. I even backed away but he didn¡¯t let me get away from him. As soon as he momentarily removed his sses, he sped my neck and nted a passionate kiss on my lips.


    I was unable to move for a few seconds due to the peculiar manner in which he kissed me. It was like a ma pulling me. It seems very eager.


    I closed my eyes and responded to his kisses. My hands are now on his chest. I grew impatient with the table in the middle that was in the way of our embrace because it prevented me from giving him a caress.


    But he was so hungry to devour me. He has no n to let go of me and he was really tasting my sinful lips. He even put his tongue in my mouth. It¡¯s crazy. I can¡¯t deny that I don¡¯t like it because I get carried away. I seem to forget that there is a cold war between the two of us.


    If I didn¡¯t lose my breath, he wouldn¡¯t have a reason to stop me. His brows were furrowed, looking at me firmly. But the next thing he said made my whole world shatter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I felt disgusted the moment he said that. I felt belittled. ¡°Sorry for what?¡± I couldn¡¯t help raising my voice.


    ¡°Sorry that I ruined your lipstick.¡± He came to me and gave me a handkerchief.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°God! You just kissed me and the first thing you will say is an apology? What the heck? Am I a toy? That you¡¯d kiss whenever you wanted for no reason?¡±


    I was ovee with tears as the actions he took against me infringed upon my ego. I¡¯m not a stump to feel nothing. When he did this at first, I let it pass and tried to understand him, but now that he did it again suddenly, what did he want me to feel?


    ¡°You know how much I was heartbroken because of Professor Sybill, but what did you do? You pry into my emotions because, you know, he has been deceiving me since the very first day. You are the owner of the Ind Motel Bar, so you must really know what¡¯s going on between us, but you used it against me to get what you wanted. You are using me! You are using my grades to your advantage! And I realized it just now!¡± I yelled out of frustration. My hands are shaking. How did I manage to be so naive as to fall for the tricks of two different professors? Are they really like this because we are just students? Did theye here to manipte us because it was easy for them to do that?


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± He stepped forward but I stepped back.


    ¡°It is the truth, Ismael. I can see. I can see what you are doing to me and I am so blinded by my guilt because I thought it was all my fault, but I can¡¯t take it anymore. What you¡¯re doing is already hurting me. Let¡¯s end this. Let¡¯s end our agreement.¡±


    I turned my back on him but I immediately stopped by the time he said those words. ¡°I can¡¯t help myself to kiss you. That¡¯s why I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I heard the footsteps of his shoes approaching me. ¡°I am not apologizing because I did it; I am apologizing because I couldn¡¯t hold back myself.¡±


    I gasped.


    ¡°What do you expect to be my reaction after seeing you dressed in such a beautiful bridal gown?¡± he added.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He stood in front of me while catching my eyes, trying to avoid his gaze. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t stopped myself, I might not have kissed you alone, Miss Alvandra.¡±


    I swallowed the lump in my throat. I couldn¡¯t talk. I¡¯d run out of things to say in my long speech earlier, so now I¡¯m letting him say his thoughts. ¡°You are so beautiful to cry for a man.¡± He wiped my tears. ¡°Even I don¡¯t deserve a single tear from you.¡±


    He held my arms before he kissed my eyelids. In just a moment, I forgot everything about our arguments. It was as if a canceling spell for my anger. I was full of rage earlier and in just a blink, because of a kiss from him, it faded away.


    ¡°You were right; I know that Professor Sybill was fooling you, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell it to you because, as I know, you¡¯ll definitely get hurt. Despite my admonition that you should not enter that bar that night because I discovered he was there with his wife, you persisted in your determination to find out for yourself. I was trying to protect you because I know how vulnerable you are. You don¡¯t know how to think right.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if I will be happy or annoyed by what he is saying. He always tries to mess with me withpliments and backhandedments.


    ¡°You were so focused on something unnecessary when you should be focusing on yourself. Don¡¯t you have dreams?¡± He insulted me again.


    I just bit my lower lip because of his long speech winning against mine. This must be our longest conversation since we started talking. I never thought he would be honest with me. And I feel what he says is true because my heart confirms it.


    He pinched my chin because he was waiting for my answer. I just shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    He nodded and held both of my shoulders and patted them as if he wereforting me or, more or less, taming me. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll figure it out. And yes, if you really want our agreement to end, that¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t force you to do anything now. Just be yourself and figure out your dreams. No pressure.¡±


    I was so angry earlier but because he beat me calmly, I don¡¯t know what to do with my anger now. And here he is; he diverted our conversation to my dreams, even though I¡¯m not sure about it. I am taking a business course but I don¡¯t know why I took it or, should I say, maybe I have forgotten the reason.


    I gazed at his face. He is here in front of me with those eyes full of care. Does he really care about me? I don¡¯t understand his methods. Most of the time, he is so nonchnt and always starts to pick a fight with me but whenever we get into an argument, I can say that he¡¯sing from something I can¡¯t understand. He¡¯s trying to hide it; that¡¯s why I¡¯m not sure of it. Cold hands, warm heart indeed.


    It was the first time I saw him in this way. Just a while ago, I felt the distance between the two of us but why, in an instant, did it seem like we were close again? Am I insane? Is it normal to feel a strange connection with a professor? This is not what I felt before towards Professor Sybill. This is all new to me.


    If no one knocks on the door, the two of us staring at each other will not end. We both looked at the door when it opened. It is the ss president of our section, Atacia. ¡°Sorry to interrupt you, Professor Monda, but we need Jothea now. She hasn¡¯t eaten yet and we will resume.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Ismael looked at me again and nodded. I walked with our president outside Ismael¡¯s office with loads of fresh feelings because we had finally ended our cold war.


    ¡°Did Professor Monda scold you so much that you look like that?¡± Atacia asked me. I looked at her and caught a glimpse of my reflection in the windows of the ssrooms we were passing. The mascara on my eyes is proof that I cried. ¡°Even your lips are messy,¡± she added.


    ¡°S-sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. After you eat, go to our make-up artist again to fix you up.¡±


    I nodded and thanked her. I didn¡¯t notice that my make-up was ruined but that man was still looking at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°Thank you for your efforts,¡± said our ssroom president, whose name is Atacia. ¡°You did all your best. Let¡¯s just wait for the announcement of who will be the most profitable booth that will be announced tomorrow.¡± She was smiling from ear to ear. We just finished tidying up and cleaning our area. Actually, I haven¡¯t even changed yet because I prioritized helping them somehow, despite still being in a gown, because I wanted to go home.


    ¡°But as I observed, it¡¯s not impossible for us to win. I can¡¯t deny that our booth was the best and umted a huge number of guests throughout the day. I am really proud of you guys,¡± she added. She thanked us again before letting us go home. I, on the other hand, had a chance to change my clothes so I hurried back to our building, also because my things are in the ssroom, in the locker.


    I was walking in the corridor when I saw a man on the other side. My heart beat faster when I realized it was Ismael.


    He saw me, and he seemed a bit surprised, so he stopped walking. No, he actually stopped walking to watch me. And here I am, walking towards him like I was walking down the aisle of a church to meet my lovely groom in a ck tuxedo.


    I can¡¯t help but imagine. I want to p myself. Why am I doing this? Why did I imagine we were at a wedding? Is it because I¡¯m wearing a wedding dress?


    I shook my head and stopped my fantasy. My imagination is out of this world. I am bing delusional. I have no right to think ahead of myself about us because, first of all, we are nothing. We had just a one-night stand and a student-professor rtionship. Nothing less, nothing more.


    Fortunately, someone called him so I stopped fantasizing.


    ¡°Professor Ismael! Dean Dator is calling you,¡± said the student, who looked like he was still running because he was catching his breath. Ismael nced at me for a moment before he finally joined that student.


    A deep sigh escaped my lips. I decided to go to thefort room to change my clothes and remove my makeup. Then I went to my room to get my things from the locker.


    On my way home, I can¡¯t help but think about Ismael and how he was so dedicated to his job, and somehow, I feel envious. I don¡¯t have such dreams to work hard for. Unlike him, when he is called, he will go immediately, no matter what happens. What about me? What exactly is my dream? I feel like Ismael is encouraging me to figure out my dreams again. No one asked about it, not even my family. Maybe he notices that I¡¯m losing the path I¡¯m supposed to be on. And I realized something because of him. All I could think about waspleting my degree and spending time with Professor Sybill because love had blinded me. Be his wife. Be with his children. I didn¡¯t think about what my ce in the world would be. What will I be after I study? What would I be without him? And now I¡¯m here, trying to think about it because a man made me think of it.


    I got off the cab, and the moment I stepped my feet out of it, I saw someone-it was Roxsielle, my brother Joth¡¯s live-in partner. What is she doing here?


    ¡°Jothea,¡± she called me when I got near my house, where she was. It looks like she¡¯s been waiting outside for a while now.


    ¡°What brings you here, Roxsielle?¡±


    ¡°I just want to borrow some money.¡±


    I gasped. ¡°Why didn¡¯t hee here?¡± I was referring to my youngest brother.


    ¡°Joth is a bit shy to face you.¡±


    I turned to her. ¡°So he sent you here?¡± I gulped, trying my best to maintain myposure. Does my brother really not have time to visit me? Do they really not care about me? They will always approach me when they need something.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who goes here, Jothea. Maybe you can lend us some money. The money Joth earns is not enough for us anymore. There are four of us already.¡±


    My forehead creased. ¡°Our parents send us both our allowances monthly. Where does he spend his money?¡±


    ¡°To us too. It¡¯s not enough. Maybe you can lend us some of yours since you don¡¯t have children or anything to spend money on. For sure, you have a lot saved up.¡±


    I was blown away again. ¡°What¡¯s about having no children?¡± She was talking to me in a way that was starting to annoy me, so I stopped. Why does it feel like it¡¯s my responsibility to lend them money because they have children yet I¡¯m still a young woman? I¡¯m not stingy, but why do they make me feel like it¡¯s my obligation?


    ¡°What I¡¯m borrowing is for your niece. Milk is expensive. I don¡¯t have any more to buy. I¡¯ll return it too, you know? I¡¯m not asking for it; I am borrowing,¡± she emphasized. ¡°Why is it so hard to please you?!¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I was stunned. Is it so hard to please me? ¡°Huh? I was just asking you. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s in need, but yet it seems like I¡¯m the one who owes you money and it¡¯s a big sin if I can¡¯t lend it to you. If that¡¯s how you will ask for me, I¡¯m sorry; I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    I turned my back on her. Why does it appear that I am the one whockspassion and has no heart? This is not the first time that they have borrowed from me and I have always given them but they have never returned anything to me. Especially this past month, when Roxsielle gave birth, they came to me because they had used up what our parents sent them. I didn¡¯t look into where they were taking the money, but it was surprising that it wasn¡¯t enough for them. My parents are sending them more than me.


    ¡°Why is it so hard to talk to you?! That¡¯s the bare reason why Joth couldn¡¯te here-you¡¯re so heartless! Do you really have no care for your family anymore?¡± I was surprised when she grabbed my arm and her nail dug into my skin so I fell and pushed her.


    ¡°You all are the ones who didn¡¯t consider me part of your family! Besides, you all only remember me when you need something! And one more thing: you are not blood-rted to me! How can you run those words from your filthy mouth like you are a part of my family?¡± I shouted loudly as she fell to the floor. I wasn¡¯t able to control myself. What she says is too much. She is the one who needs me, yet she is the one who talks like she¡¯s superior to me.


    She didn¡¯t fight anymore so Ipletely abandoned her. I took the key from my bag and was about to open the door when Roxsielle spoke again.


    ¡°Jothea¡­¡± she called me again. ¡°T-there¡¯s blood¡­¡±

 Chapter 20

    ¡°Jothea¡­ T-there¡¯s blood¡­¡±


    I immediately looked at her and my two eyes widened when I saw blood running down her thighs. Shit. Did I push her too hard earlier?


    I dropped my bag to go to her. I am in a panic and don¡¯t actually know what to do. She is in a pool of her blood. I can¡¯t help but go nk with what I see. Her whole face was covered in sweat. And I med myself because of this.


    ¡°Jothea¡­ help me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here. Shush. Don¡¯t talk. I can¡¯t think right.¡±


    ¡°Call an ambnce,¡± she advised and I followed her. I tried to find my bag, but I don¡¯t know where I threw it. When I saw it, I quickly took out my phone and saw that the screen was cracked. Fortunately, it was still functioning somehow. I tried to call an ambnce.


    It is ringing, and when it connects, I immediately tell them what happened.


    ¡°Please, please, we really need help here. I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± I eximed in panic; even my voice was shaking in nervousness. My hands are also trembling with anxiety.


    ¡°Calm down, Miss Alvandra. I¡¯ll call the ambnce for you. Tell me your address.¡±


    I gasped when I heard Ismael¡¯s voice. I looked at the screen again. What number did I press and why did I end up calling Ismael? Gosh. I¡¯ve been talking about things because I was in a trance! I thought it was an ambnce!


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but tell him our address. He seemed to understand why I called him since he didn¡¯t ask anymore. I was in a real panic.


    ¡°Alright¡­ stay there. I¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t appeal anymore when he hung up. Why would hee here? I thought he was going to call for an ambnce. I became more nervous and I lost myself. If I hadn¡¯t remembered that I left Roxsielle there at the entrance, I wouldn¡¯t have been able toe back and support her.


    The blood from her is dripping like a river. What the hell is happening? I am literally scared. Even more, now that I see Roxsielle¡¯s face, which also shows fears and struggles. I don¡¯t know what to do. My tears are welling up.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    A few momentster, I heard the siren of the ambnce. Finally. I shouted loudly about where we were so they would immediately find where they could see us. They immediately came to us and helped Roxsielle to the stretcher. Their actions are fast.


    ¡°Miss Alvandra!¡± I turned to the man who called me-Ismael; he just got out of his car. ¡°Are you alright? What happened to your arm?¡± He held my arm, and that¡¯s when I noticed I got a huge scratch that was now bleeding¡­ it must have been what Roxsielle scratched earlier.


    ¡°Miss, go inside. We need to take her to the hospital,¡± said a man from the ambnce. I nodded. I looked at Ismael again to say goodbye to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow.¡±


    I hopped into the ambnce. I don¡¯t know how I would feel now that Roxsielle is in front of me and is struggling with pain and anxiety. I should¡¯veposed myself. I am older than her. I wish I had been patient. I wish I would have been kinder and not let my bad attitude prevail, so things will not turn out like this. I am the sister.


    My fingers trembled as I typed Joth¡¯s number. I called him to notify him of what happened to his partner. And what did I receive? Endless shouts and curses. I teared up even more.


    I just gave him the address of the hospital where Roxsielle will be taken. I have also sent Joth money so that he has a fare to go. I feel so hopeless.


    ¡°Make sure nothing happens to my wife,¡± he threatened me before hanging up. I bit my lip. I didn¡¯t know this would happen.


    It was only a few minutes ago when we arrived at the hospital. Roxsielle was immediately rushed to the emergency room. I was left in the waiting area outside, walking back and forth. I hope nothing bad happens to Roxsielle because if it does, I can¡¯t help but me myself. If I hadn¡¯t pushed her harder, she wouldn¡¯t have fallen to the floor and been bruised.


    My heart is now full of anxiety. This is one of the reasons why I don¡¯t mingle with people: I have done nothing but cause bad things in their lives. The first time, was when I was born, my parents always got into fights because of me. That was because they didn¡¯t want me yet. They don¡¯t want a girl, so they conceived again and brought Joth into this world. And when Joth was born, I almost killed him, because when I was pushing him in the cradle, I didn¡¯t realize that I was knocking him against the wall. I was traumatized. Also to Professor Sybill,  because of me, he lost his career as a professor, which might be one of the reasons why he broke up with me. To Roxsielle, who I don¡¯t get to spend time with, but now she¡¯s in the emergency room because of me.


    I couldn¡¯t stop thinking; I almost ruined Ismael because of what I did that night. Someone saw us being together and that would cause a big scandal if the school found out. He wouldn¡¯t be in his ce and would be concerned about his position if my emotions hadn¡¯t influenced me. It was I who wanted him to vanish when all he wanted for me was to be a good student because that is what a professor usually wants.


    I sighed. Maybe that¡¯s why my parents regret giving birth to me, because every time they approach me, something bad happens. I never had a day that I did something good; that¡¯s why people avoid me. Even my family.


    Should I stay away from Ismael too?


    ¡°Miss Alvandra!¡± I heard Ismael calling me, who had just arrived in the hallway of the hospital. I just noticed now that he is still wearing his ck tuxedo. Did he rush here from Marcus University? Wait, didn¡¯t Dean Dator call him earlier?


    ¡°Come here quick!¡± He shouted, making people around us look at him.


    Even though I was surprised, I greeted him. He immediately took my hand before bringing me to a room. I was just surprised to see that there was a nurse there waiting for me.


    ¡°Her arm is bleeding,¡± Ismael said to the female nurse. He pulled me to show the nurse my arm which had dried up with blood. I sat on the bed.


    Wait, did he just call me to treat what happened to my arm? But it was nothingpared to what happened to Roxsielle. I need to go to her.


    ¡°You stay here first and let her clean your scratch. I¡¯ll talk to the doctor myself. I¡¯ll tell them I¡¯m part of the family.¡± Although what he said stunned me, I was powerless to resist because he had already left. What is he doing? He doesn¡¯t have to do this.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky with your boyfriend, ma¡¯am,¡± the female nurse told me excitedly, which was the reason I nced at her. She is currently cleaning my wound.


    ¡°N-no-¡± I remembered what Ismael said-that he¡¯ll tell them he¡¯s part of my family. So, I shouldn¡¯t be honest with the nurse in front of me. ¡°H-huh? W-why?¡±


    ¡°I will never lie about how handsome he is. Especially now that he¡¯s wearing a tuxedo. Both of you look perfect together, ma¡¯am. Besides, he seems kind and caring. It¡¯s rare to find such a man these days.¡±


    I stared at her. I don¡¯t know why something inside me seemed to be happy because of what she said. Are nurses really like this? If she praises me like that, I¡¯m willing to get injured and get treated by her every day just to hear herpliments!


    ¡°You think so?¡± I asked, trying to hide the smile on my lips. She nodded while giggling. Her smile is so genuine, which brings me a little relief from what happened. I cleared my throat. ¡°Actually, we just got married earlier; that¡¯s why he¡¯s wearing a tuxedo.¡± I was thrilled, thinking I would be able to convince her, but she looked at my clothes. Oh, no!


    ¡°What are you thinking? I¡¯m only wearing this because, you know¡­ well, something was about to happen but was interrupted,¡± I lied. I even mixed my tone with regret so she would get what I was trying to convey. Gosh. Why am I so delusional? I really made a career out of being Ismael¡¯s wife. What went through my mind and did I say what I said to this nurse?


    ¡°Oh, I see. Anyway, you don¡¯t have to worry, ma¡¯am; I¡¯m sure the interrupted event will continue in a most exciting and harder way,¡± she added as if she were also suppressing her excitement. She even fanned her face.


    ¡°Congrattions on your wedding, ma¡¯am. Best wishes!¡± The nurse said this to me before releasing me. I was amazed; because of her small talk, I didn¡¯t realize that she had treated my wound and bandaged it.


    I said goodbye to her and thanked her before leaving the room, but I was surprised to see Ismael at the door. What the heck?

 Chapter 21

    ¡°Congrattions on your wedding, ma¡¯am. Best wishes!¡± The nurse said this to me before releasing me. I was amazed; because of her small talk, I didn¡¯t realize that she had treated my wound and bandaged it.


    I said goodbye to her and thanked her before leaving the room, but I was surprised to see Ismael at the door. What the heck?


    And he also seemed surprised that I was there. Wait, is he listening to what we¡¯re talking about? I squinted and because of his smile, it looked like I was right. He heard what I said to the nurse earlier!


    Because of my annoyance, I hit him. He blocked it whileughing. ¡°I never knew you already thought about that between us,¡± he teased and suddenly wrapped his hand around my waist. I pushed him away from me.


    ¡°You wish!¡± I eximed. ¡°I just went along with your pretense so she wouldn¡¯t suspect us.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on. I know you¡¯re lying right now. You couldn¡¯t look at me.¡± He grabbed my waist again and brought his mouth close to my ear. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it might happen someday.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up, Ismael! It won¡¯t! You¡¯re not my type!¡± One of my lies. I pushed him and quickly ran away from him because the other patients were already looking at us. What kind of idea crossed my mind when I told the nurse that Ismael and I were married? Look at what happened-that man is teasing me nonstop! But on the one hand, it also helped me to reduce the weight I feel deep inside.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile, especially when I saw Ismael smile earlier. It¡¯s very rare for him to smile like that. I always saw him looking so serious, especially when he taught ss.


    I returned to the front of the emergency room, where Roxsielle was. I peeked. The doctors are no longer inside. Has she finished receiving the treatment? Can I go see her inside? I want to see her if she¡¯s alright now.


    ¡°Where is my wife?¡± I immediately turned around because of that shout. I know that¡¯s my brother. And I was not wrong. I saw Joth walking quickly towards me. There was anger on his face.


    He immediately pped me when he got close to me. ¡°What did you do to her?¡±


    I touched my cheek. His hand was so heavy that I could feel the paining from it.


    ¡°S-sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to, Joth,¡± I said in my trembling voice. I could see on his face that he couldn¡¯t forgive me, because what happened added to his reasons why he doesn¡¯t want to see me anymore. He hates me.


    ¡°Miss Alvandra isn¡¯t the one at fault,¡± replied Ismael, who was already here next to me. His face was serious as if he were trying to hide his anger. Wait, did he see my brother p me?


    I closed my eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed and belittled. Why did he have to witness that?


    ¡°The doctor told me that your wife is suffering from stress and anxiety. It is the cause of the bleeding. He stated that she had just given birth to your child and should not be moving just yet because her sutures would have opened, but it appears she is performing some sort of heavy activity based on her physique. That was why she bleeds,¡± exined Ismael. Right. I also noticed that Roxsielle was very thinpared to my brother, who gained weight.


    I saw how worried my brother Joth was on his face. Even though we haven¡¯t been together for long, I already know why he reacted that way. He¡¯s letting his partner do all the work. And I can¡¯t help being annoyed with him and feeling sorry for Roxsielle. Roxsielle must be exhausted because of this jerk.


    ¡°Your wife needs to rest. Don¡¯t push her to work. It is you who needs to do that for your family. You¡¯re the man,¡± Ismael added, causing me to nce at him. His words and the way they came out of his mouth have mesmerized me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the bill; I already paid for it. So if you¡¯ll excuse us, we better leave.¡±


    My jaw immediately dropped. He paid for Roxsielle¡¯s bill?Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Ismael grabbed Joth¡¯s shoulder and patted it. ¡°You better take care of your wife. Don¡¯t me your shorings on your sister. Your wife scratched my woman¡¯s wless arm and maybe that was the reason she was pushed.¡± Joth nced at me as if he had lost his temper; pity took its ce. ¡°And don¡¯t you ever hurt your sister again. She¡¯s a woman you should love.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ismael said in his deep voice before he took my hand. I wasn¡¯t able to react immediately but my body was able to follow him.


    Ismael is holding my hand very warmly. In fact, it warms my heart. I didn¡¯t expect him to pay Roxsielle¡¯s hospital bill. I was supposed to ask my parents about this earlier but I lost my mind since I was so upied by what happened.


    ¡°Wait a minute, Ismael¡­¡± I stopped walking to take my hand from him. He turned to me, still wearing a serious face. Prior to this moment, he was making fun of me; his expression had changed to one of irritation. ¡°How much is the hospital bill for me to pay you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Fifty thousand.¡±


    I was stunned. What the hell? Fifty thousand? Where can I get such big money to pay him?


    ¡°F-fifty thousand?¡± I repeated.


    ¡°You want a receipt?¡± he asked as his forehead furrowed. I nodded and so he got his wallet from his coat. ¡°My apologies, I didn¡¯t get the receipt.¡±


    I was stunned. ¡°A-alright. I trust you. Can I pay it in installments?¡± I asked as I apologized. Why did I ask for the price in the first ce and offer to pay? I even had a problem with the money I would lend Roxsielle because I felt sorry for her condition, and one of the reasons was me. If I hadn¡¯t pushed her.


    I shook my head. I am really disappointed by how my brother tortures him. A woman doesn¡¯t deserve such poor treatment.


    ¡°Yeah, of course. Three nights are enough.¡± What he said surprised me. Am I a prostitute? ¡°H-hey, what are you thinking? No, I wasn¡¯t talking about that,¡± he added. ¡°But if you insist, that¡¯s the best suggestion.¡± He flirted.


    I gasped in panic. ¡°Of course not!¡± I lied, but well, I made him mine for one night for free, and there¡¯s nothing wrong if he wants me to. I am willing to do it if he wants to take me for three nights.


    Wait. What the eff? What am I thinking?


    ¡°What are you talking about, then?¡±


    ¡°Dean Dator told me that your section, together with the most outstanding booths, is going camping for three nights. So except for being exempted from my ss, you will also get a prize from Dean.¡±


    I was in shock. My eyes sparkle. ¡°So, are you saying my section is included in the most outstanding booths? Hold on, did you just say except for being exempted¡­¡± My eyes widened. ¡°¡­ we made it to the top? We are the most profitable booth?¡± I asked. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Why does my mood change so quickly when I¡¯m with him?


    ¡°Oh, I shouldn¡¯t have told you that.¡± He grabbed his neck and scratched it, which made meugh. ¡°Keep it a secret from your ss until the announcement.¡± I nodded. He¡¯s so cute.


    ¡°Well, I just thought that you wouldn¡¯t be attending so just to make sure you will be there, in order for you to be paid for your debts, go to that camping. You deserve a breather.¡±


    I smiled but at the same time, I was surprised. Is he serious that this will be the payment of the fifty thousand I owe him? He has a point. I don¡¯t mingle with others since my social battery can¡¯tst long. But even then, is that enough in exchange for fifty thousand?


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Is he this rich? Does a person with a lot of money like him think like this? A lot of money in exchange for a very simple favor? Considering that that favor wouldn¡¯t benefit him after.


    ¡°Yeah. What else do you want me to include? You want to push the first one?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°N-no, of course not! A night with youst time is enough. That can¡¯t be followed. It was a mistake. It is my mistake.¡± I don¡¯t want to get hurt again. It is better this way-our student-professor rtionship.


    ¡°A mistake?¡± he asked. His mocking smile vanished, and disappointment seemed to take its ce. I watched his eyes as if they were telling me something.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course, it is to you. But I wasn¡¯t drunk that night, Miss Alvandra, just so you know.¡± I immediately felt something strange in my chest. My heart beat faster and I could feel even my cheeks getting hot and red. What does he mean?


    ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home now, so you can rest. No, don¡¯t rest. Think about what I said. It is for me to know and for you to figure out.¡±

 Chapter 22

    ¡°It is for me to know and for you to figure out.¡± He winked before he opened the door of his car for me. I just realized that we are in the parking lot of the hospital. It waste when I noticed. I hopped inside. I even saw that he put his hand on my head as if to protect me in case I bumped. Right, this is my first time to hop into his car. No, I have never gotten into anyone¡¯s car, not even with Professor Sybill before.


    I turned to Ismael before I called him.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he asked. Here he is next to me, looking at me. He couldn¡¯t close the door because I called him.


    ¡°Thanks for helping me. Thank you for being here.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Of course, I am your professor after all.¡± He ruffled my hair before looking at my feet, as if he had also checked if I had entered his car fully before closing the door. How can this man be so caring and thoughtful? Who taught him?


    I was quiet the whole trip. He is the same. What else are we going to talk about? Maybe if I make a small talk, I¡¯ll just get to his calculus subject, which I don¡¯t like. I squealed when I remembered what happened earlier in his office. He was saying that my performance in his subject was getting better, but he didn¡¯t finish what he was going to say because he kissed me. He even said that I was beautiful.


    I can¡¯t stop blushing. I can¡¯t imagine that after all our arguments and bickering, we¡¯re here together in his car in peace. I didn¡¯t expect Professor Sybill to disappear from my mind so soon because of him. He made me think of myself-prioritize me.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± he asked out of the blue. I shook my head while looking at his handsome face. Good lord, the strength he has in his side profile. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    He nced at me. ¡°Oh, right. I forgot to tell you earlier about your grades. I want to give you something like a reward for keeping your performance good.¡±


    Good? After all the efforts, he¡¯ll just say I was good? Anyway, why would he give me a reward?


    ¡°Reward?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Is that money?¡±


    Heughed. ¡°No.¡±


    And I just realized that we were in a pet shop. I don¡¯t understand why Ismael brought me here. Is this what he says is the reward? Because no, just thanks. I will have more responsibility if he gets me a pet! I don¡¯t have children, but my expenses will increase because I have someone to take care of now!


    ¡°A cat?¡± I shouted scandalously. He even looked around to see if anyone was disturbed by my shouting. ¡°Why would you give me a pet? And a cat?¡± The day doesn¡¯t go by without him tripping me. I shouldn¡¯t have let myself get into his car if I knew I would be this disturbed. I thought he was going to take me home.


    ¡°Because your loneliness leads you to be rude, Miss Alvandra. You need somepanions.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°What does my attitude have to do with being alone in life?¡±


    He pointed to the side of his head. ¡°Your brain is malfunctioning because you don¡¯t have anyone to talk to. So, I¡¯m giving you a pet.¡± My upper lip curled in disgust. Is he starting to tease me again? Of course! This is the real Ismael Monda! He¡¯s not that kind!


    ¡°Why not just a dog, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Your attitude is too strong for a dog. You¡¯re like a cat. Grumpy.¡± I gasped and looked up. My tongue twirled on the side of my cheek. What has this Ismael eaten, and he is talking to me freely in this way?


    ¡°I do not like it!¡± I stormed out of the pet shop and walked away from him. Where did he take me, and this ce doesn¡¯t seem familiar to me anymore? Is it far from my house?


    ¡°Hey, Miss Alvandra! Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± he shouted. I turned to him and saw him chasing me. Iughed at his appearance. He¡¯s like a runaway groom.


    ¡°Away from you!¡± I also shouted back. I am walking on the pavement while the trees beside me areying their beautiful leaves. As if I were in the movie.


    But I stopped walking when suddenly a cat appeared before my eyes. He looks at me evilly and approaches me. I didn¡¯t do anything but retreat, and when I retreated, I didn¡¯t realize I bumped into Ismael. He held my arms for support. I was very afraid to cling to him.


    ¡°Why are you so scared of cats? Aren¡¯t they cute?¡± He went to that cat with a grayish color and cuddled it in his arms while ying. So, he¡¯s a cat person? I just watched him. I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed because he quickly tamed the cat as if he had known him for a long time.


    ¡°Unlike dogs that are easy to befriend, cats are not. Just like you, Miss Alvandra,¡± he stated, but that did not convince me. He easily tamed the stray cat he was holding, in contradiction to his premise, with just some strokes on the head and its back. Cats must be picky, and I was one of those they chose to look down on. ¡°You are so hard to tame.¡±


    I didn¡¯t immediately catch my breath from what he said. Does that mean he tames me? Wait, is this because he is a professor and his job is to tame his students?


    He looked around as if checking to see if there was an owner of the cat he was holding, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any, so he continued to carry it. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Since you don¡¯t want to shop at the pet shop, youe across this one. Cat distribution system.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Cat distribution system?¡± I walked with him back to the car.


    ¡°It is a phrase used to describe the seeminglymon urrence of cats entering people¡¯s homes and lives unannounced and inadvertently,¡± he exined. ¡°It is not the owner who chooses the cats-instead, cats choose their owners. Much like how this feline unexpectedly approached you despite your reluctance. This cat knows you need him.¡±


    He opened the door for me again, and after I sat down, he quickly handed me the small cat. I was still stunned, but there was nothing I could do but touch it. He entered the other door and sat in the driver¡¯s seat. He nced at me, and suddenly heughed. ¡°You should look at your face. It¡¯s so funny.¡±


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I? I don¡¯t even know how to hold it. Look! It¡¯sing to you.¡± The little cat kept meowing, so I panicked even more.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Hold him a little longer. Rub him to make himfortable with you. Take it easy. Everything takes time.¡± He ruffled my hair again before starting his car. I looked at the cat on myp. He is looking at me.


    ¡°He¡¯s looking at me, Ismael,¡± I promised with the fear still in my voice.


    ¡°Stroke him,¡± he replied. ¡°Like this.¡± He put his hand on my head and gently caressed me. I instantly closed my eyes. ¡°Do it like this, Miss Alvandra. Their ears are sensitive, so you can also caress them there.¡± His thumb caressed my ears, and because of that, the hairs on my body stood up. What the hell is he doing to me?


    ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯m tickling, Ismael,¡± Imented. I am uncertain as to whether or not I can pet this small cat that has done nothing but bite my hand in light of what he is doing to me.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop.¡± He said it with a grin while his eyes were still on the road. What the hell did he do to me? He¡¯s turning me on! It¡¯s good that I was able to stop because otherwise, I might have done something.


    We got home safely, and I¡¯m still clinging to the cat he gave me. The cat is sleeping in my arms.


    ¡°See? He¡¯s nowfortable with you,¡± Ismael said, smiling as he led me away. He also went down for a while. I wish he hadn¡¯t done it because someone was pulling me to invite him into the house. ¡°It won¡¯t take long for you to get used to him too, Miss Alvandra.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°How I wish.¡± We looked into each other¡¯s eyes for a long time. I don¡¯t want to be separated from him, but I have to stop myself. Maybe it¡¯s just the call of the flesh. I do not want it. I don¡¯t want to feel that way about him.


    ¡°See you in my ss tomorrow.¡±


    I nodded and finally said goodbye to him.

 Chapter 23

    I¡¯ve been biting my nails for a while now. How shouldn¡¯t I? This cat is still looking at me evilly! I don¡¯t know what to do with him. I am petting him. Food was given. Wait, did I give him the right food? Anyway, I only had cereal, and he ate it.


    I sighed. This is what I¡¯m saying! This cat is just going to torture me! Ismael! You shouldn¡¯t have left it to me!


    I fell on the couch andy there. I wanted to watch Netflix, but I just got distracted by petting the cat. Snacks and wine are ready for the table. I have also chosen a movie to watch, but because this cat I¡¯m with doesn¡¯t get along, I am interrupted by things I want to do.


    I took my phone and dialed Ismael¡¯s number. He answered it in just a few rings. Good.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Alvandra?¡±


    My heart beat faster when I heard his deep voice on the other line. I didn¡¯t think he would answer my call.


    ¡°Huh? Ah, the thing is¡­¡± I seem to have forgotten the reason why I called him. If the cat hadn¡¯t meowed, I wouldn¡¯t have remembered. ¡°The cat¡­¡±


    I jumped and screamed when it suddenly came to me. Not just came, but also jumped. What¡¯s this? I almost had a heart attack!


    ¡°Miss Alvandra? What happened? Are you alright?¡±


    I turned my attention back to the phone I was holding. ¡°Huh? Yes. The cat suddenly jumped on me! I was surprised,¡± I exined to him.


    ¡°I see.¡± I heard him clearing his throat. ¡°So, why did you call me at this hour, Miss Alvandra? It¡¯s already ten in the evening.¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know what to do with this cat. He always stares at me evilly. What if he scratches me or kills me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He asked in disbelief. ¡°What in the world, Miss Alvandra?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because. I thought cats were grumpy. Why did he keeping to me? He was still getting into my groin. Where I was, he was there too. He was following me. Oh, look, now he¡¯s going up to my chest,¡± I exined. Currently, I am reclining on the couch with this cat climbing onto my chest. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s tickling, but he¡¯s also nuzzling my neck.


    ¡°He¡¯s yearning for your affection,¡± Ismael answered. I heard him chuckle, and that made my heart feel warm. I must be abnormal, and I am thrilled by his softugh. I could imagine his face. He probably looks handsome right now while lying in bed and wearing only a simple t-shirt and shorts. ¡°He wants you to love him.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± I asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯sfortable with you; that¡¯s why he always follows you wherever you go. Consequently, he approaches your chest in search of warmth; he induces a tender sensation within you. It also means he trusted you; he knew that you can and will protect him,¡± he exined, making my jaw drop. He is indeed a professor because he knows even these things. Amazing. And the way he exined it, I couldn¡¯t stop smiling. Even if the thing we were talking about was as simple as this, it seems to be one of those I will never forget. It feels strange. I feel calm.


    ¡°When he is at your feet, he protects you because the weakest angle when you are sleeping is on your feet.¡± I nodded. ¡°Actually, most of the time they are half asleep to guard you. When they are on your chest or show their belly, that¡¯s it; they are fully asleep.¡± I looked at the cat, now sleeping soundly on my chest. I don¡¯t like cats, nor do I like any pets, but because of how Ismael exins it to me, I feel like my heart is starting to grow an affection toward this pet. ¡°They only sleep full when they trust their owner. And they only show their belly to the person they trust.¡±


    I was left speechless. All I could do was listen to him. He¡¯s good to listen to. It¡¯s like he¡¯s discussing a lesson. And in fairness, everything he said stuck in my mind. I don¡¯t know why I hated him so much before.


    ¡°So it means he trusts me? So quickly? I just got together with him a while ago. How did that happen? We didn¡¯t even get off to a good start.¡±


    Heughed again. ¡°It is possible, Miss Alvandra. Just like us.¡±


    I gulped. ¡°Just like us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, haven¡¯t we started being enemies? Well, uhm, it was you who didn¡¯t like me.¡±


    ¡°Right, it was because I was so blinded by love, but look where we are now. I never thought I could call you or talk to you like this freely.¡±


    ¡°I will always answer whenever you call me, Miss Alvandra.¡±


    I felt my tears welling up. It was as if his words touched my heart-my soul.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I just said. I just heard those words now. In my entire life, no one has made me feel like this-that even if I don¡¯t force it, someone will give it to me. Here he is, a professor I once hated, telling me he will always be there whenever I need him. Howe, in the blink of an eye, I became genuinely happy and content? Even if we don¡¯t have anything, even if we¡¯re just friends, no, even if I¡¯m just a student and he¡¯s my professor, I feel like I can count on him.


    ¡°Just, oh? Are you that speechless?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no one told me that before. I don¡¯t know how to react,¡± I honestly stated.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Then, you should answer-I will always call you then, Ismael-that¡¯s the best answer, Miss Alvandra.¡±


    ¡°You really know how to flirt, huh?¡± I inquired whileughing and inadvertently petted the cat on my chest.


    ¡°I am not flirting with you, Miss Alvandra.¡±


    ¡°Then, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Have you figured it out?¡± I frowned. ¡°I¡¯m bing a useless man now,¡± he added.


    ¡°Useless?¡± I frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not useless, Ismael. You see, you did a lot of things for me, especially today. You helped me when I wasn¡¯t asking you to, and I thank you for that. You¡¯re such a great professor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you for saying that.¡±


    There was a moment of silence between the two of us. I yawned.


    ¡°Are you going to sleep now?¡± he asked under his sleepy voice that seemed to luby me.


    ¡°Yup. You?¡±


    ¡°I will too.¡± I heard him yawn and apologize for that. ¡°Good night, Miss Alvandra. It was nice talking to you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was nice talking to you too, Ismael. See you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°See you.¡±


    I must be crazy if I admit that I smile all night while sleeping. And I can see Ismael had a different effect on me. This is bad.


    *****


    I was so shocked to see my face in the mirror. The dark circles under my eyes are very big. Why shouldn¡¯t I? I was distracted this morning because of that cat. He kepting to me while I was sleeping. I always put him away from me, but still, he wille back. When I lean over, he climbs up to my side. When I sleep lying by my face, he goes behind me. When lying down, he will go to the chest. I didn¡¯t sleep well!


    I guess I need a lot of concealers today.


    ¡°Meow, meow.¡±


    I looked at the door. There was the cat who looked tender and apologetic, but because I was annoyed with him, I ignored him. I thought he was going to leave, but he came in and went over to the faucet where I was fixing my makeup.


    ¡°Why are you here again? Aren¡¯t we enemies? Look what you did! You never let me sleep in peace. I¡¯m going to return you to Ismael!¡± I asked him, but he just meowed as if he were answering me back. I just sighed.


    ¡°I will leave you here, so be a good boy, because if not, I won¡¯t buy you food,¡± I threatened him as I closed the door. He just meowed in response. It¡¯s good that we understand each other.


    I was about to get a cab when my phone received a message-a message that I never thought I would receive. It is from my mother, asking me what happened yesterday.


    My teeth gritted. So she heard about the news from my brother. My only hope is that my brother did not tarnish my reputation because my mother cut my allowance for a month thest time he disclosed something to her. Fortunately, I had some money saved, so I was able to survive.


    I did not reply. I don¡¯t want my day to start with anger. Even though the cat earlier had me in a bad mood, it wasn¡¯t him that made my day miserable, but this text.


    I breathed a sigh as I hopped into a cab to go to Marcus University. I was in deep thought while looking outside the window. If the driver hadn¡¯t said that we had arrived, I wouldn¡¯t have stopped the cab before.


    After I paid, I went out. Based on the sunlight, it looks like I arrived early. I make my own way to our ssroom, but the moment I step into the doorway, I receive another message. It is from my father.


    I sighed when I read his message, asking about the guy I was with who paid for Roxsielle¡¯s hospital bill. I sighed again. So, they¡¯re more interested in the guy I¡¯m with than me?


    ¡°You¡¯re getting in the way, Miss Alvandra.¡±


    I was brought back to reality when I heard Ismael¡¯s voice. I¡¯ve been blocking the door for a while now.


    ¡°S-sorry.¡±


    I went straight to my seat before looking out the window again. Even if I wanted to listen to what Ismael was saying, I couldn¡¯t. My mind is upied because of my parents.


    ¡°I knew it! I knew it!¡± Atacia shouted, so I looked at her. I saw my ssmates smiling too. ¡°I told you! We will win the most profitable booth!¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, guys!¡± they greeted each other. I cannot contain my joy because, to begin with, my parents have just made me feel terrible all morning. Often, I just receive their money in my ount-no conversation, no hello, no you¡¯re wee when I say thank you.


    ¡°And Dean Dator said that next weekend, from Friday to Sunday, those members of the outstanding booths will have the chance to go to a special camping event outside the university,¡± Ismael energetically announced to our ss. He smiled while looking at my ssmates. He¡¯s like a ray of sunlight full of energy. And whoever he shines on is infected with his beautiful energy. The way he speaks to my ssmates is amusing. Teaching is something that really suits him.


    His attention turned to me. Our eyes met for a long time. It¡¯s not like how he momentarily turned his attention to my ssmates. He devotes more to me. He gives it, even if I don¡¯t ask for it. What is there in my eyes to draw someone to look at me for a long time?


    Despite the fact that it appeared that his smile was infecting me, I was unable to smile. I can¡¯t, because I¡¯m starting to realize something. Because of his smile, I was able to confess.


    In just a short span of time, I can admit that I¡¯m starting to like him.


    And my heart confirms it too. It¡¯s not just a strong beating that I hear from my heart, but it¡¯s like a melody that, if you listen to it, sounds like a song whose beginning and end center on one person-the person I love-Ismael.

 Chapter 24

    Texts are not enough. They keep calling me in the middle of the ss. I was almost scolded by Ismael again, but thankfully, he didn¡¯t.


    I rolled my eyes when the ss finished. I didn¡¯t even understand Ismael¡¯s discussion or if he exined anything because my mind was too focused on the spam messages from my parents.


    They want me to go to a restaurant this weekend for dinner, and they want me to bring Ismael. How can I invite my professor to be there? I just won¡¯t go! I won¡¯t care about them waiting for us!


    I rushed out of the room to eat, but as soon as I took a bite of the sandwich I bought, someone was texting again. The wrinkles on my forehead disappeared when I saw Roxsielle¡¯s name. I immediately felt pity.


    I finished my food and rushed out of campus to withdraw. It is better for me to direct the money to her than to send it to Joth, whom I don¡¯t know where the support that our parents give us is taken.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate to lend Roxsielle the other money I saved for this month. Ten thousand. I won¡¯t just order food out when I¡¯m toozy to cook, so I won¡¯t be short of money.


    I met Roxsielle at a simple restaurant in town. I also bought her some good food because my brother didn¡¯t seem to give it to her.


    ¡°Are you feeling okay? Why did you leave the hospital so soon?¡± I asked worriedly.


    She smiled and shook her head before putting the spoon down to speak to me properly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to increase my hospital bill anymore, Jothea. Thank you for taking care of me.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I can¡¯t deny that it¡¯s my fault because I pushed you. I¡¯m so sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t think about it. Me too; I was also brought by my emotions because we really need money.¡±


    We talked for a while before she finally said goodbye to me. I also handed her the money she was borrowing.


    I was leaving the restaurant when I received a message again. And it looks like I know who it¡¯s from. It is from my mom, and what she said left me with no choice.


    ¡°I heard what you did to Roxsielle. Your allowance would go to her next month.¡±


    I was stunned. How could she do this to me? Cutting my allowance again? How can I live? The rest of my money is just for the rest of the day this month. I let Roxsielle borrow the rest because I was hoping they would send me one.


    I closed my eyes out of frustration. I am attempting to remainposed, but how could she possibly do this to me? I need to talk to Dad.


    But before I could finish the message I was typing, I received another text from my dad.


    ¡°Bring that guy this weekend, or else I¡¯ll cut your allowance next month.¡±


    What the hell? What do they want from me?


    Why are they so eager to meet Ismael?


    ¡°Yes, Miss Alvandra?¡±


    I was brought back to reality when I heard Ismael¡¯s voice. I just realized that I was in Ismael¡¯s office. How did I end up here? Did I even knock?


    ¡°What brings you here?¡± he asked further. The pounding in my chest grew stronger. He is just sitting there looking at me, but why can¡¯t I breathe? I feel like he¡¯s taking it away from me-my breathing.


    ¡°Ah¡­ the thing is¡­¡± I stuttered at first. I am trying to gather my thoughts, but I am really distracted by him. How do I say what I mean? This is embarrassing.


    ¡°Are you alright? I noticed you were kind of distracted in my ss earlier. Is there something that bothers you?¡± He asked one after another. I couldn¡¯t speak immediately because I was too moved by his questions. I feel like someone is worried about me because I don¡¯t feel that in my family. Is that why I fell so quickly for Professor Sybill before? Because I expected him to take care of me?


    I couldn¡¯t stop crying in front of him. He was shocked and immediately went to me. ¡°H-hey, is there a problem?¡± He supports me by holding my arms, while I just keep shaking. I wanted to stop crying, but because he was here in front of me, I couldn¡¯t. How did I end up being this close to him?


    I just felt his warm arms around me. He hugged me, but he didn¡¯t tell me to stop crying. He just patted me on the back and caressed me. I am not at home, but why do I feel like I am?


    ¡°Whatever your problem is, you can tell it to me anytime, Miss Alvandra. If you need someone to listen to, talk to, or be with, I¡¯ll be there for you. I am here.¡±


    I don¡¯t know why I feel his words have meaning. A guy wouldn¡¯t say that just because he¡¯s my professor, would he? Because of what he says, I can prove even more that I already have feelings for him. I¡¯m falling. Even if he only asionally shows me his kindness and his rough behavior, it¡¯s like magic that can hypnotize me into falling in love with him. How could he do this to me so quickly? How did he help me immediately forget the person who hurt me and turn my attention to him?


    We stayed in that situation for a while until I calmed down and was sober. I couldn¡¯t escape his questions while he was wiping my tears.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Now, tell me, what brought you here, Miss Alvandra?¡±


    I let out a sigh before I looked up at him. ¡°My parents want to meet you.¡±


    Surprise was evident in his eyes. Even I had the same reaction, except for the annoyance, because instead of saying hello to me, they wanted to find out who the man I was with at the hospital was.


    ¡°It looks like Joth told them what happened, and even you were with me paying our bill. But if it will cause inconvenience for you or if you¡¯re ufortable with the idea, you can always say no,¡± I exined.


    ¡°Is that why you are crying?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head. How can I say that he is the reason why I was in tears earlier? Will he believe that I cried because of his heartbreaking words? ¡°I just cried, because you might not agree.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Really? Do you really want me to go there that much?¡±


    Actually, no. I don¡¯t want my family to know him. I don¡¯t want him to get involved in my family¡¯splicated life because, I know, they might take advantage of him. Knowing that he¡¯s filthy rich, a businessman, a professor, and has a lot of assets, my parents won¡¯t let it pass.


    But I can¡¯t think of any other reason. Why did I cry in front of him again? These past few days, I seem to be very emotional. I¡¯m being too dramatic. Is this because it¡¯s almost the time of the month?


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t agree. I won¡¯t force you. As if you¡¯ll go there because of me. You¡¯re too busy,¡± I said with a retort. I hope he doesn¡¯t go. I hope he won¡¯t agree because I won¡¯t go there either. I fucking hate the idea.


    But that was before I remembered what my mother said to me. No! I won¡¯t live another month if she doesn¡¯t send me money!


    ¡°But if you¡¯re not doing anything, pleasee with me. Let¡¯s just say you¡¯re my professor, so you can help me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really your professor, Miss Alvandra. You don¡¯t just call me professor,¡± hemented with augh.


    ¡°Tsk. Is there a professor hugging a student?¡± I whispered intrusively, which he obviously heard. Shit! Why did I say it out loud? Fucking intrusive thoughts.


    My eyes widened as I looked at him. He wasughing at me. ¡°Right, you have a point. I¡¯m sorry, I just embraced you because I thought that¡¯s what you needed.¡±


    I pouted. So, he only does the things he does for me because he thinks I need them. Is that why he agreed that night because he saw that I needed it?


    Why do I feel pain in my heart?


    I looked at him again and epted that I only had this month to live. How can I live without money? No more hope. ¡°But it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t go. It¡¯s too awkward for you to meet my parents.¡±


    He smiled and shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯ve been wanting to meet your parents, Miss Alvandra.¡± No breath came out of my lungs because of what he said. What is he saying? ¡°Professors are trained for that in case their students are behaving in a different manner. We usually ask for the parents; I never thought I would experience being summoned the other way around.¡±


    I frowned. Wait a minute, does he mean that he has been wanting to meet my parents for a long time because of my bad attitude? Will he report to my parents what I am doing at Marcus University? No! No! No! That would cause me to lose my allowance for a month!


    I backed away from him and shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m taking it back! You don¡¯t have to go. I won¡¯t go either,¡± I said. I¡¯ll just ept that I¡¯ll be a beggar next month, rather than bring him to my parents.


    ¡°Why? Are you scared?¡± He teased while grinning. He¡¯s stepping toward me while I¡¯m stepping back. What the hell? Looks like this one will report me!


    ¡°No! I just changed my mind! Besides, this idea is ridiculous! Why would you go with me?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± The smile never left his lips. Is this what he¡¯s telling me not to cry in front of men because I¡¯ll be taken advantage of? This is it; he has found a way to take advantage of my weakness. It¡¯s true that the tables will turn.


    I epted my defeat as I let him mess with my hair while patting my head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Miss Alvandra. Just practice calling me Professor, and then you¡¯ll be okay.¡±

 Chapter 25

    ¡°Professor¡­¡± I called him. For several days, I trained myself to call him that because I didn¡¯t want to slip up on my parents and call him by his name. I don¡¯t want them to think, especially Mom, that there is something between Ismael and me.


    ¡°Honestly, forget about the professor,¡± he quoted. ¡°I prefer you calling me by my name.¡±


    I gasped. His assertiveness always leaves me in shock. Sometimes, I can¡¯t take his honesty anymore. Every word brings a strange sensation to my heart.


    ¡°I need to, Ismael. I should call you Professor now that we¡¯re meeting my family. Aren¡¯t you nervous?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Why would I?¡± He confidently asked. How I wish I could be like him. Because of where I am now, the anxiety in my chest is extreme. I¡¯ve been going back and forth to CR because of my nervousness. This is our first family gathering after my parents got divorced. I really can¡¯t understand why they have this kind of gimmick this time. What¡¯s going on in their minds, and why do they seem to be joining forces against me?


    Ismael opened his car door, so I got in. I thought he was going to close the door, but he stayed there in the doorway to watch me. I also looked at him. He¡¯s wearing a dark gray tuxedo, clean and neat. He also seems to have a new haircut. Did he prepare for this day?


    I noticed that he was staring at me for a long time, so I asked. ¡°What?¡± I said it tly, which caused him tough. I noticed this man always makes fun of me.


    ¡°I like that you¡¯re wearing a modest dress. It suits you,¡± hemented. ¡°No man can resist your beauty.¡±


    He closed the car door to go to the other side and sit in the driver¡¯s seat. I was left gaping as I followed him with my eyes. Tell me, would any professor say that to his students? Is he making me crazy?


    ¡°Ready?¡± he hissed before ncing at me. Shit. Howe he¡¯s so gorgeous when he looks at me that way?


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    A couple of minutes had passed when we finally arrived at ck Gourmet, a fine dining restaurant here in the city of Lourdez. I don¡¯t know why my parents chose this restaurant when it is known to be expensive.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go?¡± he inquired. I flinched when he held my waist. I turned toward him, so I got even closer. I lost my breath for a moment because of what he did. He¡¯s always giving me tension, which makes me panic. He¡¯s so good at this-leading me to insanity.


    I took a secret snap and tried to push him away. ¡°Professor, would you mind taking your hands off of me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know you¡¯ll ask the other way aroundter anyway,¡± he whispered. What the fuck is he talking about?


    He released me and let me walk inside the very elegant restaurant. It looks like everything was fucking expensive. Even the dust here is gold.


    ¡°Good evening, Madam and Sir. May I know if you have any reservations for tonight?¡± asked the receptionist.


    ¡°Under Mr. Alvandra,¡± I answered.


    ¡°This way, madam, sir.¡± The receptionist led us to our table, and to my surprise, they were all there-my father, my mother, Joth, and Roxsielle. They are wearing sophisticated outfits, especially Roxsielle, which made me amazed by her beauty.


    ¡°Finally! Your sister is here! Is that the guy you were talking about, son?¡± asked my dad, who didn¡¯t even greet me or let me sit down. Fortunately, Ismael pulled the chair for me to sit down.


    ¡°Yes, Dad,¡± Joth answered before looking at Ismael. ¡°Care to introduce yourself?¡±


    I sighed. Why do they act like this? They are so fucking rude towards my guest.


    ¡°Ismael Monda, sir.¡± Ismael introduced himself to my dad while extending his hand, which my father did not ept. ¡°Miss Alvandra¡¯s professor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re my daughter¡¯s professor. I thought you were some of her guys,¡± my mommented, which I never expected. I looked at Ismael, and he calmly withdrew his hand that Dad didn¡¯t shake. He also sat next to me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any guys, Mom,¡± I answered while holding back. Why did they send me here? To embarrass the man I¡¯m with? It¡¯s upsetting.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat first, Mr. Alvandra and Mrs.?¡± I looked at Ismael. Does he know my parents are divorced? Is he trying to mock my mother because she seems to get what he said?


    ¡°Former Mrs. Alvandra,¡± Roxsielle answered. ¡°Now, Mrs. Javierre,¡± she added. Roxsielle looked at me and smiled. Is she on my side?Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I saw a wrinkle appear on Mom¡¯s face because of what Roxsielle said, but because Joth is her favorite child, she suppressed her annoyance. Well, that looks like a lot to me.


    We ordered some food for dinner. They chose the steak, while I had caprese pasta with Thai basil.


    ¡°Say, are you really her professor? I¡¯m not convinced,¡± my father stated after sipping that red wine.


    ¡°I am indeed her professor. I am teaching calculus, sir,¡± Ismael answered. Honestly, I feel sorry for Ismael. Because my parents kept asking him questions, he couldn¡¯t concentrate on food. I want to hold his hand to at leastfort him, but I don¡¯t want my parents to see that and think something inappropriate.


    ¡°Really? You look so young. How old are you?¡± Mom interrupted.


    ¡°I¡¯m twenty-seven.¡±


    I was amazed at what I heard. Ismael is only twenty-seven? He¡¯s too young! I mean, I thought he was already in his mid-30s. He looks so mature, despite his age.


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m impressed. You¡¯re now a professor at such a young age,¡± mommented with joy in her eyes.


    ¡°I heard it was you who paid for Roxsielle¡¯s hospital bill,¡± Joth said. ¡°If you¡¯re just a professor, how can you afford to pay for someone else¡¯s bill?¡±


    Ismael wiped his lips with a napkin before speaking. He¡¯s well-mannered. How he sped the fork and knife elegantly earlier-no wonder this one is really rich. ¡°I am a businessman. I own a hotel and bar in different cities.¡±


    My jaw dropped just like my mother and Roxsielle did. They were amazed and looked so envious, staring at me. Maybe they are now thinking, Where the hell do I get this guy? Well, I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Dad said, unconvinced. ¡°How about you, Jothea? What will you be after graduation?¡±


    ¡°The question is, will she be able to graduate?¡± Joth squealed. I really don¡¯t understand why their blood and their eyes are on me.


    ¡°I will be able to graduate,¡± I answered back, and my brother justughed at me. How can heugh when it is him who did not finish his studies because he got a woman pregnant?


    ¡°Did you get anywhere with the business course you took?¡± Mom stated it in between our conversations. Now, they¡¯re roasting me. Following Ismael, I¡¯m now in the hot seat. I see it now; it was because they can¡¯t touch Ismael anymore since they know he¡¯s rich; I am now their target.


    ¡°Right, didn¡¯t I tell you to take a vocational course in cookery so at least you can be useful to your future husband?¡± I bit my lip. Dad is trying my patience. No, all of them are. I don¡¯t know how long I willst because the way they talk to me is very offensive. If I didn¡¯t need the money, I wouldn¡¯t be here. Are they not abandoning me enough? Now they are raining hurtful words on me.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt, sir, but actually there are a lot of job opportunities for a business management student. They can be business managers or build their own businesses themselves,¡± Ismael said to my surprise. He nced at me and smiled a little, as if telling me to endure everything because that¡¯s what he was doing. He¡¯s indeed a professor and properly trained when ites to this matter. Because if it were just me, without him, I would have been lost a long time ago.


    ¡°Well, there are a lot of business failures and losses. Knowing what kind of daughter Jothea is, even bing an employee of apany would be hard for her. She wouldn¡¯t stay that long. Either she will quit or they will fire her,¡± my father responded. That made my self-esteem low. How can he discourage his own daughter like this? It was as if I hadn¡¯te from him. How can they hate me so much when I haven¡¯t done anything wrong to them?


    ¡°Sorry to disagree, but your daughter has a lot of potential. She might be stubborn sometimes, but I can say she¡¯s very obedient. She¡¯s a fast learner and easy to be with. I think, when you finally know about her, she¡¯s not that bad.¡±


    I gulped. Where do those wordse from? Is he really talking about me? There is no way that I am very obedient! Stubborn, yes. But for the rest of what he said, I am the opposite. Did he lie because he wanted to help me against my father?


    I saw him look at me. I still can¡¯t believe what he said. ¡°And if nopany epts her, she¡¯s wee in mine. I have left and right businesses around the country; if she gets tired of one, she can move to the other.¡±


    There¡¯s no way he¡¯s telling the truth. Is he willing to do that to the extent of helping me out of this embarrassing moment with my family?


    I felt my family watching me, too. Full of envy. Even they couldn¡¯t believe what they were witnessing. Well, I am more.


    ¡°Then, why not support her financial needs?¡±

 Chapter 26

    ¡°Then, why not support her financial needs?¡±


    I was surprised by the angry tone of Dad¡¯s voice. He stood up, removed his table napkin from hisp, and walked out. He didn¡¯t even look at me.


    Mom and Joth did the same. They left suddenly. Good thing Roxsielle, said goodbye to me properly, who is not even my family. She even thanked me.


    That¡¯s when what Dad said sank into me. Does he mean he won¡¯t give me allowance anymore? Is Mom the same? After I tried my best to get in here even if I didn¡¯t want to?


    I heaved a sigh. They are really pushing me to the limit. How can they talk like that as if I am not a member of this family? Don¡¯t they know that I was the one who suffered the most when the two of them broke up? I stood to be Joth¡¯s parent. I was the mother, father, and sister to my youngest brother, but even he didn¡¯t show any respect towards me. It¡¯s annoying because I can¡¯t fight back, even though I know I am the type of woman who confronts everyone who stands in my way.


    And now they are telling me to let my professor support my financial needs? What kind of people are they to make me rely on others for their obligations? Do they really not consider me family, even at least as a human being, but still they don¡¯t even give me respect? They all talk shit about me in front of my sd, and I¡¯m losing my appetite even though I know this might be myst expensive meal in my life.


    ¡°Miss Alvandra¡­¡± I felt him holding my hand that had been clenched in anger.


    I looked at him, but as soon as I saw him, my tears began to fall. I quickly wiped it off. ¡°Sorry, you witnessed this.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about, Miss Alvandra. Shit happens every time, and most of the time it happens when you¡¯re with your family.¡±


    He caressed my hand, trying tofort me and make me calm, but as long as I get to remember what just happened a while ago, I can¡¯t help but feel really mad. I hate them all so much.


    ¡°I thought I would be happy seeing themplete, but I guess aplete family is not for me,¡± I said. ¡°They are whole when throwing rocks at me, Ismael. They¡¯re joining forces. But when I need them, they disappear one by one, unlike when they need something from me. I don¡¯t know what I have done to them that makes them hate me so much-to humiliate me in front of you. They even tried to disgrace you. My family doesn¡¯t deserve to be called a family,¡± I ranted. My lips trembled like a child reporting to him.


    Ismael touched my cheek and moved his hand to my shoulder before he caressed it with his thumb. He¡¯s not talking but just listening and watching me while taking my time to calm down and breathe fine.


    If the service attendant hadn¡¯te to ask if we were finished, I wouldn¡¯t have stopped crying. Why do I always choose to cry in public? This is so not me. Why does it seem like my brain doesn¡¯t work when I¡¯m with Ismael? Why do I always cry when he¡¯s here? As if my emotions are all set up front, with a little push, they wille out.


    ¡°Your bill, sir.¡±


    I lost my mind when I heard that. Hell? Is Dad¡¯s reservation not consumable? This is fucking embarrassing.


    ¡°Do you ept cards?¡± Ismael asked. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. What are you doing?¡± I stopped Ismael from taking his wallet from his coat. ¡°You are not obliged to do this. My father should pay for this. He¡¯s the one who made this reservation.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, Madam, but Mr. Alvandra had no deposit when he made the reservation, and he also left.¡± I turned my gaze to the service attendant. Fuck. What kind of father is he? Leave me and mypanion to pay? And they really chose this expensive restaurant to dine in? Did they n for this?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Miss Alvandra. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Ismael took his wallet to pay with his card. I noticed something fall from there while he was talking to the service attendant.


    A white paper. I picked it up and I was almost stunned to see that it was a receipt-a receipt from the hospital that he paid for Roxsielle when she was rushed because of sudden bleeding. This is the bill. And I can see how much Ismael paid for it. It is worth eighty thousand.


    I bit my lip, waiting for Ismael to meet my eyes. How can he lie about this to me? He told me it was fifty thousand. He even told me he didn¡¯t get the receipt, but what is it?


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± said the service attendant before handing Ismael¡¯s card again. I quickly hid the receipt I got and forced myself to smile, even though I was dying from holding back tears. How can he be so kind to me? And he even paid for dinner.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Ismael asked when he looked back at me. He held out his hand for me, which Dad did not ept. Dad missed the opportunity to hold the hand of a good man. Well, maybe because he might be burned. But for me, I would dly hold this forever. How can this man waste his money on me?


    We walked out of ck Gourmet hand in hand. Ismael¡¯s car, which was taken care of by a valet, arrived immediately. Ismael opened the door for me, which he always did before he entered the other side. He is indeed taking care of me and giving me a princess treatment; no, he¡¯s treating me like a queen. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s doing this.


    ¡°Ismael¡­¡± I called him while he was busy driving.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± He nced at me for a moment before returning his gaze to the road.


    ¡°Why are you so kind to me?¡± I asked, trying to suppress my heart by calling his name.


    ¡°Because no one is trying to be kind towards you, Miss Alvandra. You need at least one kind person to survive in this world,¡± he stated, but still, he can¡¯t make me understand. ¡°If you need financial support, you can apply for a schrship.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m graduating already, Ismael.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure about that,¡± he joked, which I knew he was doing to try to put my mind at ease. ¡°Oh, I remember, your section is exempt from my final exams, so I guess your statement to your brother earlier is going to be true.¡±


    ¡°How can you have such energy, Ismael? After what you witnessed with my family?¡± I asked seriously while still looking at him.


    ¡°Well, my family is worse than yours.¡±


    I remembered what Mrs. Estanio said to me then-about Ismael¡¯s family.


    ¡°We¡¯re the same, Miss Alvandra. My parents got divorced when I was a child, and since then, I haven¡¯t seen or been with them. I only know that they remarried to someone else.¡±


    He probably didn¡¯t know that I already knew about that.


    ¡°How do you know we¡¯re the same?¡± I asked out of curiosity.


    He smiled. ¡°Because I am your professor, Miss Alvandra. I know everything about you. And even about where you got your bad attitude, I think I know now.¡±


    Right. After he saw my family and I bickering with each other, of course, he would know. ¡°But you¡¯re tolerable, Miss Alvandra. I can still handle you. You still have a good heart.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect him to say that. ¡°Just like you,¡± I mumbled between my breaths.


    He nced at me again and smiled. ¡°Speaking of a good heart, how¡¯s the cat?¡± I frowned andughed. What connection does a good heart have with a cat?


    ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Do you feed it and take care of it?¡± He was still curious.


    ¡°Of course, he likes to eat my cereal and do his business whenever he likes. Sometimes I get annoyed because it¡¯s hard to find where he defecates,¡± I exined to him with aint.


    ¡°Wait, did I hear it right? You¡¯re giving him cereal instead of cat food?¡± I nodded innocently, which caused him to step on the break. ¡°What in the world, Miss Alvandra?¡±


    He maneuvered his car, and the next thing I know is that we were in the same pet shop that we visitedst time. Fortunately, it¡¯s still open, even though it¡¯s almost 9 p. m. already.


    I was about to ask what we were doing at the pet shop when I saw the bags of cat food that looked like a year¡¯s worth of aid in such arge quantity. He also bought some vitamins. Also, that cat litter that I didn¡¯t know existed. He even bought a bed for the cat. Is he trying to waste his money? Is he really this rich, and what he spends is just paper for him? Hold on, I remembered my financial problem again next month. I just hope that some grace wille to me.


    ¡°Miss Alvandra,¡± Ismael called me as he finished my prayer. He carried his purchases. ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    I nodded and followed him. I was about to help him when he prohibited me. He said he didn¡¯t need the hand of a murderer. What the eff? I didn¡¯t kill his cat!


    He started the car again, and it wasn¡¯t long before we arrived at my house.


    ¡°Maybe you want to let me in,¡± he said. I was going to appeal because it looks like he really had toe in to bring in the cat food. Well, it¡¯s a good idea for him to tidy up my house because I don¡¯t know what he bought.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Fine,e here inside.¡±

 Chapter 27

    ¡°Fine,e here inside,¡± I said before opening the door.


    I turned on the lights, and what weed him was my open living room on the left, while my room was on the right. At the end are the kitchen,undry area, and bathroom. I was relieved to see it clean.


    ¡°Do you have a space for your cat¡¯s necessities?¡± Ismael asked. I pointed to the storage room, where there is a section where stocks of the cat¡¯s necessities that he refers to can be ced. Why did he buy a bunch? He will only make me suffer!


    He also set up the cat litter on the side. He also taught me how to use it as well as how to measure food for cats. He called the little cat to give him food, and it quickly came to him. Wow. He sat down to meet it.


    ¡°What is his name?¡± he asked. I shrugged. Does the cat need to be named? ¡°What? You were living with him for more than a week now and you still didn¡¯t give him a name? What kind of heart do you have, Miss Alvandra?¡± The tone of his voice sounded like he was sulking. Well, I am not aware of that. How am I supposed to know? He just gave me the cat and never taught me how to take care of it. I just did what I think is right.


    ¡°I¡¯m just calling him meow; and he¡¯sing closer,¡± I reasoned, and I sat across from him.


    ¡°You should still give him a name so he will recognize you as his owner.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything. Why don¡¯t you do the thinking? After all, you are the real owner.¡±


    ¡°It should be you. This cat is yours. I gifted it to you.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll think about it! I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯ll be this childish when ites to cats, Ismael.¡±


    He red at me. Oh, what about it now? I¡¯m just telling the truth. ¡°What? Why are you staring at me like that like a cat? That¡¯s how he looks at me.¡±


    ¡°Howe I be childish when I¡¯m thinking maturely about you?¡±


    There was a lump in my throat. I became pale. In an instant, the way he looked at me changed. I immediately felt nervous in my chest. What is he plotting this time? He¡¯s always giving me the mood.


    ¡°Stop it, Ismael. I think it¡¯s gettingte. You should be going home now.¡± I got up from sitting and walked to the open living room.


    ¡°It was you who started it, Miss Alvandra.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I insisted before I turned to him and saw him standing. ¡°We were talking about the cat. It is you who brought up something unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°Is this unnecessary for you?¡± His voice was rising, perhaps out of annoyance. What is he up to? I don¡¯t understand anything. I don¡¯t remember starting anything now. ¡°Are you that blind, or are you trying not to see it?¡±


    My eyebrows met more. ¡°What are you talking about, Ismael? I don¡¯t know what you are pointing out.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you figured out yet why I am bing a useless man?¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    His question made me think again. What does he mean by saying that he is bing useless? Because, for all I know, he means more and more to me. With all the things he does, I hope he means something, but I try to hide it because I don¡¯t want to get hurt. I feel that he will hurt mepletely if I find out that we don¡¯t have the same feelings for each other.


    ¡°Not yet, Ismael.¡± I shook my head cluelessly. ¡°You¡¯re not useless. Stop talking like this; I¡¯m begging you.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you scared to know the truth?¡± He came closer to me, and every step he took made it harder for me to breathe.


    ¡°What truth?¡± I tried to ask despite the fear in my heart.


    ¡°This¡­¡± He looked at me softly before caressing my cheek. After a while, he gave me hot kisses. Burning. And I can¡¯t stop recovering from them. His lips are getting me burned. It seems to be proving something.


    I felt his right hand on my waist. It caresses there.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t stop moaning when he bit my bottom lip. ¡°Ismael¡­ what are y-you doing?¡± I said between his kisses.


    ¡°Guess,¡± he whispered while moving his tongue around my mouth. He was writing something with his tongue, but I couldn¡¯t tell what it was because of what he was doing. I just let it go and kissed him back.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from taking off his coat. It feels like it was a very long time ago that I felt his skin within mine. I really missed him. And this is the truth. I thought it would never happen again. God knows how excited I am for him.


    ¡°Did you guess it?¡± he asked when he released me. I shook my head andughed at him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being cute and childish, Ismael?¡± I tease him.


    ¡°What?¡± His eyebrows met when he asked me. I kissed him again while smiling. ¡°I said, you¡¯re cute and childish, and I like it. Your side of this, Ismael. I never knew I would be seeing this side of yours. I must be privileged.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you should be. You¡¯re the only woman who made me be like this. I am an impatient man, but you made me wait¡­ to do this again.¡±


    I was surprised when he turned me back onto the couch and made me bend over. I was held there, especially when he lifted my skirt.


    ¡°W-what are you trying to do, Ismael?¡± I asked weakly when I was in the middle of anticipation.


    ¡°Fuck, why did you wear something like this?¡± He was referring to my underwear. Because of my thick clothes earlier, I thought of wearing a thong so I wouldn¡¯t feel hot for a moment, but now that he saw it, I guess it was in the back of my mind that something would happen to us tonight.


    ¡°Because I know you will touch me. Take your hands on me, Ismael¡­¡±


    He pulled my underwear aside, and I just felt his tongue inside me. ¡°Now, try to guess again,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°I c-can¡¯t¡­¡± I stuttered as I tried my knees to be firm, despite the sensation he was giving me using his tongue.


    I was shocked when he spanked my ass. I let out a loud moan. ¡°W-what the hell, Ismael?¡±


    ¡°Guess it again, my dear student.¡± He moved his tongue inside me again, but no matter what I did, I couldn¡¯t guess what his tongue was writing. What is that? I¡¯m having a hard time here.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, p-professor¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Again, he spanked my butt harder, giving me a huge deal of pleasure. I looked up, and even my eyes were staring with happiness. You will really look up to heaven when you receive this kind of grace.


    ¡°Then we better stop now.¡± I immediately nced at him when he let go of me.


    ¡°What? No way!¡± Iin. I am yet to finish, but here he is declining to fulfill what he started. ¡°Get it done!¡± I still screamed.


    He smirked. ¡°No, unless you beg me.¡±


    ¡°Please, Ismael, continue what you¡¯re doing. Please me,¡± I convinced him. It¡¯s annoying because he left me undone.


    ¡°Beg for more, my lovely student. Show me some effort and why I should continue.¡±


    I sighed as I undressed myself in front of him. I saw him gulp, and I knew I was getting him convinced. I sat down on the couch and spread my legs in front of him.


    ¡°I want it, Ismael, but if you don¡¯t want to, I will pleasure myself instead.¡±


    I touched myself in front of him and showed my very best lewd expression, which made him feel his ego. I saw the annoyance on his face. ¡°That¡¯s not how you do it, Miss Alvandra,¡± he said seriously before he approached me. He removed my hand from my womanhood, and he moved there.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡±


    I bit my lips when I felt him lick me down there while his hands were now on my chest, ying with it. He kept ying with me like there was no tomorrow. Because of what he¡¯s doing, I¡¯ve proven that I¡¯m not the only one longing for him; he was also for me. We didn¡¯t talk about anything after our first night together, but now that we¡¯re doing it again, it seems like some of my questions have been answered.


    One of them is¡­ he¡¯s crazy to please me.


    I clenched his head, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from pulling his hair with the pleasure he was causing my womanhood. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re doing this in my house and on this couch. Perfect because I want to rece the memories made here. What I want to remember is none other than him-Ismael.


    My cum wasn¡¯tpletely out when he stopped. I was about to appeal when he unbuckled his belt and pulled down his pants to show me what was going to please my entire system next.


    He slowly entered me, and I just closed my eyes as I felt him inside me. I can¡¯t stop cursing.


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re so warm,¡± he growled, making me blush. He moved inside me as if he knew its corners well. He knows where to hit; he knows where to go to make me happy to the fullest.


    He kissed me again while I was busy unbuttoning his clothes. I want to see his body again. I want to hold it¡­ feel like I own it, even just for now.


    ¡°Are you close?¡± he asked as his flesh continued to collide inside me.


    ¡°Just a little more, Ismael¡­ Just continue.¡± I was running out of strength to plead.


    ¡°Okay. Tell me if you¡¯re getting there,¡± he said softly, calming my heart. Because of his constant questioning, I couldn¡¯t fake my orgasm. He wants to satisfy me, not just him. He¡¯s so thoughtful. He held my hands while speeding up the ride. Little by little, I could feel the tension between my legs, so I just hugged him.


    ¡°God, Ismael¡­ you¡¯re making me so crazy¡­¡± I bit his shoulder out of pleasure. ¡°I¡¯m close¡­ ahhh¡­¡±


    He kissed me again, and I just felt his explosion inside me at the same time as mine. I can¡¯t believe this. He made me finish again in one round. He let me finish first again.


    We stared at each other and smiled before touching our lips once more. His kisses are intoxicating. There is no equivalent to the satisfaction he could give me by his body. No amount of food canpare to the taste he gives me.


    I was surprised when he picked me up. ¡°Let¡¯s continue this to your room so you¡¯ll befortable.¡±

 Chapter 28

    I was surprised when he picked me up. ¡°Let¡¯s continue this to your room so you¡¯ll befortable,¡± Ismael said. I want to make the point that there is still a second round. I can¡¯t help but smile from ear to ear. This guy is fucking delicious!


    He sat on my bed when we entered the room. He didn¡¯t close the door because he was in a hurry. I was sitting on hisp with my thighs wrapped around his waist.


    ¡°Move for me, Miss Alvandra,¡± he ordered, to my surprise. I looked at him to make sure I heard correctly. ¡°Move your hips, mydy.¡±


    I adjusted my sitting position and held his shoulder. I let his manhood into me, and I saw the spark of happiness in his eyes. I slowly moved my hips, just like he said. I could feel his flesh growing inside me, reaching the height of my belly. Shit. This is crazy. I never thought I would work for my own pleasure.


    ¡°Like this, professor?¡± I asked while staring into his eyes.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Scratch that, professor. Call me by my name, Miss Alvandra,¡± he mumbled under his breath. I heard his deep breathing with each thrust.


    ¡°Then call me by my name too. I never heard you call me by my first name, professor,¡± I mouthed in between my gasps and moans.


    ¡°Jothea?¡±


    I felt a sudden blood rush to my heart. I immediately looked away from him. Shit. Shit. I shouldn¡¯t have asked him to do that. My heart beat faster because of what he did. It sounds so divine to my ears, like music that I want to listen to forever.


    He leans closer to my ears. ¡°Jothea, I like you.¡±


    I stopped what I was doing and looked at him. He is smiling from ear to ear. What the fuck did he say? ¡°I¡¯ve been holding myself to tell you that; that¡¯s why I¡¯m pressing you to guess it.¡±


    I was amazed, and in a sudden motion, my tears fell to my cheeks again. It¡¯s just a phrase, but why do I feel like it means so much more? How can he say that when I¡¯m off guard?


    ¡°I¡¯m bing useless because I identally stepped into your trap. That student-professor rtionship you were talking about, I am starting to hope for that,¡± he honestly confessed, making my heart really feel warm. I thought our bodies were heating up enough to warm me, but I would feel more warm because I heard the words I never thought his lips would say.


    I feel like my heart will start to burst. How can he tell that as if I weren¡¯t here? This was far from what I expected.


    He kissed my cheeks to wipe away my tears and even embraced me warmly. I feel his heart beat louder than mine. Is this true? How did this happen? How does Ismael want me?


    I cupped his face and stared at him intently. I want to know if what he said was true. How can he like someone like me? Who¡¯s very annoying, stubborn, and disobedient?


    ¡°What did you say?¡± It was only now that I had the strength to ask after a few seconds of looking at him.


    ¡°Did you really not hear, or do you just want me to repeat it?¡± he asked mischievously.


    I shook my head. ¡°I-I just can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± I admitted.


    He chuckled. ¡°Why?¡± He kissed the tip of my nose. ¡°What makes you think that it was a lie? Aren¡¯t you convinced?¡± He touches my cheeks and caresses them in such a manner that it gives me shivers. He puts my hair under my ears as he gives me another deep, passionate kiss.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you then.¡±


    Heid me on the bed, and he started making his way to me again, but this time it was gentle. How he touches me and caresses me is very unworldly. I can¡¯t articte how he brought something unreal into my world full of chaos. Just recently, I heard so many hurtful words from my family, but here he is, with just a simple statement: I forgot all that.


    ¡°Jothea¡­ you¡¯re so fucking gorgeous when you look at me like that,¡± he uttered. He kissed my lips while ying with my breasts, as he was still making his way inside me slowly. His lips moved down my neck. He licks it, sucks it, and leaves some marks. He did the same to my shoulder, chest, stomach, and other parts of my body. I¡¯m about to be insane. This is so fucking good.


    He made me turn my back away from him. He put a pillow on my head before lifting my lower body. He positioned himself, and after a while, I felt him enter me again.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ Ismael¡­¡± I mumbled. I don¡¯t need to hold back my lips, especially since I already know how he feels. It was clear to me why he was doing all this to me.


    ¡°Are you feeling it?¡± he inquired. I can hear his growl while still striking my flesh and bones.


    ¡°Y-yes, ughh¡­ how can you be this good?¡±


    He wrapped his hand around my stomach and lifted me up. Now I¡¯m bent over him while he hugs me. ¡°Because it¡¯s you, Jothea.¡±


    He quickened his pace as the tension built up inside me. I just clung to his head while he held my chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m close, baby.¡±


    Because of what he called me, I released my cummed without a warning. He¡¯s using all of his cards against me! How deceptive! He is really good in bed!


    And because I was the first to cum, I let him move until he finished. He gave me all his extractions. I feel the fullness of my femininity because of him. I clung to him weakly while catching my own breath. He kissed me again from the back. His saliva is so fucking sweet and aromatic.


    ¡°You know what? I still want to do more rounds,¡± he admitted while staring at me intently.


    ¡°Even me,¡± I replied while caressing his cheek. His skin¡­ I want to be under his skin. I am so addicted to his scent. Even though we were sweating profusely, I couldn¡¯t help myself. I like the way our sweat mixes, like our juice mixes with each other.


    He bit his lip trying to contain his feelings. Now, I know he¡¯s real.


    ¡°Can you still handle two more?¡± he whispered, full of requests.


    ¡°Why not three, Ismael?¡± I replied, trying to tease him. He bit his lower lip again as if he couldn¡¯t believe what came out of my mouth.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s do it while it stands up,¡± he said jokingly while referring to his masculinity.


    ¡°It will. I¡¯ll make it stand up for me.¡± I touched the object he was referring to, and I was not mistaken; it stood up for me again. He just cursed and held onto the felt to avert his shy eyes from me. ¡°This guy can handle more, but how about your legs, Ismael? Is a twenty-seven-year-old already weak?¡± I teased.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with my age, youngdy. You¡¯re seven years younger than me. I have more experience than you,¡± hemented. So, he knows my age?


    ¡°Well, age doesn¡¯t matter. Performance does.¡± I winked at him and ran away. Let¡¯s see your bones if you can catch up with me.


    He immediately caught up with me, so he picked me up. We even beat the newlyweds at flirting. I kissed him again, and I just realized that we were in the bathroom.

 Chapter 29

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a shower together before going to sleep,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Are you telling me you¡¯ll stay for a night?¡± I asked because I didn¡¯t think we would shower and sleep at the same time. Hold on, I don¡¯t even know what time is it now.


    ¡°For a weekend.¡±


    I was stunned when I remembered that today is Friday. Wait, he¡¯s going to be here for three days? Are we going to do it for three days? We even beat the honeymooners.


    ¡°F-for a weekend?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t you like it?¡± He caught my eyes again to stare. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll invite you to my penthouse next time in exchange.¡±


    I gasped. I can¡¯t believe it. Everything that I desire, he is willing to give me without me even trying to ask for it. I just managed to kiss him before he finally took me into the bathroom.


    He leaned my back against the cold wall as he kissed me back. Gosh, the heat is overwhelming. I turned on the shower so we wouldn¡¯t be burned by each other¡¯s warmth. We just kept kissing until he entered me again. He started swinging inside me for the nth time. He still didn¡¯t let me down from his waist. He can still manage. I can¡¯t even count how long we¡¯ve been doing this, but he¡¯s still here, full of energy to fulfill his desires.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Ismael¡­ Ahhh¡­¡±


    ¡°Jothea¡­ your moans¡­¡± he growled. I observed that his pace was getting faster than usual. This is getting more intense. I hugged tightly when I felt his entire fluid inside me. I just marveled at the taste.


    But just like we agreed, we won¡¯t stop. He made me face the ss barrier and rode me again. My hands just pinned on it while my chest was also attached to the mirror. I just hope it doesn¡¯t break with the force of his bumping into my corner.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ I can¡¯t seem to stop, baby,¡± he grunted, increasing my arousal even more.


    ¡°Go on. Pleasure yourself,¡± I replied while gaping at the pleasure. Shit. I¡¯m so crazy about what we¡¯re doing. Like him, I don¡¯t even know if I want it to end. It¡¯s like I just want him here with me. Close. Very close. It was not like our first night because that night was defeated by the happiness I enjoy now. No wonder we have been doing his multiple times now.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving it all to you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, give it all to my mouth.¡± I faced him before kneeling and sucking his property. Because of what I did, he cummed out earlier. He gripped my hair tightly as he inserted everything he had worked so hard for into me. I looked up to see his reaction. Gosh, he¡¯s so damn sexy. How he bit his lips and shut his eyes in intense pleasure is sending me pleasure too.


    I didn¡¯t let go of his manhood, even though I swallowed all of his juice. I started to do my job on his shaft. No one will surrender today, not even his thing.


    I yed with it with my tongue. I only realized his length now because it was bumping into my throat. ¡°Fuck¡­¡±


    He started to thrust inside my mouth, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel immediate satisfaction. He¡¯s treating my mouth like my womanhood. This is very lewd. Is this what he was referring to when he said he was thinking about me maturely?


    I pulled away from him and saw the immediate reaction of disappointment on his face. I adjusted my knees and put his property between my breasts. He immediately looked up and clung to the ss barrier. I also heard his loud moaning that filled the entire bathroom.


    ¡°Look at me, Ismael¡­¡± I ordered.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t take it. I will remember your face, for sure,¡± he refused.


    I stuck out my tongue and hit the tip of his manhood while ying with his thing with my breasts. ¡°Come on, look at me. I want you to remember this.¡± I took another bite of his size and yed with it with my tongue. I can see how he was trying to suppress himself, but he still did what I said. He¡¯s staring at me, observing me,pletely amazed by what I¡¯m doing to him. Yes, remember this one, my Ismael.


    Even if he¡¯s a bit conservative, no one can resist me, just like he told me earlier. If he¡¯s good in this, I won¡¯t let myself down. I need to keep up with him. I¡¯m good, the way I know how. Even now that I know he likes me, surely whatever I do will bring him great happiness.


    I mean, I can¡¯t me him if he doesn¡¯t want to watch me. This view is too mature. His thing is between my breasts while I¡¯m sucking him. And I, too, can feel my juices dripping wet from my flower.


    I just continued ying with him while looking at his face. I can see how much he is struggling with our situation while at the same time enjoying it. I noticed that the flesh of his thigh was also stiff. When I felt that he was about toe out, I let go of his possession. He nced at me, and like the n, his cum hit my face like a fountain.


    ¡°Shit, Jothea, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like it? Because I like it,¡± I answered while wiping the juices from my face with my finger. I stood up and stood behind him. ¡°Still my turn,¡± I whispered, and I grabbed his manhood again. He bent down and put his hands on the wall near the shower head. Sorry, Ismael. I¡¯m here to please you the way you pleased me earlier.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± I whispered as I ran my hand along his length.


    ¡°Do you think I am? I¡¯m about to be crazy,¡± he asked, annoyed, and Iughed at him. Even a man like him is bing weak because of this. I thought he was a rock, but he wasn¡¯t. He also has a sense of concealment. ¡°I can¡¯t when it¡¯s your hand¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long, and he cummed again. Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s sensitive, or maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m using my hand. He was catching his breath when he faced me. I chuckled yfully. I thought he was strong?


    He kissed me again. ¡°I¡¯ll ept defeat tonight. Let¡¯s take a shower now.¡±


    I smiled and agreed. Just like he said, we showered together. He helped me scrub my back the same way I did for him. Momentary kisses and caresses never disappear. Gosh, I still want more, but this guy is losing himself now. I guess we can do a lot tomorrow since he¡¯s staying with me this weekend. I would likely ept his offer.


    I gave him my spare towel to cover his lower body while I was wearing a robe. He helped me blow dry my hair while still stealing some kisses. I feel like I¡¯m in heaven because I¡¯m with him. Everything went beautifully.


    He hugged me tightly as we looked at each other¡¯s reflection in the opposite mirror. I can¡¯t believe this. We¡¯re looking at each other like we had never been enemies and each other¡¯s thing on the throat.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Did you have fun?¡± he asked me weakly.


    ¡°Yup, you?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    We stared at each other for a while before deciding to go back to the room and sleep. He¡¯s embracing me like I¡¯m the only woman he wants to be with forever. I feel safe, though. I feel secure. What happened to us leaves me with the idea that something beautiful will happen soon. I just hope it is.


    He¡¯s ying with my hair while I¡¯m busy smelling his scent. I can¡¯t believe he used my body wash and shampoo. I like it on him. My hand is on his chest now. I can clearly feel his heartbeat and his breath, which feels like a luby. My eyelids are gradually getting heavy. Ipletely closed my eyes.


    ¡°Ismael¡­¡± I called him.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for this day and for taking good care of me,¡± I tried to tell him despite my sleeping voice.


    He hugged me tighter with one hand.


    ¡°No need to say thank you. It is my responsibility. You are my loving student after all.¡±


    ¡°And you are my handsome professor.¡±


    He nods. ¡°I want to take care of you, Miss Alvandra¡­¡±


    He kissed my forehead and whispered something, but I couldn¡¯t clearly hear it because I felt so sleepy. All I know is that I fell asleep in his arms.

 Chapter 30

    I woke up in the middle of the day thinking that I was alone on my bed, but when I felt a hand on my breast, I suddenly remembered what had taken cest night. I can¡¯t help but feel hot over my body again.


    Ismael gently pulled me closer to him and hugged me tightly. I couldn¡¯t get up because I felt something bump into the soft part of my back. I held back a moan even as desire surged through my system again.


    I nced at him, he seemed to be sleeping soundly, and he didn¡¯t know that he was touching my soft breasts.


    How can he sleep so tight and soundly when he knows I¡¯m with him? Does he really trust me? Now, I understand what he meant when hepared us to cats. Actually, he is like a cat, grumpy but clingy. What if I named the cat he gifted me after him?


    I smiled when I thought of a name¡­ should I call the cat ¡®Mael¡¯? Cute.


    I flinched when I felt him squeeze my breast. I couldn¡¯t stop moaning. Is he dreaming? Does he know what he¡¯s doing?


    I tried my best to face him without him getting awake so he could stop what he was doing. And then I realized he was dreaming. Is he dreaming about me? Did he think we were still having sex?


    Iughed. This guy is unbelievably addicted to me. I really couldn¡¯t help but wonder why, out of all the girls, he liked me. We have nothing else to do but fight against each other. What good did he see in me when I was just answering him absurdly, as always? I am not a soft-spoken person, let¡¯s start with that.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± he mumbled as if slowly waking up. I just watched his face. I want to meet the opening of his eyes. He¡¯s so fucking gorgeous. I want to kiss him now, but I don¡¯t want to wake him up. I should wait.


    I gulped when I suddenly felt his thing stand up, striking my lower abdomen, and because of the shock, I growled louder. I saw him slowly open his eyes, gently changing from confused to amused by the first woman he saw in the morning.


    ¡°Miss Alvandra, you¡¯re here,¡± he said as if amazed, before caressing my face. Me too; I couldn¡¯t stop being amused because, finally, he wasn¡¯t gone when I woke up, unlike before, when he left me twice.


    ¡°Yes, I am, Ismael. I am here.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He smiled and looked at my whole face as if he were memorizing every corner of it. He also fixed my hair on my cheek and put it behind my ear. He handled me very carefully. No one touched me like this before. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful.¡±


    I can¡¯t hide my cheeks, which are now turning red. It must be nice to hear that from him all the time, that apart from me, there is someone who appreciates my beauty. And he always reminds me of that¡­ that I¡¯m beautiful in his eyes.


    ¡°Even in my dreams.¡± He caressed my cheeks. Maybe I should get used to his unting words like this. I also held his naked body and caressed it. I feel that I am very lucky because he is here with me. Although we didn¡¯t have a good start, that caused us to end up in this situation. I can¡¯t believe that this guy is dreaming about me and fantasizing about me now.


    He leans closer and gives me such a wonderful, sweet kiss that makes my heart melt. He¡¯s like bringing me out of this universe, showing me the entire celestial body. It is just his lips, but it takes all my worries away, brushing away all of my anxieties and leaving my mind all painted with different colors. Everything that weighs turns out to be light. It¡¯s just him, but I can feel that I have everything in this world now.


    I patted his shoulder when I realized that we had just woken up. I tried to stop him before I said, ¡°Gosh, I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth yet.¡±


    ¡°And so?¡± he stated between his smallughs before devouring my raw lips again. If my stomach did not growl, he wouldn¡¯t stop kissing me. I wasughing when he pulled away, looking so annoyed at our interrupted kissing. He looks like a child who has not been given a chance because he is addicted to pleasure. Is he not getting bored, or is he trying to make up because he gave upst night?


    ¡°Seems like my tummy wants food, not you,¡± I teased before I stood up, but he pulled me and hugged me. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down, but he started to nt small kisses on my shoulder while his hands were around me. I don¡¯t know if I wouldugh at him because he didn¡¯t let me go. So, this is him when he¡¯s into someone?


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m starving. I didn¡¯t eat wellst night at dinner either. I know you are too,¡± I said in between his tickles.


    ¡°Give me five more minutes. I¡¯ll cook for us,¡± he whispered as he continued doing his business with my body. I couldn¡¯t do anything but let him do what he wanted to do with my body. I could still feel him sniffing my scent, and I couldn¡¯t stop being happy with what he was doing. He¡¯s showing a lot of affection towards me, and I feel so loved by him. Even if he just likes me. I feel so lucky.


    Just like he promised, he presented himself to cook for our breakfast. I¡¯m not sure what he¡¯s cooking, but he¡¯s been fiddling with something from there in my fridge, and I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything left.


    I gave him a loose shirt and pants, but he rejected them so many times because he asked, what¡¯s the point of wearing them if he would take them offter. I justughed at him. He really has ns to do it again, even though we had a lot alreadyst night. I just put the clothes on his head so he can wear them fully.


    I never noticed that days would pass swiftly when you¡¯re happy, but I feel no sadness now, even if we¡¯re apart because he¡¯s going home. We made three days of happy memories. We watch movies and talk together, eat and bathe together, fall asleep, and wake up together. We are like a couple. I can¡¯t get it out of my mind that one day we could be together if our rtionship leveled up, but now there aren¡¯t any.


    He never asked about my feelings towards him, which is why I never had the chance to confess. I just chose to keep it a secret because he wasn¡¯t courting me, so how would I say yes? I don¡¯t even know what he ns for the two of us, but I admit that I am happy and satisfied with what is between us.


    Monday came when I was excited to enter Marcus University because Ismael and I had only been away for a few hours and I missed him so much. I really intended to enter early in case I met Ismael in the room because he is our professor in our first subject.


    I was on my way to our ssroom when I suddenly felt something was wrong around those students in the corridor. I could hear them whispering and talking. It looks like they are into some hot issues and gossiping about them nonstop. It¡¯s very early for that. Don¡¯t they have an assignment that needs to be prioritized? Anyway, I just noticed now because I didn¡¯t usuallye to the university this early.


    ¡°Girl, have you heard the news? Professor Monda is dating someone!¡±


    I stopped walking and suddenly turned to the woman there by the window. I stepped back to hear more of their conversation. Are they referring to me? Wait a minute, did it reach them that Ismael was at my house for three days? How?


    I bit my lower lip as I maintained myposure. This gossip shouldn¡¯t get to the faculty because Ismael¡¯s fate will surely be like Professor Sybill¡¯s.


    I sighed and kept pretending to adjust thece, even though I was wearing heels, so I could still hear them.


    ¡°Yes, I saw it earlier! He had a girl with him in his car! I saw her go out! The girl was said to be in the lower year!¡±


    My shoulders slumped when I heard it. It¡¯s like I¡¯m running out of energy. Even my hands have not moved themselves. Even my knees can¡¯t stretch to stand up again to walk away from what I heard.


    ¡°Gosh, so the issue was real then? Is she the girl that Professor Monda was with at the Ind Motel Bar?¡±


    The enthusiasm went out of my system and was reced by resentment. I don¡¯t want to believe it because it¡¯s just gossip. I have no proof that what they say is true. How can Ismael have a date if he just confesses to me that he likes me? Does he like to mess with a lot of girls, and am I one of his victims?


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± said a woman.


    ¡°Yes! I have a picture! I took it a while ago because I know you won¡¯t believe it! It was now spread in group chats.¡±


    I tried my best to stand up and walk towards them. I quickly grabbed the phone of the woman who was showing off the picture she had taken. My hands trembled at what I saw. I wish I hadn¡¯t looked at it.


    It was real. Ismael is with another woman¡­ seems younger than me.


    My breathing became heavy as I suppressed the anger building up in my chest. I gave them the phone back before turning my back on them. I walked briskly, not going to the ssroom but to Ismael¡¯s office.


    I can¡¯t believe he¡¯d do this to me. I thought he was real. Everything is just a lie. I cannot believe it. Is he making fun of me for how stupid I am to him? And I even agreed to let him stay with me for three days. I feel so little! I was very happy with what we did, which I shouldn¡¯t be.


    I opened the door forcefully and saw that Ismael was fixing things. He seems to be on his way to our ss.


    He was surprised to see me. He even shed his smile effortlessly, saying that he was happy to see me again.


    He was about to speak when I pped him hard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t dare talk to me again! I hate you!¡±

 Chapter 31

    I marched away from him, and just as I left that door, my tears immediately fell from my eyes. I couldn¡¯t believe it. Even my teardrops hurt my eyes. It¡¯s like blinding me. My eyes are clouded with tears, and I can¡¯t see clearly where I¡¯m going. Do I still have a destination if what I consider home is the reason why I cry?


    I bit my lip. I am trying to suppress every inch of emotion that is lingering in my heart, but it is suffocating me. The more I hide it, the stronger it grows. It burns me. Why did I let this happen? It¡¯s like I¡¯m back to square one. I¡¯m alone again.


    ¡°Jothea!¡±


    I was just surprised when someone shouted my name while pulling me. At that point, I realized that a car was almost going to hit me. I¡¯m already outside the campus.


    ¡°What are you doing? Do you have a problem again?¡± I looked at the guy who was talking to me. It was Raviel. He holds both of my shoulders and checks carefully to see if I¡¯m scratched or something. ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t we have a ss with Professor Monda?¡±


    Just hearing that name broke my heart. That guy-he just wants my body. I was fully equipped to devote my entire being to him in the mistaken belief that he liked me, but that waspletely untrue. He¡¯s dating someone else, someone younger than me, and it crashes my world. I haven¡¯t even confessed to him yet; I¡¯ve lost my chance. However, it could be a good thing, as I do not want him to continue using me.


    ¡°I won¡¯t attend the ss,¡± I said firmly before I removed his hands from holding my shoulders.


    ¡°Then, where are you going?¡± he asked after I didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Do you mind if I go with you?¡±


    *****


    I went back to the casino where Raviel had taken me before. He is now with me. When I said I was going to the casino, I couldn¡¯t stop him from following me.


    That¡¯s when I remembered that I still have a lot of problems that need to be fixed. My attention was so focused on Ismael that I forgot that it would be impossible for me to survive in the next few months because my parents would no longer send me money.


    If I gamble with my money, will it grow?


    I shook my head. Nope. Since I¡¯m only starting, I¡¯m going to lose a lot.


    ¡°Do you mind telling me your problem? I might help you,¡± Raviel said while busy ying. I was next to him, watching silently. The mouth is silent, and the mind is restless. There are a lot of things struggling in my brain, and I can¡¯t solve even one of them.


    ¡°I need money,¡± I replied to him. He looked at me for a moment before handing me a roll of dors. I shook my head and handed it back to him. ¡°No, Raviel. I don¡¯t want the money from you. I want to work. I need a job.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to be a dealer? I heard they need a reliever here. You can do a part-time job at night if you want. I can refer you to them, so you won¡¯t have to worry about it. When do you want to start?¡±


    I watched the women sitting at each gambling table. They are called dealers. They are both beautiful and have smooth skin. The body is slender, the posture is good, and above all, the smiles are fascinating.


    ¡°Can I start tonight?¡± I asked.


    He smiled. ¡°Of course.¡±


    After he finished ying, he took me to his friend, who is the manager of the casino. He introduced me to Mr. Vargas, and without any interview, they let me in. They also gave me a uniform to wear.


    ¡°I guess I have to say goodbye for now. I have a ss to go to. How about you? Aren¡¯t youing back?¡± He asked with a knowing nod. I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll be here first; I¡¯ll study the game carefully.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Enjoy.¡±


    I turned to go back to the casino when my phone rang. To my surprise, it was Ismael. He is calling me.


    My heart suddenly feels panicky. At that moment, I didn¡¯t know what to do. My heart started to delirious with so much nervousness. I never thought he would call me, but no, I won¡¯t answer this. I don¡¯t want his exnations. I don¡¯t want to hear the truth that he was lying-that it was all lies.


    I just entered the casino, so the call will end on its own since there is no signal inside. I need to divert my mind to more important things than him. I need money to live. I should be wasting my time on making money instead. I shouldn¡¯t be swayed by emotions. The thought of him liking me is purely unthinkable. Unbelievable. And that¡¯s why it¡¯s so not true at all because he has someone else.


    I sighed. I should focus on myself now, just like I was doing before he came into my life. Why did I trust him so quickly because he was my professor? He just manipted me into getting what he wanted.


    Thick smoke from chain smokers greeted me. It doesn¡¯t matter to me at all because I¡¯m also a smoker. I¡¯m used to it.


    First, I watched the other dealers handle the yers, and I noticed that they were also flirting with older men. At least here, you can get some money instead of flirting with others, which only causes pain.


    The days passed quickly. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been home for three days because I¡¯ve been sleeping in the casino¡¯s sleeping quarters. I¡¯m getting used to work. My body is not tired here. After ss, I went straight to this ce.


    ¡°Hit,¡± said a yer. He tapped his two fingers on the table, so I gave him another card. Hitting is the term used to get a better hand. There¡¯s no limit to how many cards you can ask for, but once your hand totals higher than twenty-one, you bust, and the dealer will get your bet. The only goal of this game is to have cards whose value does not exceed twenty-one, because when you have a card with a value of twenty-one, you automatically win, and you will be given triple your bet. Three is to two.


    The first yer currently has the two and six of spades while I have the ten of hearts and a hidden card behind them.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Queen of Spades-that¡¯s his third card.


    He waved his hand to stand, meaning he didn¡¯t want to hit anymore. The first yer¡¯s card value now is eighteen. I moved on to another yer, who tapped his two fingers on the table.


    ¡°Bust.¡± I silently smirked when I saw his three cards getting over the twenty-one. If your card value exceeds twenty-one, you will be eliminated from the game. I took the second yer¡¯s bet and continued ying with the other two yers.


    The third yer has six of clubs and eight of diamonds whose total value is fourteen. He also asked for a hit, and the card I gave him was three of diamonds. Now, the value of his cards is seventeen, which is lower than that of the first yer. I showed them my hidden card, and it was an ace of spades. Eleven. I tied with the first yer who had the same value as mine-eighteen. Draw. As for the third yer, I took the bet because his cards were of lower value.


    I kind of enjoy this game. Since I am a dealer, I can y freely without worrying about how much I will lose. Well, in just a couple of days, I learned how to y it and win. Mr. Vargas was really happy that, because of me, some big clients are willing to y even if they¡¯re not into ying. His business grows more and more, and he gets money from gamblers. Well, if they want to y with me because I am attractive, I cannot me them.


    ¡°Dealers are on your side, sir. We¡¯re just on the wrong side of the table,¡± I hissed as one round ended. The two quit because they had lost a lot. To be honest, it is not really easy to win in these games. The rules were made to benefit the casino itself.


    ¡°You still want to y, sir?¡± I told the first yer earlier that now deeply ring at me. Despite my confusion over his staring at me, I continued to smile at him.


    ¡°Here? Why don¡¯t we go out of this ce and y a different game?¡± He leaned back arrogantly in his chair. I smiled and shook my head. ¡°I apologize, but I still have a duty to fulfill, sir.¡± I pressed the red button under my table. ¡°Enjoy your day outside. Thank you.¡±


    Immediately, a marshal came to escort the man in front of me. I was still smiling at him as I watched him argue with the guards not to let him out. It¡¯s really an advantage that there is a secret button under the table so that if someone is rude to us, dealers, we can be helped right away.


    I sighed. I guess I¡¯ll make my own way home now. It¡¯s almost one in the morning. I don¡¯t really notice the time anymore when ying. I started my duty at 8 p. m. earlier, and my head was aching because of my sleepless night. Maybe I should just say goodbye to Mr. Vargas and say that I will go out early to visit my cat, which I almost forgot about.


    I got up from the chair and was about to leave the table when someone spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll y.¡±

 Chapter 32

    ¡°I¡¯ll y.¡±


    I turned around and was surprised to see Ismael in front of me. My face¡¯s smile quickly vanished, and anger took its ce. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I said it firmly while looking at him. I tried topose myself, but his presence made me remember what I had learned about his dating issues. Even I, I also saw him going home from the university with the girl linked to him. It was confirmed. He¡¯s dating someone else, and it shattered my heart into pieces. So I¡¯m also here in this ce to be distracted.


    ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll y,¡± he answered before cing a briefcase on the table. I hid my wide eyes when he opened it and revealed to me a lot of money that he was going to exchange for chips.


    I rolled my eyes and nced at him. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be in here. You¡¯re a professor,¡± I stated to him in a way that he understood that I didn¡¯t want to see him. I already told him that I didn¡¯t want to talk to him or see him. I no longer respond to his calls and texts because I despise him and these feelings within me. I don¡¯t want to attract attention or make the situation worse. I know he won¡¯t catch me after all.


    Even in his sses, I don¡¯t show up. Now, he¡¯s here?


    ¡°It is you who are not supposed to be in here, Jothea.¡±


    I was speechless when he called my name. He¡¯s really good with women; he knows how to manipte a woman. Even when I¡¯m firm, he is able to soften me and make my world spin around him.


    ¡°I am working, so get out of here and leave me alone,¡± I uttered, clenching my teeth in anger.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to work in this disgusting ce, Jothea. I can give you all the money you need.¡± That¡¯s right. He knew that my parents would no longer support me because he was there at the dinner and heard everything.


    ¡°In exchange for what? Sex?¡± I yelled at him in annoyance. I couldn¡¯t stop my mouth because of my nerves. His presence irritates the hell out of me now. How noble of a person is he to call this ce a disgusting ce that gives me money? ¡°You¡¯re being so kind because you want to fuck me again, right? You¡¯re willing to give me your money because you¡¯re taking advantage of me. I¡¯m even better than a prostitute.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He stood up, and I could see in his eyes that he couldn¡¯t believe what he heard from me. He walked closer while I froze where I stood. ¡°What are you talking about? Do you hear what you are saying, Jothea?¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me by my name! It¡¯s disgusting!¡± My lips trembled as I screamed at him. ¡°And I don¡¯t need your money! You¡¯re not my husband to give me what you have! You¡¯re not even a friend! You¡¯re just my professor!¡±


    He gasped. He even stuck out his tongue out of frustration towards me. He was still looking elsewhere as if he were looking for patience for me. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me that way, Miss Alvandra, if you don¡¯t want me to rip your mouth off,¡± he warned.


    ¡°Why? Are you hurt? Are you disappointed? This is who I am. I am not a good woman, so if you don¡¯t want to hear bullshit, get lost.¡±


    He stared at me for a long time, as if checking to see why I was doing this. Doesn¡¯t he know yet? There are many reasons why he shouldn¡¯t like me, and I¡¯m showing him all of them. I don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s only after me because I don¡¯t have good manners.


    ¡°Is there a problem here?¡± We both looked at the speaker. It was a guard who helped me earlier. He interrupts our excessively loud arguments that are now disturbing other guests. I just noticed that people have been staring at us for a while now.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    That¡¯s another thing, because I¡¯m scandalous, one of the reasons men are turned off. I bet Professor Sybill didn¡¯t really love me before. He despises me. He just chases after the happiness I bring him in bed.


    ¡°I just want to y with her,¡± Ismael answered, the annoyance in his voice still not gone. ¡°Those are my cash,¡± he said, pointing to his briefcase on the table. ¡°She just couldn¡¯t believe the amount of money I was carrying.¡±


    The guard looked at me, waiting for me to confirm what this professor said. I just sighed before I nodded. I was so distracted that I barely noticed that I was supposed to leave.


    The guard left us when he saw that each of us was calm. Calm outside, chaos inside. It¡¯s annoying that even when I¡¯m silent, he¡¯s here, taking away the peace from me. How can I forget if he alwayses to me? Despite my efforts to suppress my developing feelings for him, he appears as if fully aware of the situation and intends to disrupt our rtionship.


    ¡°ce your bet,¡± I said tly.


    ¡°Hundred thousand.¡±


    I closed my eyes, not because of the amount of his initial bet but because he didn¡¯t know which of the chips he was going to ce on top. Again and again, I sighed and felt pain because of him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know how to ce your chips; how can you y this game?¡± I whispered just enough for him to hear. I gave him cards one by one. Five of hearts and queen of clubs while I have the hidden card and the king of clubs.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know how to y this game. I just want to y with you,¡± he replied calmly. Fuck. What is he starting again? He was really good at seducing someone like me with his yful words. I am even more annoyed with him because he knows very well how to beat me. A calm answer, as if he were saying that he was ready to surrender and that I was the winner of the two of us.


    ¡°Maybe you were in the wrong game. This is not a game to y with someone¡¯s feelings,¡± I hissed. There is no smileing out of my lipspared to the previous yers who were ying. I can give them a fake smile, but with Ismael, I can¡¯t pretend. I don¡¯t want to pretend.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to y with someone¡¯s feelings either,¡± he uttered in his breathy, deep voice, which he thought I could believe. Tsk.


    He remained calm despite the hurtful words he heard from my filthy mouth earlier and how I act towards him now.


    ¡°Do you wanna hit?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hit you? No. I don¡¯t hit.¡± God, please bring me some patience over here. He doesn¡¯t even know what a hit means. His innocence is even worse than it was the first time Raviel taught me this.


    ¡°I mean, do you wanna get another card?¡±


    He shook his head. I showed him my hidden card, and it is an ace of hearts. A ckjack. I took his bet.


    ¡°ce your bet,¡± I ordered again because I was sure he wanted to y more.


    ¡°A hundred thousand,¡± he said as if he didn¡¯t care about losing a hundred thousand just now. He bet a hundred thousand again, even though he knew he would only lose against me.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    I draw two cards again for each one of us. Our game just continued in that state. He is losing all of his money, and it seems like it doesn¡¯t bug him, while I regret the wasted money. Despite hisck of knowledge regarding the game, the manner in which he wagered his funds was as if it were a mere peso. Is he making me see how poor I am?


    ¡°Are you sure you still wanna y?¡± I inquired, not leaving him a hint of concern. ¡°You can stop now.¡±


    ¡°So you can y with other guys?¡± he asked back, annoyed. He frowned as he looked at me seriously. ¡°No, thank you. I am willing to lose all of my money rather than see you ying with other men.¡±


    I breathed deeply. ¡°I will not y anymore. I am just waiting for you to finish. My duty has already finished an hour ago.¡± I didn¡¯t realize it was five in the morning, and we had been ying for four hours. I don¡¯t know; I didn¡¯t notice either.


    ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± He seemed worried, looking at me. I looked away and sighed. ¡°Why would I?¡±


    ¡°How much did I lose?¡± he asked as if he didn¡¯t hear my auspicious answer to him.


    ¡°Almost two million,¡± I replied. ¡°Let¡¯s stop now. You have lost a lot. It will affect your business if you be addicted to ying this.¡± Now, I can no longer hide my concern from him. I have seen many yers who lost their money here because of their eagerness to get back the money they lost in gambling. There are also bets on one¡¯s ownnd, business, car, and jewelry.


    ¡°Let¡¯s y onest time.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± I asked in disbelief. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m sleepy while ying with him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to get my two million back.¡± I almostughed at what he said. I knew it. But how can he do that? He didn¡¯t even win once against me. How can he get back what he lost?


    ¡°You¡¯ll probably gonna lose another two million, sir.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll try my luck on you.¡±

 Chapter 33

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll try my luck on you.¡±


    Not even convinced, I let him do what he wanted to happen. Based on the length of time we¡¯ve been ying, he¡¯s fought really hard. It¡¯s like he doesn¡¯t learn anything from what I teach. Seriously, where else do you find a dealer teaching the yer how to y? I think our position in life has been reversed. The student is teaching the professor¡­ well, to gamble.


    Tsk. Of course, he will lose again because, instead of looking at the cards, he was staring at me with those prating eyes.


    What does he really want to happen now? Why is he here? I¡¯m not convinced that he¡¯s here because he just wants to y with me. It¡¯s not that, I know. And what I wonder is, how did he know I was here?


    We started ying again. His first card is the king of hearts.


    ¡°You know what? Forget about the money. If I win, you¡¯reing home with me.¡±


    I just looked at him and shook my head, confident that he wouldn¡¯t win. But it was as if he was really lucky.


    Another card was drawn for him. I was merely surprised to see an ace of hearts. It is a ckjack. I saw him smirk while looking at me. ¡°Guess you¡¯reing home with me,¡± he said jokingly.


    ¡°I never agree.¡± I gave him a triple of his bet. ¡°I am noting with you, sir.¡± I saw how the smile disappeared from his lips.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I walked away from the table after I fixed everything in its ce. I heard Ismael calling me, but I ended up going into the femalefort room to change my clothes because I wanted to go home.


    I was surprised when I saw him outside the quarters waiting for me. And what¡¯s even more surprising is that he¡¯s not holding anything. Did he just leave his briefcase on the table? What the fuck?


    I walked past him to say goodbye to Mr. Vargas, telling him I was going home. He agreed, and he took me out of the office.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be here for three days, right? Starting tonight until Sunday,¡± he confirmed.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Vargas, but I wille back on Monday at the same time to fulfill my duty.¡±


    He nodded and smiled. ¡°Alright, see you then. I¡¯ll send your paycheckter this week. Just wait for it in your ount.¡±


    I smiled and thanked him. I was about to leave when I saw Ismael in front of me again. Will he really not stop bothering me?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go now, Miss Alvandra. I¡¯ll take you home,¡± he grumbled. I¡¯m really annoyed.


    ¡°Can you stop? I don¡¯t want to go with you!¡± I yelled before walking past him again when I suddenly heard Mr. Vargas¡¯ voice.


    ¡°Mr. Monda, is that you?¡± I turned to Mr. Vargas, who is now amazed at what he sees. ¡°I¡¯ve been inviting you so many times here. What brought you here?¡± He questioned.


    I saw how Mr. Vargas looked at me. He seems to know the answer.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been declining since I don¡¯t know how to y,¡± replied Ismael, who didn¡¯t seem to convince Mr. Vargas.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fool me! I know you¡¯re best at math. Counting cards is easy for you. I won¡¯t be surprised if my casino loses if you y,¡± heughed jokingly, making me gape. He probably doesn¡¯t know that Ismael and I just finished ying, and he lost six million against him.


    ¡°Honestly, I already-¡± I didn¡¯t let Ismael finish speaking because I squeezed his hand.


    ¡°He¡¯s here to take me home, Mr. Vargas. We¡¯re going home. Bye,¡± I interjected before grabbing Ismael¡¯s hand and taking him away from there. I need to stop him from saying something to my boss that will probably reduce my sry. Imagine losing six million to this professor.


    We left the casino. Of course, I didn¡¯t forget Ismael¡¯s brief case. I threw it at him, who quickly caught it with one hand because one hand was holding me.


    In fairness, I was nervous there at the moment. What will be the reaction of Mr. Vargas when he finds out what I did? Will he fire me? But based on what he told Ismael, he will not be surprised if he loses. Well, he lost six million.


    ¡°Get in.¡±


    My attention returned to Ismael, and that¡¯s when I noticed that his car had been waiting in front of us.


    I frowned and remembered the fight between us again. I took my hand from him and shook my head. ¡°No, I told you, I¡¯m noting with you.¡±


    ¡°Stop messing with me and do what I say.¡± The tone of his speech was serious, as if it were carving fear into my heart. He opened the door and pulled my hand into his car. He sat in the driver¡¯s seat and started driving.


    Every breath I take is heavy, but I can¡¯t speak. I don¡¯t know why he followed me again. This is so unfair.


    I noticed that we were taking a different path, so I turned to him. I muster up the courage toin. ¡°This is not the way to my home.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going there,¡± he answered quickly while looking at the road.


    ¡°I need to go home. I need to feed the cat.¡±


    ¡°I already did. I saw your cat outside your house, asking for help. What kind of mother are you to leave him without food?¡± There is a trace of annoyance in his tone. When ites to cats, he is sensitive. I¡¯m the fool who punished the cat because of this man¡¯s name.


    I just sighed and folded my arms. I just looked out the window. I just realized that it¡¯s morning. ¡°Then, where are you going to take me?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget about our agreement?¡±


    I frowned and turned to him again. ¡°Agreement?¡±


    ¡°About the camping,¡± he answered simply. I turned my gaze to the window again.


    ¡°I know. I did not forget. In fact, I already filed my leave with Mr. Vargas about this, so I won¡¯t be there in the casino for three days.¡± And that¡¯s right, because I can catch up on sleep since I¡¯ve been awake for a few days. One of the reasons I can¡¯t attend Ismael¡¯s ss is because I prefer to sleep more.


    I sat up when I saw where the car we were riding had stopped. At the Ind Motel Bar.


    ¡°W-what are we going to do here?¡± I asked in rm. He went out the door to open it for me.


    ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll bring you to my penthouse.¡± I noticed the adjacent hotel where he often took me. It turns out to be very high when viewed from the outside.


    ¡°This is not the perfect day to go there, Ismael,¡± I said firmly, saying that I was also affected. Because I mentioned his name, it caused a strange feeling in my heart.


    ¡°This is the perfect day, Miss Alvandra. Believe me. This ce is much closer to the university than your house. You can sleep here for a couple of hours before we go to Marcus,¡± he exined.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll just sleep on the trip.¡±


    He sighed and stared at me for a long time. It seems like he¡¯s trying to figure out what should be done with someone like me.


    ¡°You¡¯re really stubborn. I don¡¯t know why I like you.¡±


    I was surprised when he hugged me, but not to prove what he said but to carry me like a sack.


    ¡°I-Ismael! Let me go! What are you doing?!¡± I shouted at him as I fumbled for him to put me down.


    ¡°Hey! Take me down! Aren¡¯t you ashamed? People are staring at us!¡±


    I tried to tap his shoulders, but still, he didn¡¯t listen to me. No matter what I said, he didn¡¯t budge. I just saw that we were entering his hotel. Even in the elevator, he didn¡¯t let go of me. He is increasingly causing my blood to flow to my head due to the manner in which he is holding me. Now, I am fully annoyed.


    ¡°Fuck! Ismael! Take me down!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. After you pped me that hard thest time and ran your mouth so rudely towards me, I am now within my limits. We need to talk.¡±


    ¡°And in your penthouse?¡± I asked sarcastically, with a hint of annoyance.


    ¡°Yes, in my penthouse, so you can¡¯t escape from me.¡±


    The elevator rang, signaling that we were at the top of the building. The beauty of the location, as it weed me, surprised me greatly. Is this even real?


    So big and so beautiful. Pure ss. Is he the only one living here? What the eff?


    He threw me on the bed. Luckily, it was soft, so I didn¡¯t get hurt. He moved away from me to undress. I immediately winced. ¡°You want to talk about what? About sex? I know this is all you want! You want to be together again; that¡¯s why you brought me here!¡± I shouted.


    He turns to me, looking so annoyed. His forehead was creased. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Ismael walks towards me as if he is just bringing his work of art body closer to me so that I can see it better. ¡°I told you, I brought you here to sleep, so sleep because we will talkter.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°Then why are you undressing?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m going to change clothes?¡± He answered sarcastically before taking a ss and pouring red wine. He sipped it in front of me. And I didn¡¯t know that I would get drunk while watching him consume it. His Adam¡¯s apple moves as if seducing me.


    When he looked back at me, I immediately averted my eyes. ¡°What¡¯s going on in your mind? How did you think that I¡¯m approaching you because I¡¯m just chasing your body?¡±


    I gulped. He¡¯s scary when he bes so serious like this. All the words sink into my bones.


    ¡°There are a lot of women who¡¯re sexier than you. Soft-spoken, conservative, delicate-but here I am, head over heels for someone who couldn¡¯t even respect me, who loves to throw baseless spections and hurt my ego.¡± He has a face like thunder. And I¡¯m struck by his lightning too.


    I just gulped because not a single word came out of my rough mouth. Those words of his struck my heart. It¡¯s like even he couldn¡¯t ept his feelings, so he just drank alcohol. Me too, I can¡¯t ept that he¡¯s been telling me he likes me when I know all the truth that he has someone else.


    Baseless spections?


    Am I wrong when I see him with another girl? What is his exnation, then? My eyes clearly see how he also opened the door for that girl. How he smiles. Even the way he looked at that woman was full of care. Is he referring to her being sexier than me? Soft-spoken? Conservative and delicate? Why isn¡¯t her he brought here, if that¡¯s his type? Why does he say he likes me even though he really has someone else?


    I feel hurt. Because of these questions in my head that I can¡¯t even talk about with him since I don¡¯t want to get hurt, I am hurt even more because it is not resolved. I am so afraid to question my rights toward him because, first of all, I don¡¯t have any. I have no right over him. We are nothing.


    ¡°Now, you say, is it just your body that I¡¯m after?¡±

 Chapter 34

    ¡°Now, you say, is it just your body that I¡¯m after?¡±


    He walked towards me. Using the red wine ss, he lifted my chin so he could catch my hidden gaze. My heart beats fast. I was just staring at him, but why did he seem to be hypnotizing me to prepare an answer because he would no longer ept any warning words or rude answers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I averted my gaze and tried to find some good words that wouldn¡¯t offend him, but I guess I¡¯m built like this, so any wordsing out of my mouth will be hurtful. ¡°If you brought me here to sleep, then I will sleep.¡±


    I noticed his sigh. He probably didn¡¯t think I would avoid his question.


    ¡°Alright, we can talk another time. You rest for now,¡± he surrendered. I can see in his eyes the hopes that are now fading away because I refuse to talk about what he wants.


    He got some clothes before finally going out to go to the side of the pool. I can see him from the bed I¡¯m sitting on because the division of the penthouse is a ss barrier. He was sitting under arge umbre and reading a white book.


    I didn¡¯t realize I fell asleep watching him.


    *****


    I just woke up, and the sun wasn¡¯t that high anymore. I immediately got up from lying down without seeing Ismael. Shit. I slept too long. What time is it? I checked the clock on the side table, and it was past four in the afternoon.


    How about the camping?


    I looked for Ismael all over the penthouse, but I couldn¡¯t find him. I walked around the entire house, but I could not see even his shadow. Did he leave me? Where did he go? Is he sulking because I put myself to sleep?


    I almost mastered the ce because of the search for him, but I didn¡¯t see Ismael. I went back outside again, where even if I was barefoot, my feet wouldn¡¯t get dirty because of the bermuda grass that lined the floor. I immediately forgot about looking for Ismael. In fairness, the air here in his penthouse is nice, and the view is beautiful because I can clearly see the breathtaking buildings surrounding us. So, this is what Lourdez City looks like from above.


    I also walked to that big grass field on the right side that can run because of its width. How big is Ismael¡¯s penthouse?


    I looked at the entire house and was just stunned to see that it had two more floors than the one I was stepping on. There are also rooms upstairs and terraces where you can hang out. I cannot believe it. Is he sure it¡¯s just him alone? A ser team fits here.


    That¡¯s when I realized that there was a small pool on the right side, while there was a big pool on the left side, where Ismael was hanging out earlier. I went there again and sat in his seat. I noticed the book on the side table, so out of curiosity, I took a look at it.


    ¡°It Didn¡¯t Start With You,¡± I read in the title of the white book, with a drawing of two faces facing each other. ¡°How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are And How To End The Cycle,¡± I added.


    My forehead wrinkled. Why is Ismael reading this?


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    I was surprised when I heard Ismael¡¯s voice, so I identally dropped the book.


    ¡°No, no, no, no, no!¡± I screamed in panic, but it fellpletely into the pool. Shit. What stupidity is this?


    I immediately took it back to me, but I couldn¡¯t reach it because the water had blown it too far away. I just noticed Ismael¡¯s hand and arm reaching out for me.


    I was sad to see that the book he was reading earlier was wet. I couldn¡¯t even look at Ismael because of the shame of what I had done. ¡°Sorry¡­¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he whispered. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    I nced at him. He was looking at the book he was holding, and now he couldn¡¯t open it properly because when he opened it, the pages were already worn out. I felt so much regret. I feel so guilty for what I have done. What will I do? I saw him reading carefully earlier, and now I destroy his book. Even though I know he can afford a new one, that¡¯s no reason not to appreciate something.


    ¡°Sorry, Ismael,¡± I said, as tears welled up in my eyes. ¡°I am sorry for what I have done.¡±


    ¡°I said, It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he answered without looking at me. Is he angry that he doesn¡¯t nce at me? What is this failure of mine? Why did it even reach Ismael¡¯s penthouse? I can only do good work whenever I sleep. Everything is pure perversion to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I continued, apologizing to him. The pain is gnawing at my nose because I¡¯m holding back my tears.     ¡°What are you even sorry for? I told you it was nothing.¡±     ¡°If it¡¯s nothing, why aren¡¯t you looking at me? Are you trying to hide that you¡¯re mad?¡± I asked.     ¡°No, I¡¯m not¡­ I promised.¡± He nced into my eyes for a moment before returning his gaze to the book.     ¡°Then, why aren¡¯t you looking at me?¡±     ¡°Because I¡­¡± He closed the book and met my eyes, which had been begging him to look. ¡°I am collecting all of my strength to look at you because I know the moment itnds on you, I will feel weak. Your eyes always make me surrender.¡±     He is right. Whenever he looks at me, I feel strong. I feel like he¡¯s giving all his energy to me. He¡¯s the biggest source of my strength, which makes me believe I was never weak.     ¡°Ismael¡­¡± I called his name.     ¡°Hmm?¡±     ¡°I¡¯m sorry for having a rude mouth and always hurting you with my words when all you did was shower me with words of peace andfort,¡± I whispered in a deep sense of apology that I wished to convey. His eyes shone, and a sweet smile shed at me. Now, I¡¯m forgiven. I know I am.     ¡°Did you hit your head or something while you were sleeping?¡± He knocked my head softly as if he couldn¡¯t believe the words that came out of my mouth. My heart immediately melted at how quickly he forgave. How could I hurt someone like him who did nothing but take care of me?     I shook my head while not letting go of our long gaze. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry for pping youst time,¡± I added while caressing his cheek. ¡°I am sorry for getting mad at you, even at the casino.¡±     All the bad things I did to hime back to my memory. Pure pain. I don¡¯t know which one is the reason why he likes me because I can¡¯t see anything.     ¡°I was so childish, warfreak, and immature. That was my initial response when I saw you with another woman. I felt betrayed. I thought you liked me, but then some issues about your dating have arisen. I thought you lied to me. Did you lie to me?¡± I asked, full of pleading, hoping that his answer would not be yes.     He shook his head and grabbed my hand that was holding his cheek. ¡°I never lied to you. What I told you was the truth. I like you. Even now, I like you even more.¡± He faced me. He touched both of my cheeks as if telling me to look him in the eye so I could prove what he was saying was true.     ¡°Then can I ask, who is she? Why are you with her? I see you with her every time,¡± I asked. My heart was pounding, and I wanted to cry. I feel very jealous, even though I shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯ve never had to ask a question like this-not even to my family. I don¡¯t ask because I feel I have no right. And now that I¡¯m doing it with Ismael, I can¡¯t help but be nervous. I am so afraid to be rejected, which is why I don¡¯t have the courage to ask.     He tightened his grip on me. I didn¡¯t think he wouldn¡¯t question my right to ask. He¡¯s here, trying to exin himself when he didn¡¯t do anything. ¡°Those issues that are circling around-it wasn¡¯t true, Jothea. She¡¯s my younger sister-Isa.¡± [*Pronounce as aysa]     I was amazed at what he admitted. Then, am I wrong? I pped a professor just because of a piece of gossip that turned out not to be true.     The shame I feel in my heart reaches heaven. I could no longer look into Ismael¡¯s eyes. I¡¯m shrinking. How could I do that? Where did I get the courage to p him and continue to insult him in front of many people? Why am I like this? Why is my behavior this bad?     I couldn¡¯t help but cry. I feel so ashamed of myself. Disappointed. I want to cut off my hand for what I did to him. This guy-all he did for me was help me and take care of me-and just because of the negative issues about him, I got swayed and doubted all of the good deeds he did for me. What kind of human being am I? I am the worst.     It was my fault, but I still had the courage to speak hurtful words to him from there in the casino to here in his home. I have nothing, and he has, but he still seems to be asking from me. I am the worst. I don¡¯t deserve his kindness, not even his feelings.


    I feel terribly guilty.


    ¡°She¡¯s my reason why I wanted to teach at Marcus, Jothea. I want to watch over her because, like you, she¡¯s also very stubborn. She never listens to me. She also has her own decisions in life, and the majority there can¡¯t be trusted,¡± he exined.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ismael¡­ I am really, really sorry,¡± I apologized. If only time could turn back by a single sorry, but no, it didn¡¯t. And I feel that one, two, or many more apologies are not enough for me to forgive myself for what I have done.     He gently wiped my tears while observing my sad eyes. ¡°I know, but I understand. I am not that mad now since you became so honest with your feelings. Now I understand why you pped me that day and even hated me. You felt jealous, weren¡¯t you?¡±     I nodded. ¡°I did, even though I wasn¡¯t in the position. I am really sorry.¡± My tears keep falling.     He caressed my head as if he were trying to make me feel better. ¡°Jealousy is normal, but you have no reason to be so. It is you who I like, Jothea. Haven¡¯t I emphasized it before?¡±     I nodded again. He did. He always did. I¡¯m just too stupid not to see that he means everything he does for me.     He pulled me in for a hug. I feel his warm body melt my cold heart. His patience with me is strange. I don¡¯t know where he pulls it off to forgive me so quickly.     ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± I said. I don¡¯t know what else to say other than to apologize. I feel so heavy for him. I am the one who feels sorry for him because of me. I seem to have many sins. And I want his heart to feel that I am sorry for what I did. ¡°I will not do it, Ismael.¡± I hugged him and continued to sob. His body just caught me as he helped me get it all out by crying. He doesn¡¯t let me stop.     ¡°It¡¯s okay to get mad, Jothea, but don¡¯t let your anger eat your kindness. If something bothers you, you¡¯re free to ask me or even confront me. Every question of yours will be honestly answered.¡± He caressed my back while still hugging me. His hand was warm, full of care and caution.     ¡°You can get mad at me, and I won¡¯t fight back.¡±     My eyes are now clouded with tears, tears that every drop is offering to this guy in front of me. He already told me before that he doesn¡¯t even deserve a single tear, but every time I get to see him, I always cry. It was as if he were my crying shoulder. My protector. Even if I get to show him my weakness, he¡¯ll be my strength and armor.     ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide your feelings. You don¡¯t have to be strong when you¡¯re with me. I am not your enemy, Jothea.¡±     I was wrong to treat him as my enemy before. I always fight with him. I was really mad at his existence and wanted him to vanish, but here he is, helping me to live more.     ¡°I understand how you feel,¡± he added. ¡°I will always understand you.¡±     I gave up hugging him to look at him. I couldn¡¯t believe that I would meet such a nice man and such a good person.     He kissed my forehead and whispered something again but this time, I heard it. ¡°I¡¯m starting to love you, Jothea.¡±

 Chapter 35

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to love you¡­¡±


    Words I did not expect from Ismael. Those words sent me a huge amount of warmth that touched my hopeless romantic heart. Very powerful. I can be weakened and subdued by those words. I feel like, at any moment, I could die. I thought no one would love me because my family had abandoned me, but here he is starting to love me.


    ¡°W-what did you say?¡± I asked, in the middle of difficulty in my breathing. He never warned me about that. I was never prepared. I guess I will never be. I backed away from him. We are now sitting across from each other, holding hands.


    ¡°My heart keeps calling your name. It¡¯s about to burst.¡±


    I bit my lip. I was never ready for his confession. Just like when he admitted he liked me. Is this really how it feels to receive a sincere confession? I am going nuts.


    ¡°Do you want to date me?¡± I stared at his eyes even more. I thought it was surprising that he said that he was starting to love me, but I didn¡¯t expect this question from him. What kind of question is that? No one can turn down his offer.


    ¡°A-are you serious?¡± I asked, looking into his eyes, but even those were telling the truth. He likes me. He was serious about what he said. ¡°What about your job? Aren¡¯t you scared? You know what happened to Professor Sybill before, right? It was because of me,¡± I asked, because the fear gradually grew in me when I remembered what happened before he came into my life.


    He caressed my cheeks and answered me with a smile. ¡°You just have to say yes; I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡±


    I bit my lip because I was holding back a word that might hurt him, but it finally came out. ¡°No.¡± I stood up and followed him with my gaze. ¡°No, Ismael. What are you thinking?¡± My eyebrows met when I asked him. I am full of worry.


    ¡°Why?¡± He also stood up, so I looked up at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you like me too?¡±


    ¡°I like you too! I like you too, Ismael!¡± My hands are now shaking. This is because of the overwhelming feelings I have inside. I already have my own feelings for him that are also very strong, even more so because of what he says. I don¡¯t know where to put them. I just want to cry. ¡°That¡¯s why I got jealous and angry because I want you too! But dating is not for us in the meantime, Ismael.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± He held my hand. ¡°Aren¡¯t you convinced that I have these feelings towards you? I want to prove to you what I feel.¡± He put my hand on his chest. I heard its strong beat, like mine.


    ¡°I am convinced, Ismael. I am! And I believe every word you say, every action you take for me, but aren¡¯t you scared? Because I¡¯m starting to be scared. I don¡¯t want you to experience the same thing as Professor Sybill. He was dismissed because of me. I don¡¯t want to see you punished because of me,¡± I exined with emphasis.


    ¡°We can keep it a secret.¡±


    I bit my lower lip and couldn¡¯t stop crying. That¡¯s what I said before to Professor Sybill. I was so desperate to be in a rtionship with him, and now I can see myself in Ismael. It hurts me deeply to see him like this. I felt sorry for his look, as if he were begging for a chance for me. He can buy anything he wants. Howe this guy begs for me? He lowers his ego for me. He was so hard-hearted toward me before. I don¡¯t want him to stoop low just to ask for my heart. Am I really so hard to love?


    I shook my head and caressed his face. ¡°But Ismael, you don¡¯t deserve to be loved secretly. If I agree, I want to date you freely because I know to myself that I¡¯m starting to love you too.¡±


    I witnessed the drop of tears from his eyes. I never thought someone who¡¯s very wealthy and rich would cry for me or even beg for my yes. I know that I have a bad attitude, so I don¡¯t know if I did something right or good to experience this from him. I am wondering if I deserve this. Do I deserve to be happy?


    Of all my shits in life, misery, and unfortunates, he came here to me as if he were a reward for my long patience in waiting for the table to turn. And it fucking kills me because it makes me feel alive now.


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s stopping you? What¡¯s wrong with dating me?¡± he asked, touching my hands.


    ¡°Because you deserve all the love you wanted. I want to give it to you, but how can I give it when we will be in secret? Can we just wait?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait. You¡¯re here now; why would I wait?¡± He is like a convincing child, as if he will die if he doesn¡¯t get what he wants.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much to offer, Ismael,¡± I stated, trying to change his mind.


    ¡°I am not even asking anything from you. Just this.¡±


    I watched his eyes. ¡°Just this?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And endure. Then, we will be fine. We will be fine,¡± he mouthed before embracing me. I couldn¡¯t believe there was a professor I could fall in love with. And even I fell for my own bait. I was trying my best to disagree with his offer, but here I am, in his arms, which I can never let go of. ¡°I promised.¡± He kissed my hair and my ear, which sent me shivers down my spine. I closed my eyes as I felt the peace I was longing for. I can only find it here in between his arms.


    I was sniffing his scent when he noticed it and teased me. ¡°Are you trying to start something?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°I am just thankful. I can¡¯t help but adore you, Ismael. You make me feel like you are so happy that I was born in this life,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°I am.¡± I couldn¡¯t resist breaking away from his embrace to give him a warm kiss. The talk he probably wanted to have was to clear things up between us, when all I anticipated was this. I should be the one to be asked if what I like about him is just pleasure. A part of it is true. Even if I try to deny it, my body screams for his service-the pleasure that only he can give.


    ¡°Jump,¡± he whispered as his hands moved down my thighs. I chose to follow him, even though I didn¡¯t know what he meant. But when I jumped, he immediately wrapped my hips around his waist. He carried me into the bed, where I had slept earlier.


    He just kept kissing me until my heady on the soft pillows. His hands are fixing my hair, because it goes on my face. But he doesn¡¯t seem annoyed, and it¡¯s only natural for him to be bothered a little. He really has a lot of patience with me. I feel so lucky.


    He took off my clothes without a word. He did the same. I noticed his serious face while he kissed every corner of my body. He didn¡¯t really speak and just looked deeply into my eyes. Is he thinking? Does he want to withdraw his offer from me?


    I flinched when his lips hit my wet gem. I feel the softness of his tongue and lips. He is doing it slowly, gently, and with affection. He is doing it right. He romanced me for a while because he noticed that maybe he could enter me.


    He positioned himself; he even tapped my wet private using his thing, and there, I felt the sudden teleportation of me to paradise-to heaven.


    My bridge started to copse, and in a moment, I heard the fireworks explode. I feel the tremor inside my flesh-a tremor of pleasure. I just held his hand on my chest.


    After some thrusts, he reached out for my lips again to kiss me. My forehead is creased. I am distracted by the thought of his silence. He usually teases me. Did he not like what we did?


    He let go of my lips and stared into my eyes. His eyes glimmer with satisfaction. Was he really just into it? That¡¯s why he¡¯s not talking? ¡°I know you¡¯re tired, so I took it easy. You should be resting.¡± Hey down next to me and offered his arm for me to lie on. Right, I was the one who initiated this. I was the one who kissed him first.


    ¡°I just let you,¡± hemented. Yes, this is him. A teaser.


    Iughed. ¡°Thank you for doing it for me,¡± I said as I gave him another smooch.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, mydy.¡± He arranged the nket for both of us. He kissed my hair and slightly caressed my shoulder. In an instant, I fell asleep again.

 Chapter 36

    ¡°What about the camping, Ismael?¡± I asked after we finished eating. Mrs. Estanio brought us earlier. There were a lot of different foods on the table. I was even surprised to see her, and I couldn¡¯t help but hug her in joy.


    ¡°Oh, I told Dean Dator that we¡¯d follow.¡±


    I stared at him and approached him. I blinked a few more times as I looked up at him because he was taller than me. ¡°Dean Dator knows we¡¯re together?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    I frowned. ¡°H-how? What did he say? He really knew we were together? Didn¡¯t he wonder why?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    I was annoyed by his one-word reply. He even outsmarted the chatter by giving too many answers. Is he saving?


    And that¡¯s when I understood why Dean Dator didn¡¯t suspect us because there were people in his car with us-the other students who were also going to the camping event with Ismael and me.


    I just snorted in annoyance because I thought it was just the two of us going to the camping ce.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Ismael said when we arrived at my house. He opened the door for me. I went straight to the house and saw my cat waiting there. I felt pity.


    ¡°Mael, baby, how are you? I¡¯m so sorry; mommy neglected you. I won¡¯t do it again. I will be a good mother starting from now on,¡± I said, full of tenderness. I still caressed her while I tickled her. I used my one hand to open the door. The key even fell. Fortunately, Ismael caught it, so he opened the door for me.


    ¡°Mael?¡± Ismael asked me, but the cat answered him. I released the cat and quickly went to Ismael.


    ¡°Yup. I can¡¯t think of any other name but yours, so that¡¯s all I¡¯ve named it. Don¡¯t you want it?¡±


    ¡°I will be assigned to name our children in the future. You suck even in this matter.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, but it was only for a moment because I was blushing more with what he said. How does he manage tobine teasing and ttery in his speech? Does that mean he wants to have a child with me? He wants me to be his wife. Did he think of that right away? Does he really have ns with me?


    He just let me pack while he was on the couch ying with the cat. It¡¯s been so long since he also started vacuuming.


    ¡°Done?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I carried my small suitcase to him, who was already waiting at the door. ¡°Thank you for waiting.¡± I gave him a peck. I saw that he was surprised, but he recovered immediately when he grabbed my waist and gave me a deeper and longer kiss.


    He helped me carry my suitcase to his car, and that¡¯s when I remembered again that it wasn¡¯t just the two of us riding in this carter. I thought I could solo him! Hmph!


    First, we stopped at a convenience store to buy instant food. I even had a little trouble shopping because Grandpa Ismael was nagging me. Is it also said that my decision is still wrong when ites to food? Fortunately, he gave me permission because it was only once. His words of affirmation are really strange-pure refutation.


    We got into his car again. He arranged the trunk of things. I can¡¯t help but smile. Even with things, he is very organized. On the contrary, I just put it where I put it, so I forget where I put my things.


    ¡°How many are here?¡± I rified.


    ¡°Two. They¡¯re probablying,¡± hemented before hanging up his phone. It is said that we stopped here at the convenience store because the house of the two people who were going camping with us was nearby. Wait, where are they? It¡¯s nine o¡¯clock at night already.


    ¡°Hey, your seatbelt,¡± hemented.


    ¡°Later,¡± Imented as I looked out the window to see if there were two people together looking for a car.


    ¡°You might forget.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll remind me,¡± I hissed.


    ¡°You¡¯re really hardheaded.¡±


    He came to me and adjusted my seatbelt. I knew that he would fix it for me. The care of an Ismael is really different. All my feminine energyes out. I can¡¯t even use my brain when I¡¯m with him.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I quickly stole a kiss from Ismael when his face came close to mine. He was surprised and did not fasten my seatbelt.


    ¡°What in the world, Jothea?¡± he asked in surprise while holding back a smile. He looks so shocked, and I can confirm that because his ears are now turning red. Excited? In fairness, he only looks my age when he smiles orughs. Before, he looked like he was thirty years old or older because of his scary aura. Now he looks five years younger.


    ¡°You¡¯re so cheeky.¡± He held both of my cheeks and squeezed them. ¡°You¡¯re starting it again.¡±


    ¡°What? No, ah. I just want to kiss the lips of my boyfriend,¡± I said. I am the one who is blushing now. I also noticed that he was holding back a smile. Is this really the feeling? Is what I¡¯m feeling right?


    ¡°What should I do? I want to kiss my girlfriend¡¯s lips too,¡± he proudly said. Shit. It came from his lips. It is confirmed. We are actually dating now.


    ¡°Do it.¡± I licked my lips and nodded as I waved my two fingers from him to me. I remembered the scene where I licked his lips because he said he didn¡¯t like a spoiled brat like me. But look where his words took him-to me too.


    He leaned closer to me, so I closed my eyes. I was anticipating his lips to meet mine when a sudden knock from the outside immediately interrupted our moment.


    Is this what I¡¯m talking about? The Farts are here!


    I just sighed while Ismael shook his head in regret. One by one, the distractions in Ismael¡¯s and my¡¯s happy lives came on board. Luckily, it didn¡¯t take us long to pick them up, but I wish they would have beente a minute or two.


    Some time passed when we arrived at the camping ce. It¡¯s about eleven o¡¯clock at night. I didn¡¯t realize it earlier because Ismael and I were talking endlessly. Teasing and flirting. Fortunately, the two behind us were asleep, so we were free to hold each other¡¯s hands.


    The two students from another section immediately went to their ssmates, while I was left behind because I didn¡¯t know if I was going anywhere. I am not even close with my ssmates. If it weren¡¯t for the debt I owe to Ismael, I wouldn¡¯t be here. Well, he¡¯s here too, so of course I¡¯ll go.


    ¡°See you around, babe,¡± Ismael whispered to me, causing me to be a statue. Shit. Did he call me babe? Did we agree on that? on whatever he calls me. Is he experimenting with something? Every call sign he calls me flutters my heart.


    I couldn¡¯t recover when he finally walked over to a long table where the faculty members were. He brought his other things and those sent by other members of the faculty. If you look at it, he is indeed the youngest of the faculty members. Even I was surprised when he was probably only twenty-seven. He¡¯s so handsome! The size of the body! It¡¯s so delicious; it¡¯s amazing!


    I cast my eyes around. There is arge minimalist house not far away. On the field, there are different table games set up, like table tennis. There is also a punching bag on the side. On the left side, there is a body of water. I am not sure if it is part of the sea or what. On the right side of where I¡¯m standing are the big tents. I¡¯m not sure who it¡¯s for, because there is a house where you can sleep.


    In fairness, it¡¯s nice and cozy here. Cricket is just loud. Maybe the ce will be more calming if I see it tomorrow morning.


    I turned my attention back to where the students I would be spending the remaining two days were. Both are busy eating and talking. There are six long tables set up. One is for the faculty where Ismael is already there, while the other five tables are for the most outstanding sections during the foundation day, and our section is included. I saw a lot of different foods lined up as I walked pulling my small suitcase. Just like going on vacation! I deserve this!


    ¡°The bride is here!¡±

 Chapter 37

    ¡°The bride is here!¡± Raviel shouted as he stood up from where he was sitting to meet me. Terrible. That was my initial thought when I saw my ssmates turn to me one by one. How many of us are here?


    I saw that Savannah was also there, which gave me trouble. She even whispered ¡°the bitch is here¡± in the air. Well, she¡¯s right, but I just avoided looking at her. I am not here to fight. I am here to pay for my debts. I am here to rest. I am here to have fun, and with their stares, I am running out of social battery.


    I was surprised when Raviel came to me to take my suitcase. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going,¡± he added. ¡°I¡¯ll bring your luggage to your respective tent. Only those who won the activities earlier will sleep at home; the rest will be in the tent. You can sit there; I¡¯m done eating.¡± He points to the vacant space where he left.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, okay, but I¡¯ll take care of my luggage.¡± I try to take it from him, but he doesn¡¯t give it back.


    ¡°Let me, so you can eat your dinner and take some rest,¡± Raviel insisted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold it for her.¡±


    Ismael immediately pulled my luggage from Raviel. Gosh. I thought he had left?


    My eyes widened, and I was amazed at what he did. What the hell? Why did hepete with Raviel? Isn¡¯t he afraid? What will they think? I thought we agreed to have a secret rtionship?


    ¡°N-no! I can do it on my own, p-professor! I can do it! I brought it here alone so I can bring it to the tent!¡± I took my luggage from his hand so they wouldn¡¯t argue anymore. I¡¯m regrettinging here now! I just hope those who saw it didn¡¯t take it as something else. Ismael is really being reprimanded. Does he want to be expelled from Marcus University?


    Fortunately, Atacia, our ssroom president, greeted me before pointing to our tent. She said she was with me inside the tent and our other ssmate. I just nodded, even though I was feeling too much. I¡¯m not really good at it! I feel like I want to go home.


    *****


    ¡°Jothea! What are you doing there? Come here!¡± Raviel called to me when he saw that I was just outside the tent watching them. I don¡¯t know if I will go there with them. I don¡¯t have any friends. Unlike Ismael, who was busy talking to other professors.


    Raviel pulled me over to the wide table where my ssmates were also there, who were both busy eating. My suspicions were correct; there was indeed a lot of food lined up in the middle.


    ¡°Here you go. It¡¯s clean.¡±


    I looked at the te that Raviel was handing to me. There is fried rice, grilled fish, longganisa, tomatoes, red eggs, kangkong, and puto. I smiled inside. Now I can eat it again, ah.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you really like to eat. Do you eat those?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, thank you very much,¡± I simply replied before starting to eat.


    He sat next to me again and handed me a bottle of soft drink. In fairness, Raviel is attentive. I remembered that he was the one who helped me get into the casino and get a job. I never had the chance to thank him for that.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Thank you for introducing me to Mr. Vargas.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We¡¯re friends. We¡¯re supposed to help each other, aren¡¯t we? So help yourself too and eat,¡± he said before letting me eat.


    For the first time in my life, I became conscious of the people around me. I know they are looking at me, even though I¡¯m at the end of the seat and Raviel is next to me on the left. Fortunately, the food was good, so they were erased from my mind. I should fill myself, because I might suffer forever in the next few days.


    ¡°So, is the news true, Jothea?¡± asked one of my female ssmates. ¡°Professor Monda is dating someone?¡±


    I was surprised by that question. They immediately fell silent, and both stopped their food to hear my answer. Even the other table looked at us curiously.


    ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± I asked after I drank the water handed to me by Raviel. I stopped eating.


    ¡°Why not? Aren¡¯t you and Professor Ismael enemies? Who knows if you know something about him and are using it against him? Maybe you are the one who spread the issue.¡±


    I gasped. I¡¯m still to me? Well, I was the first one who was crushed when I heard the news and saw the picture of Ismael with that girl, who happens to be his sister.


    ¡°Yes! This whole week, you didn¡¯t go to his ss! Did you have anything to do with his issue, Jothea? Were you trying to avoid him?¡±


    I was amazed at their usations. Their way of thinking is really different. I have been scared for them to think or notice that Ismael and I are in a secret rtionship, but here they are thinking that we hate each other when, we¡­ uhm¡­ let¡¯s forget about the thought since I don¡¯t want to be in the mood. Just thinking about Ismael made me pleased.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s avoiding him,¡± Savannah replied, now staring at me. ¡°They came here at the same time. I think she¡¯s really flirting with Professor Ismael. That¡¯s why she disappeared for a week because she found out about Prof¡¯s previous issue with another woman. She was probably jealous,¡± exined Savannah, trying to convince all my ssmates.


    I can¡¯t react; all of the things she blurted out were right. I hope she uses her talent in acads.


    ¡°It was you who¡¯s probably jealous of me, Savannah,¡± I teased her. ¡°What really is your problem with me?¡±


    ¡°Your entire existence! You thought I didn¡¯t know that you flirted with Professor Sybill before? You were the reason he got fired, right? And now, you¡¯re seducing Professor Monda to your trap! For what? To get him fired too? Come on, Jothea! At least grow up! You¡¯re being such a bitch and whore!¡±


    I stood up angrily. ¡°I¡¯m not a whore!¡± I raised my voice out of annoyance. Was the p I gave her before really not enough for her? I am trying my best to behave, but she¡¯s pushing me to my limits. ¡°I am a fucker, so stop shouting at me with your fucking mouth if you don¡¯t want me to fuck up with your face!¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up! What can you do now against me? Your parents have abandoned you, and now you¡¯re being a sucker because you have no life ahead! What else are you doing here? You¡¯re not wee here!¡±


    My teeth are clenched just like my fists are. My vision darkened, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from climbing on top of the table to attack her. She started it, so I¡¯m going to finish it with a big p and a choke. I won¡¯t stop her until she apologizes.


    I was about to jump her when someone grabbed my waist to pull me away from that girl. It was Ismael. He carried me.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± I screamed as I struggled. ¡°She started it! I was behaving! It was her who triggered me!¡± I¡¯m still struggling, but Ismael doesn¡¯t let me down.


    ¡°Professor Monda, we¡¯ll take care of this,¡± Atacia said, as if telling Ismael to keep me away from them.


    ¡°Fuck you, Savannah! I¡¯m not done with you yet! I¡¯ll get back to you! Fuck you!¡±


    Ismael haspletely alienated me from my ssmates. I¡¯m still in awe of that Savannah. She tends to shower me with angry words. If Ismael hadn¡¯t stopped, I would have been able to stop her mouth from running wildly.


    ¡°Babe, your heart,¡± Ismael said to calm me down. He lowered me to the ground. It was only then that I noticed that we had indeed moved away from the faculty and the students. Here we are opposite a tent. Is this his tent?


    ¡°She came to me first, Ismael.¡± I growled like a child. Because of what he called me, the blood came down from my head. ¡°She keeps on bbing about my past, and then she also mentioned my parents. How am I supposed to react to something like that?¡±


    ¡°Come inside,¡± he ordered. ¡°Come inside my tent.¡± Even if there was a question in my mind, I followed him. I entered the tent; he followed. ¡°Now, tell me what she said.¡±


    I let out a deep sigh and tried topose myself. ¡°He knows about me and Professor Sybill, and he thinks I¡¯m flirting with you to get you kicked out of here too. My ssmates heard that, as did those who are near our table. Now, how can I be calm? You¡¯ll be involved because of my mess.¡± I bowed down, which I shouldn¡¯t have done because my tears were falling. What will people think of Ismael when they find out that he likes me? I¡¯m just a student. He is a substitute professor waiting to be regr. But because of my messing with him because I want to get him fired, it looks like it wille true. This is because of me. All because of me. And I feel like I can¡¯t escape anymore.


    ¡°I literally want to be involved with you, and I don¡¯t mind. You don¡¯t have to worry about me, Jothea. You don¡¯t even have to worry about yourself. All your worries should be mine. Focus on enjoying your life and yourself. I won¡¯t even be a bother to you, even now that we¡¯re dating.¡±


    He put his hand on my head. I keep getting teary-eyed at what he does and says. He is a really good person. He didn¡¯t even tell me to calm down. He didn¡¯t even tell me to let them go. Nothing. I did not hear anyments from him about my behavior.


    He kissed my temple, making me feel his words were bound to me only. ¡°You¡¯re my baby. I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± A smile graced his lips, showing security that everything he omits is an oath.


    I touched his face with amazement while staring fully at his mesmerizing, gorgeous face. I want to see this face this close forever. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you someday, too, Ismael.¡±

 Chapter 38

    ¡°What? No way!¡± Savannah shouted when she found out that I was her teammate in the forestry activity. I¡¯m just calm because I¡¯m trying not to get bored. I want to be kind because I don¡¯t want to have something that will make Ismael feel bad again. I need to be like him. I should be calm, because that¡¯s how he handles me.     I just approached Savannah while she was still busyining. This is our punishment for our fightst night. It¡¯s a good thing that the students didn¡¯t believe what she said because the faculty members exined the real reason why Professor Sybill left. They said it was for his wife. I also learned the truth there. Dean Dator and other members of the faculty literally saved me from him. I thought it was my fault, so Professor Sybill got fired. I thought it was because of our secret rtionship. It turns out that they want to stop the abuse that he is secretly doing at Marcus University. Professor Sybill had many victims, not just me. And they kept it from us because they didn¡¯t want students to look down on Professor Sybill, but they had no choice but to tell it to them for the sake of me.     I felt guilty because of how I behaved towards them before, and that¡¯s why I want to behave with my best attitude now. I don¡¯t want to cause Ismael any more headaches.     ¡°Come on! Are you just gonna stand there? They¡¯re leaving! We have to be the first to find five gs, so I won¡¯t be with you for long!¡± she shouted artfully. I just followed her into the jungle because she said there were hidden gs that we had to find to win this game. It was nine o¡¯clock in the morning, and we were already scattered in the forest with our partners. Earlier, we did zumba. I wasughing at Ismael because he was there in the front with the other faculty members, and we were going to imitate him.     ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking? Are you teasing me?¡± Savannah stopped walking and turned to me.     ¡°No. I am focusing on finding those gs because I need money,¡± I answered as I passed her to jump to the tree where a g was. I gave it to her.     ¡°Money? Why? Are your parents no longer supporting you, so you¡¯re flirting with Professor Monda?¡± she remarked as she continued walking past me. I rolled my eyes secretly. Gosh, she¡¯s really trying me.     But I have to be calm. ¡°Yeah, just like you said, my parents abandoned me. But no, I am not flirting with Professor Monda.¡±     ¡°Are you sure? You didn¡¯t return to your tentst night after Professor Monda took you away. Tell me, what is going on between the two of you?¡±     The muscles in my body tensed up, mostly on my fist. I want to punch her face because she¡¯s not stopping fussing. I wanted to maintain myposure, but the words slipped from my mouth before I could stop myself. ¡°You might get a heart attack if I tell you precisely what happenedst night between us.¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Her mouth dropped. I left her in awe. That¡¯s the only thing that will shut her up. I will let her mind run wild.


    I walked ahead of her to find four more gs. I don¡¯t care if she follows me or helps me anymore. I will lift for myself because I am the one who needs the money here because they are all rich. I need those five thousand! In addition to the sry I received from Mr. Vargas!     I smiled when I saw another g in the pile of dry leaves. I turned to give Savannah the g. She was still in the ce where I left her. Still standing and staring. I approached her to put the second g in her hand.     ¡°Are you okay? Have you had a heart attack?¡± I asked jokingly. This is probably how Ismael feels when she teases me whenever I get annoyed with him. ¡°I¡¯m going up there to look for more. It¡¯s up to you if you follow.¡±     I walked away from her. I was surprised when she shouted. ¡°I will not follow you!¡± She stormed off. Tsk. Just now she wanted us to be the first to find five gs; has her anger towards me returned?     That¡¯s why Ismael said that when I once asked him why he was still kind to me even though I had a very bad attitude, he said that nothing good happens when you treat those bad guys in the worst way. I don¡¯t know who taught him that, but I now understand what he meant.     I spent several hours looking for three more gs. I had a bit of a hard time finding them because one was over there by the cave, the other one was over there by the sea-over there in the boat, and I got the other one over there by the garbage can.     All I have to do is find Savannah so I can get the two gs from her and add them to the three gs I have. Where the hell is she?     ¡°Savannah?¡± I shouted, hoping that she was just around, but maybe she came back to the tent first and left me forever. But I¡¯ll stick around and check if she¡¯s still there in the ce where west met. Hold on, where is the way back?     I was in the middle of recollecting my memories of the path I took to be in this ce when it started pouring rain. I looked at the sky. It¡¯s getting a bit cloudy. What time is it? I should go back now.     I tried to find my way out, but I kept getting back to the same ce. Fuck. Am I getting lost? I took out my phone to call Ismael, but I couldn¡¯t connect to him because there was no signal. I felt a little nervous. There¡¯s still someone around, right? If it¡¯s not Savannah, someone else is here to find gs, right?     ¡°Hey! Is anyone out there?¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs, hoping that someone might hear me, but there¡¯s no one. I waspletely drenched in heavy rain because, even in the trees, I couldn¡¯t take shelter. I¡¯m still getting wet.     I tried to calm down, even though I am now getting scared. I feel like I¡¯m in a loop. I didn¡¯t know where I was going or which way back to the resthouse.     I kept on biting my nails, but I just saw myself stuck like a statue. I keep on encouraging myself. I can get out of here. Someone will find me. Ismael will find me.     ¡°Ismael? Are you there?¡± I screamed loudly, hoping he would hear me, but it seemed impossible. The faculty is not included in this activity. He must have been there at the resthouse.     ¡°Jothea?¡±     I stopped when I heard a woman¡¯s voice.     ¡°Jothea? Is that you?¡±     I was immediately brought back to reality when I realized what I heard was true-someone was calling my name.     ¡°Jothea! I¡¯m here! C-can you help me?¡± Savannah shouted hoarsely. It was her, I know, but where the hell is she? And why is she screaming and asking for help? I felt nervous.     ¡°Savannah? Where are you?¡± I answered back to her question.     ¡°Here! I fell! Can you help me get out of here? I promised, I won¡¯t mess with you again! Just help me out! I¡¯m begging you! I need you here!¡± There was a trace of fear in her voice between deep sobs. I tried to find where her voice wasing from. And when I saw a big and deep chasm, Savannah¡¯s miserable face greeted me. Her eyes were red from crying. Her clothes were also full of dirt, and she was drenched from the rain.     ¡°W-what are you doing there? What happened to you?¡± I asked worriedly.     The pit she was in was deep, and I didn¡¯t know how to get her out of it. I¡¯m trying to think!     ¡°I slipped a while ago when I left you. This must be my karma,¡± she said, full of regret. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Jothea. Please don¡¯t leave me here. I know I¡¯ve done a lot of wrong to you, but don¡¯t leave me here. Please¡­¡± she begged.     She¡¯s stomping her feet; that¡¯s why I noticed that the water from the rain is now building up on the pit.     Inded in the mud to extend my hand to her. ¡°Hold me.¡±     She tried to reach me, but my hand was too short for her. So, I tried my best to extend my arms, but still, it wasn¡¯t enough.     Shit. Shit. When I go down, maybe instead of pulling her up, she will pull me down. I can feel the slip because of the mud.     ¡°Jothea¡­ please, please help me. I¡¯ll do whatever you wish; just help me on this,¡± she begged with tears in her eyes. The nervousness is only raging in my chest more and more.     ¡°I will. I promise. I¡¯ll take you out of here.¡± I went down even more to reach her hand, but the ground I was lying on was really slippery, so I was dragged too. I just closed my eyes, but immediately someone grabbed my waist, so I turned to see who it was. It was Ismael. He picked me up from falling into the deep pit.     ¡°What are you doing here?! I¡¯ve been trying to find you!¡±


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