CHAPTER 3
BRIANNA
The lecture hall still hummed with the ghost of a hundred pens scratching notes when the last student finally shuffled out. The heavy door clanged shut behind them, sealing us in. Tiered seats rose empty around us like silent witnesses. I stayed behind on purpose, pretending to pack my bag slowly, bending just enough that my red skirt rode up the backs of my thighs. The same red skirt I’d promised him.
Dante stood at the podium, erasing the whiteboard with sharp, angry strokes. His shoulders were tight, jaw clenched so hard I could see the muscle jump from here. He hadn’t looked at me once during the entire lecture. But I’d felt his eyes every time I crossed my legs in the front row.
The second the door clicked, he snapped.
“Lock it.”
His voice was low, dangerous. N
