Emilia stood outside Adrian’s office for a long second.

Students passed behind her in the corridor. Their conversations blended into meaningless noise, but she barely heard any of it.

The message he’d sent after lectures still lingered in her mind. It was an order.

Her jaw tightened.

She knocked once before pushing the door open.

Adrian looked up from behind his desk the moment she entered.

Their eyes met.

Without saying a word, he picked up the small remote resting beside a stack of papers and pressed a button.

The blinds slid shut one after another with a soft mechanical hum, shutting out the afternoon sunlight until only the warm glow from the office lights remained.

The room suddenly felt smaller, more private, and more dangerous.

Emilia folded her arms over her chest.

"If you’re trying to stop people from seeing us," she said coldly, "you’re too late."

Adrian set the remote down. "I wasn’t."

Silence settled between them briefly.

He gestured toward the chair opposite his desk.

"Sit."

"No."

His expression barely changed. "Emilia."

"I said no."

He leaned back slightly. "Sit."

"I’m fine standing."

She refused to give him even an inch. The image she’d seen that morning replayed itself again.

Emilia swallowed around the ache in her throat. She doesn’t even want to hear what he had to say.

"So," she laughed bitterly, "this is how it works?"

Adrian frowned. "What do you mean?"

"So now you use your power against me?"

He stared at her.

"You summon me to your office because you’re my Professor?"

"No."

"Is that what this is?" She shook her head. "You could’ve just told me you were sleeping around."

His jaw tightened immediately. "Emilia—"

"I don’t want to hear it."

"You don’t know what happened."

"I don’t care what happened."

His jaw flexed.

"I don’t need an explanation."

"You’re making assumptions."

"I saw enough."

She laughed once. It sounded broken.

"You came to me yesterday." She looked away. "And today you’re touching another woman without informing me."

"It isn’t—"

"I said I don’t want to hear it."

Adrian inhaled slowly.

"I’ll explain." He said patiently.

"I don’t need your explanation."

"You do."

"No."

"Emilia."

"I don’t care."

He took one step toward her.

She instinctively stepped back. She refused to look at him. If she met his eyes, she might cry. She refused to cry. Not here, and not in front of him. Noah already did too much damage.

"I told myself," she whispered, "that this was casual." Her voice trembled despite her efforts. "I reminded myself all morning that I had no right to be upset."

"But seeing you with her..." She swallowed. "I still felt betrayed. I should have been informed. Don’t you think?"

Adrian’s eyes softened. His voice lowered. "You should listen to me, Emilia."

She looked at him then. Her eyes hardened. "Don’t explain."

"I have to."

"I don’t want to listen."

His patience snapped. "Seat, Emilia." He snapped at her. The authority in his voice filled the room.

"I am still your professor."

She flinched. The words landed harder than she’d expected. For a brief moment, neither of them moved.

Then, with obvious reluctance, Emilia walked toward the chair.

She sat, and her hands remained tightly clasped in her lap. She looked anywhere but him.

Adrian closed his eyes for a second. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and a long breath escaped him.

When he opened them again, the irritation had disappeared. Only exhaustion remained. He walked around the desk instead of staying behind it.

He stopped directly in front of her, and he slowly bent until they were at eye level.

His voice became impossibly gentle. "Will you listen to me now?"

Emilia remained silent. Her eyes stayed fixed on the floor.

He reached up carefully. Almost hesitantly, his thumb brushed against her cheek, touching her warmly, gentlly, and affectionate.

"Rowan," he said quietly, "is my sister."

Everything inside Emilia stopped.

She blinked. "What?"

"My younger sister." He offered a faint smile. "She had no idea I was teaching here, or even my plan here."

His thumb continued stroking her cheek.

"She only found out this morning." He searched her eyes. "I should have explained to you to stay in if I knew she was around. Rowan drops by unnnounced. I only saw her this morning."

Emilia stared at him. Her anger drained from her face almost instantly, replaced by disbelief.

"Your..."

"My sister." He completed her word, and nodded once.

"She recognized you." He paused. "Told me you are her room mate."

Emilia felt every ounce of heat rush into her cheeks. Her stomach dropped. She remembered every accusation she’d thrown at him.

"Oh..." Her voice came out barely audible. "Oh my God."

She covered her face with both hands. "I’m..." her voice came out mortified. "I..."

She couldn’t even finish the sentence.

Adrian smiled softly. "I know."

"No." She lowered her hands immediately. "I’m so sorry." She looked genuinely miserable now. "I should’ve listened."

He said nothing. He tucked a strand of her hair her ear. He brought strands of her hair to his lips, and dropped a kiss on it.

Her face fell. "I embarrassed you, annd I accused you of cheating."

"You did."

She groaned in humiliation. "I am so, so sorry."

A quiet chuckle escaped him. "It’s fine."

"It isn’t."

"It is." He leaned forward. His lips rested tenderly against the crown of her head. The kiss lingered for a few seconds.

"You had every right to get angry," he murmured. "But you should’ve listened first."

Emilia closed her eyes. Her fingers slowly lifted to the back of his head. She buried them gently in his soft hair.

His shampoo carried that familiar icy, clean scent she’d grown embarrassingly fond of.

Unable to stop herself, she leaned forward. She pressed a small kiss against the center of his hair.

"I’m sorry."

He lifted his head, and their eyes met.

For several heartbeats, neither of them spoke. Then Adrian cupped her face.

His lips found hers, and he locked their lips together.

The kiss was slow, tender, and unhurried. The kiss wasn’t about desire, but reassurance, and forgiveness.

A promise that neither of them had yet put into words. When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested together.

Adrian searched her eyes. "You want us to be exclusive?"

Emilia froze. "I..."

"You mentioned it this morning."

She looked away. "I don’t own you." Her voice was quiet now. "You can be with anyone you want."

A sad smile tugged at her lips. "Sorry I caused a scene earlier..."

"Shhh." His thumb rested lightly against her lips. "I want us to be exclusive."

He held her gaze. "Do you want the same?"

Emiliz ca hesitated, then slowly nodded. "Just... exclusive." She swallowed. "No feelings."

Adrian watched her for a long moment. "I accept."

She frowned. "For how long?" She asked curiously.

"How long?"

Emilia thought carefully. Her gaze drifted toward the closed blinds before returning to him.

"If we’re going to do this..." She inhaled. "Five months."

Adrian remained silent.

"Five months," she repeated. "Then we end it." Her expression remained guarded. "We change partners then."

His hand tightened beside the chair. Every instinct inside him rejected the idea. The thought of another man touching her, and of her willingly leaving after five months settled like lead in his chest.

However, he knew pushing back now would only send her running again.

So he forced himself to nod.

"Five months."

Emilia finally let out the breath she’d been holding.

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