Chapter 20 UNDENIABLE CURRENT
CLARA'S POV:
Before I could even process what had just happened, Professor Asher rose from his chair. The sudden movement made my breath hitch.
He didn’t say a word - just started walking towards me with slow, deliberate steps.
My eyes followed him instinctively, every movement sharp and controlled, like even the air made room for him.
And then, without warning, he stopped.
Right in front of me.
I froze.
He clasped his hands behind his back, his tall frame casting a faint shadow across my lap.
From where I sat, I had to tilt my head slightly to meet his gaze, and even then, it felt like the air around us had thickened again.
Then he did something I hadn’t expected - he crouched down.
Just like that, the space between us vanished.
My pulse jumped.
Every muscle in my body tensed as I instinctively shifted back in my chair, my knees brushing against his arm for half a second before I managed to still myself.
It suddenly felt too warm - like the air itself was humming.
He was close. Too close.
I couldn’t even bring myself to look directly at him. The scent of his cologne - clean, deep, a little earthy - drifted between us, and for some reason, it made my thoughts scatter.
When he finally spoke, his voice was soft but carried that same quiet authority.
“Now, Miss Bennett,” he said, flicking his nose slightly like he was adjusting his composure, “Tell me - what are your ideas regarding the project I introduced today? Forbidden love against moral restraints.”
The words hit deeper than they should have.
It wasn’t just a random topic. I could feel that.
And somehow, deep down, I knew he hadn’t chosen it by accident.
My heart thudded painfully.
He leaned in a little, his tone steady, almost too calm.
“As much as you and Williams deserve to be punished for your lackadaisical attitude in class,” he continued, “I decided to compensate you - slightly - by assigning this project. Individually.”
I could feel his eyes on me the whole time, sharp and unreadable.
“And I expect you,” he said softly, “To handle it with the same diligence you’re known for.”
I wanted to say something, anything - but the closeness of him, the weight of his gaze, made words scatter before they could form.
“So…” he said after a pause, tilting his head slightly, “What are your thoughts on it, Miss Bennett? How would you address such a theme?”
He hesitated, the faintest flicker of something passing through his expression. “Or…” his voice lowered, “Have you ever had such an experience yourself?”
My throat went dry. The question struck deeper than it should have.
For a fleeting second, I felt something stir inside me - something that didn’t belong to reason.
A pull. A memory. A heartbeat that wasn’t entirely mine.
And for one terrifying moment, I almost told him.
I almost let the words spill - the truth about that night. About the way he’d touched me, the way something otherworldly had hummed between us like a pulse beneath our skin.
It felt like he was asking me on purpose, like he wanted to see if I’d dare say it out loud.
But the weight of what that truth could cost me slammed back harder. My reputation. My grades. The fragile balance I’d fought to keep.
If I said it, if I reminded him of something he didn’t even seem to remember… I’d lose everything.
And yet - something inside me knew he did remember. Not in words, but in instinct.
In the way his eyes seemed to darken whenever he was near me, in the faint shift of his scent - wild, sharp, and alive.
There was no proof. Just this quiet, terrifying certainty that his body remembered even if his mind refused to.
A tremor ran through me. The air between us seemed to change, growing warmer, thicker, like the atmosphere itself recognized what we weren’t saying.
Something ancient stirred in my chest -
My pulse picked up, syncing with his for a split second, the rhythm impossibly aligned.
It was faint… primal… like a whisper that didn’t belong to the present moment.
And then I broke it, forcing myself to breathe, forcing the strange pull back down where it belonged.
“I- I don’t- I mean, not really, sir-”
He interrupted, quiet but firmly. “Do I make you nervous, Miss Bennett?”
The question landed like a touch, and everything inside me trembled in response.
It wasn’t just nerves. It was something deeper - an awareness that hummed beneath my skin, answering to something I didn’t understand.
I blinked up at him, lost for words, feeling my heart slam against my ribs.
“Because, you seem to be at a loss for words,” he murmured, his eyes dropped low to my lips.
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Finally, I shook my head slightly - or maybe I nodded. I wasn’t even sure.
A small, unreadable smile ghosted across his face, the kind that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He leaned closer - close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath brush my lips.
It was too much.
My body reacted before my mind caught up. I jolted to my feet so suddenly that the chair legs scraped against the floor.
I turned towards the door, desperate for distance, but in my rush, my foot caught the edge of the carpet.
I stumbled.
Before I could fall, a strong hand caught me - steady, firm - right at my waist.
“Easy kitten,” he murmured.
The word kitten hit me like a spark - not just to my ears, but somewhere deeper, somewhere I couldn’t name.
It was the way his voice wrapped around it - low, instinctive, like it carried an echo of something older.
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering so loud I was sure he could hear it.
His hand stayed where it was, a steady pressure against my side, and I felt rooted - trapped - between wanting to step away or… something else entirely.
“P-please,” I stammered, my voice barely audible. “Let me go.”
His gaze flicked downward then, sharp and focused. For a second, I froze, confused - until I followed his eyes.
That’s when I saw it.
Our necklaces - mine with the small charm and his plain silver chain - were tangled together, knotted tightly between us.
My breath caught.
He wasn’t staring at me - not exactly - but at the small twist of metal binding us.
Still, the closeness of it, the faint brush of his thumb against my collarbone as he reached up, made my entire body tense.
“Let me,” he said quietly.
His fingers brushed my skin as he worked to untangle them - slow, careful movements that made the world feel painfully still.
And in that moment, something unexplainable rippled through me - like a pulse of energy that wasn’t mine, tugging at the edges of my consciousness.
It felt wild, ancient… wrong and right at the same time.
When he finally freed the chains, the contact broke.
So did my composure.
Without thinking, I stepped back - then turned, almost running for the door.
The latch clicked behind me as I shut it, pressing my back against the cool wood.
My chest heaved.
I stared at the empty hallway in front of me, my pulse still racing, his scent still clinging faintly to my clothes - sharp, earthy, and inexplicably familiar.
And in a shaky whisper, the only words that came out were,”
“What just happened?”