Chapter 47 47
“A sinful temptation,” he rasped, dark, volatile emotion flickering in the depths of his forest-green eyes.
The words struck her silent. Not only because of how brutally accurate they were but because his gaze matched them. That dangerous glint, that intensity, made the phrase feel less like a warning and more like a confession.
Her tongue felt thick in her mouth. Trapped. Before he could lace the air with any more twisted truths, she made her decision.
She turned to leave.
She had barely taken a step to her right when his calloused hand slammed against the wall beside her head.
The sound echoed sharply, making her flinch.
“Your finals start Monday,” he said coldly. “Be ready at seven tomorrow.”
The command came straight from Mr. Ruiz, the professor. Not the man who had just cornered her, breathed temptation into her skin. Her jaw went slack as the words sank in.
Then he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving her frozen in place.
Sofía lifted a trembling hand to her mouth, horror flooding her.
Today was Monday.
That meant her finals started next week.
“Oh God…”
She hadn’t attended classes for days. She had no notes. No updates. No idea what had been covered.
She was ruined.
How in the world was she supposed to maintain her GPA?
Her mind spiraled, exploding with a thousand frantic thoughts but exhaustion won out. By the time she crawled into bed, the earlier heat, the tension, the forbidden closeness had been buried beneath panic about subjects, assignments, notes, and those dreaded exams.
She fell asleep early, anxiety her last conscious thought.
The next morning, the alarm jolted her awake.
She shut it off and rushed through a shower, then pulled on her oversized white shirt, black jeans, and sneakers. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she headed for the door
“Ana.”
She stopped.
Turning around, she found him seated at the dining table. Pancakes. Orange juice. The same breakfast as always.
She was beyond sick of it.
Still, she knew better than to argue. He wouldn’t let her leave otherwise.
She walked over. He gestured for her to sit.
With a quiet sigh, she obeyed. She ate quickly, excused herself, and stood to leave
“You’re going with me.”
She paused.
Before she could reason with him, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her outside. He shoved her into the car, slammed the door shut, then slid into the driver’s seat.
Moments later, they were on the road heading straight for the academy.
Sofía stared down at her lap for a full two minutes before exhaling sharply.
Control freak.
Her gaze wandered, and for the first time, she really noticed the interior of the car. The sleek lines. The quiet luxury. Without realizing it, her eyes widened, a small smile tugging at her lips.
She didn’t notice the hawk-sharp gaze flicking toward her.
When they were a street away from the academy, she asked him to stop.
To her surprise, he did.
She climbed out immediately and began walking.
He was smart enough not to stop her driving on into the academy grounds instead.
As soon as she stepped inside, heads turned.
Whispers followed.
The first class passed smoothly, though her tension only mounted as she stared at the mountain of work she had to catch up on before finals.
What surprised her most was the teachers.
Each one asked about her health, mentioning the application and medical file they’d received explaining her absence.
She didn’t need to guess who had arranged that.
Without question, she owed him a thank-you.
By third period, shock hit her square in the chest.
Miguel sat a few rows away his body wrapped in bandages, bruises fading across his face, neck… everywhere.
Their eyes met briefly.
Then he looked away instantly, as though terrified she might attack him.
He looked scared.
And now that she thought about it…
She hadn’t seen Lucía or Mateo either.
During break, she went to the restroom, then slipped into the gardens.
She hoped her bullies wouldn’t spot her. And she avoided her sacred class entirely because of Mr. Ruiz.
He might come looking for her.
Her stomach growled, but the cafeteria wasn’t an option. Her savings were dwindling fast, and she needed to focus on her studies before she went broke. She would’ve talked to Noelia but Mr. Beast had taken her phone.
The next class was math.
She took her usual seat at the front.
Miguel didn’t look at her once.
Lucía was there too and for the first time ever, there were no sneers. No shoves. No side comments. No glares.
What’s wrong with them? she wondered innocently.
She had no idea that Miguel had already warned his friends about Sofía’s obsessive admirer the man who had beaten him senseless and told them bluntly that if they valued their lives, they would leave the girl alone.
Fernando entered the classroom, authority and dominance radiating from him effortlessly.
His eyes met Sofía’s for a brief second
Then shifted.
They landed on Miguel and Lucía, who immediately dropped their gazes to their notebooks.
Something snapped inside her mind.
His actions always spoke louder than words.
Her eyes widened, a soft, broken gasp slipping from her lips as the pieces slammed together.
Miguel’s injuries.
The letter.
Fernando had found out who wrote it.
Cold dread wrapped around her as she stared at her notebook, horror seeping into her bones.
He had beaten a student… for her.
He had lost his mind.
She remembered telling him about the bullies.
How stupid could I be?
“Ah!”
Pain exploded across her forehead as something struck her hard enough that she knew it would bruise.
She looked up sharply.
Mr. Ruiz stood before her his finger retracting after the sharp flick.
“Eyes on the board, Ms. Rodríguez,” he said coolly. “You’ve already missed enough classes. At least pay attention now that you’ve decided to grace us with your presence.”
Her jaw dropped at the audacity.
He looked cold.
But she knew better.
He was enjoying this.
Jerk. Beast. Evil man.
She cursed him silently as he continued explaining the problems on the board.
When class ended, students began filing out.
She stood to leave too
“Ms. Rodríguez. Stay.”
Her body stilled.
“I need to give you the notes for the classes you missed.”
His tone was detached. Professional.
She swallowed hard.
She knew exactly what his motives were.
And they were anything but innocent.
They were
Sinful.