Caught in a whirlwind of panic, Natalie whirled around, stuttering out a denial, "I'm not Alice."
Adrian's brow furrowed in confusion, an internal monologue echoing in his mind, "Is she pretending not to recognize me? Could she be upset that I've been too preoccupied to pay her any mind these past few days?"
Fear gripped Natalie, making her dread any further interrogation from him. She attempted to make a hasty exit from the classroom, but the principal, tailing Adrian, shot her a disapproving look. "Classes are about to commence. Return to your seat!"
With a falter in her step, she had no choice but to comply. As she retraced her steps back to her seat, Adrian's intense gaze followed her every move, making her wish she could disappear under the table.
Adrian took his place at the podium, his deep voice resonating through the speakers. "Good morning, everyone, I am Adrian Howard. I will be your finance instructor for the remainder of the semester."
His announcement sent a ripple of excitement through the classroom. The female students, in particular, bombarded him with a barrage of questions.
"Mr. Howard, are you single?"
"Mr. Howard, may we have your contact details?"
"Mr. Howard, what's your type?"
Adrian responded with a faint smile, deliberately letting his gaze linger on Natalie. "I regret to inform you, I am engaged."
His words were met with a chorus of disappointed sighs, while Natalie sat in stunned silence. Bella leaned in to whisper, "Why do I get the feeling Adrian's looking at you rather peculiarly? You two don't have a thing, do you?"
Natalie quickly averted her gaze, "Don't be ridiculous! Everyone in town knows Alice is his fiancée."
"True," Bella conceded, "But who would've thought Adrian would end up teaching here? He's returned as the heir to the Howard Group. I thought I'd have to wait until I graduated and started working there to even catch a glimpse of him..."
Natalie found it hard to concentrate on the conversation. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of how to avoid Adrian.
He then addressed the class, "Everyone, please settle down. I'm going to take attendance."
Natalie felt as though she was spiraling into madness. Her palms were slick with sweat, her nerves on edge. "Natalie Teeger," Adrian's deep, magnetic voice called out after a while.
It was just her name, but the way he said it carried a hint of tenderness and affection. Rising to her feet, Natalie wished she could bury her head in the desk.
She forced her voice to a low murmur and responded with a single word, "Present." As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly sat back down.
Adrian glanced at the list, his brow creasing slightly. Natalie... She had once been a maid for the Cullen family. In his memory, she was always masked, only catching fleeting glimpses of her at the entrance of the Cullen Villa. Now, upon closer inspection, he realized her timid demeanor bore no resemblance to Alice.
He concealed his inner turmoil and asked in a clear, sharp voice, "Natalie, stand up and answer this for me, what is the significance of a loan between financial institutions?"
Natalie remained motionless, still lost in her thoughts. Bella nudged her gently, "Hey, Mr. Howard is calling you..."
Natalie quickly rose to her feet, her mind a whirlwind of chaos. It was a simple question, but she hadn't been attending classes recently. Besides, this was merely an elective. She had only enrolled to fulfill the credit requirements and hadn't taken the course seriously.
Flustered, Natalie found herself without an answer. Adrian picked up his pen and made a note, his voice low as he said, "Meet me in my office after class."
What?
Natalie's head shot up. She thought, "If I go to his office, won't the risk of being recognized be even higher?" She racked her brain for an excuse to evade him.
However, Adrian warned her with a smile, "Natalie, if you fail to show up after class, you might just fail this course."
Natalie couldn't shake off the feeling that Adrian was onto something. She barely waited for the class to end before she found herself standing outside Adrian's office. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
The next moment, the office door swung open. Before she could react, the person inside yanked her in by her wrist. With a loud bang, the door shut behind her. Her back pressed against it, Natalie was engulfed by Adrian's crisp scent.
Memories of their night together came flooding back, causing her cheeks to flush a deep red. Then, Adrian asked in a cold tone, "Speak up, what's your motive for going through all this trouble to appear before me?"