Chapter 146: Something To Discuss

Leon’s Point of View

My heart began pounding erratically as the tall man walked into the classroom. His build was familiar.

His clothes were expensive.

Even the faint scent of leather and wealth was unmistakable.

My eyes widened the moment his green gaze met mine, and my entire body stiffened in my chair. My fingers tightened around the pen in my hand, and then recognition flashed across his face too.

I sucked in a broken breath, desperately trying not to let my surprise show. I tore my gaze away from him and blinked several times, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

Why the hell was he here as my new professor? Hadn't Lana told us they were billionaires with influence and power? So how the hell had Xavier Blackwood ended up teaching at a rundown community college like this?

“Fuck,” I muttered when I glanced up and caught him smiling at me.

Was this bastard stalking me? Was this somehow connected to Lana?

Why would he go this far?

I cleared my throat and hurriedly flipped through my books, pretending to be deeply interested in the pages while trying to ignore the uneasiness twisting inside my stomach.

“Oh my goodness!” The girls behind me were practically squealing. “He is so handsome. Totally my type.”

Women are so delusional, why would a man of that status and face, want anything to do with a college student?

“Do you think he's single?” One asked again, and as much as I would like to stop listening to their conversation.

It didn’t help that they were fucking loud.

“Even if he's single, why would you think he'd want to date you?” another girl shot back. “I'm prettier, and I have bigger boobs.”

I rolled my eyes, I was seriously considering changing seats. Why the hell were they fighting over a man they didn't even know?

A man who was, more importantly, our professor. He was handsome. I could admit that much. But I couldn't understand why they were acting like he just walked into the room carrying wedding rings.

“I'll talk to him after class.”

“Oh my God, I think I'm failing this course,” one of them giggled. “At least that means I'll get to see him again next semester.”

I pressed my lips together to stop myself from laughing.

Idiots.

And it wasn't just the girls behind me. Almost every woman in the lecture theatre was whispering, giggling, and talking about the new professor.

They were all the same.

But I couldn't really blame them. Most of them were young, with raging hormones and no reason to suppress them.

Unlike me.

I'd suppressed so much for so long that sometimes I wondered if I had any feelings left at all.

“Settle down, class.” His voice rang across the lecture theatre.

My heart tightened. Some small part of me that had been desperately hoping this was all some elaborate misunderstanding finally died.

This wasn't a dream, and I wasn't hallucinating. Xavier Blackwood was actually my new professor. At his command, the entire class fell silent, almost as if an angel had walked into the room and demanded everyone's attention.

“My name is Xavier Blackwood, and I’ll be your temporary lecturer for Business Finance.” His troubling green eyes swept across the room, once again they settled on me. “It’s nice to meet you all, and I hope we get along. However, there will be three important rules while I’m your lecturer.”

His eyes met mine again, and my stomach tightened.

Was it just me, or did it feel as though those rules were meant specifically for me?

Maybe I was overthinking it.

“One, there will be no tolerance for lateness. Two, all assignments must be submitted on time and meet the required criteria.” He paused.

“Third…” He let the silence stretch for a moment, making sure everyone was listening. “Your behavior, both inside and outside this classroom, will be part of your grade.”

I reached for my phone beneath the table and quickly opened my messages.

Me: Liam

The moment I sent it, a conversation bubble appeared on the screen.

Great.

He was online.

The other me: Yes? Need something?

Me: No. Something crazy just happened… You wouldn't even be able to guess it.

The other me: You got a girlfriend?

I was just about to start typing when I stopped.

My eyes narrowed, why the hell was that the first thing that came to his mind? Was getting a girlfriend the only impossible thing he could imagine happening to me?

We would discuss that later.

Me: No… Xavier Blackwood is my new professor.

The typing bubble appeared almost immediately.

The other me: Are you joking right now? Because this isn't funny.

Me: Why the hell would I joke about something like this? The green-eyed devil is literally in class right now.

“Excuse me?” My head snapped up.

Fuck. Xavier was standing only a few feet away from me. I hadn't even noticed him approaching. “I think I might have to add a fourth rule.”

He cocked his head to the side, his green eyes gleaming down at me.

I immediately locked my phone and shoved it into my pocket.

“Unless you're using them for academic purposes, devices are strictly forbidden during my lectures.” I blinked.

He was definitely doing this on purpose. “What is your name?” he asked.

I bit down on my lip, exactly what I had been trying to avoid.

“Leon,” I answered, and his gaze remained on me for another second. “Leon Rowan.”

He nodded once before turning and walking back down the stairs toward the front of the lecture theatre.

My phone vibrated inside my pocket.

I knew he was waiting for an explanation, but there was no way I could answer him now.

Xavier had just banned phones during his lectures, and I had no intention of getting thrown out of class on his first day.

So, I forced myself to sit through the rest of the lecture.

The man had an unsettling presence, he was intimidating without ever raising his voice.

He was calm, collected, almost unnervingly so.

I had seen that same expression on his face when he was dealing with those thugs.

“That will be all for today, class.” His voice pulled me from my thoughts.

He gathered the books he had brought with him and glanced around the room.

“Remember to complete your assignments. No matter how insignificant they may seem, they will contribute to your final grade.”  A collective groan filled the lecture theatre.

His gaze flickered toward me.

I was already out of my seat, doing everything I could to get away before he had the chance to stop me.

“Leon Rowan.” I froze.

Fuck.

I knew this was going to happen.

“Yes, sir.” I forced myself to turn around, trying not to let the fear creeping through me show on my face.

“Please come with me to my office.”

We walked through the busy hallways, with me trailing at least two steps behind him.

I pulled out my phone, trying to send Liam another message without drawing attention to myself, but Xavier seemed far too aware of everything happening around him.

“Are you trying to call your brother?” he asked casually.

He glanced over his shoulder at me just as we turned into a quieter hallway.

My fingers tightened around my phone.

“Even better,” he continued. “I might need to speak with both of you.”

My stomach dropped, as we finally reached his office.

Compared to the cramped, poorly maintained offices belonging to the other lecturers, his was noticeably different.

It was larger, more private, and better furnished.

His influence was obvious.

And I’m starting to think, this isn’t an accident, he unlocked the door and stepped aside, motioning for me to enter.

I hesitated before walking inside.

I was nervous, but I reminded myself that he wouldn't dare try anything with me here.

We were on school grounds, there were people everywhere, he couldn't hurt me here.

Xavier closed the door behind us.

“What do you want?” I asked, trying to sound brave, but he didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked toward his desk and placed his books down with maddening calm.

“It’s better to wait until your brother gets here.” He finally looked at me. “Then we can discuss everything, because I would hate to repeat myself.”