Chapter 23 A publicized attack
Chapter 023
DARIUS
I was forced to sit beside Raven again in business seminar class. "Forced."
As if I had any choice in the matter. As if Professor Harrington had not made it abundantly clear that we were stuck with each other for this project whether we liked it or not.
Professor Harrington walked to the front of the class and cleared his throat. "Right. Before we begin today's lecture, I want to check in on your project presentations. Several pairs have come to me with questions, which is good. That shows you are taking this seriously."
He looked directly at Raven and me. "However, I have noticed that some pairs have not come to me at all. Which makes me wonder if you are making any progress."
I felt Raven stiffen beside me.
"Mr Pike. Miss Casmir. How is your project coming along?"
We exchanged glances. It was brief and loaded with mutual irritation.
I shrugged. "We have not worked on anything so far."
"At all?" Harrington's eyebrows shot up.
"At all," Raven confirmed, her tone flat.
The professor's face turned red. Actually red. I could see the vein in his forehead starting to throb. "Are you two trying to force me to fail you? Is that what this is? Because I will not hesitate to do exactly that if you continue this behaviour."
"Darius is being an asshole," Raven muttered.
"Ravenna is being stubborn and behaving like she knows everything," I shot back at the exact same moment.
We turned to glare at each other. The tension between us was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Professor Harrington sighed. A long, tired sound that spoke of deep frustration. "If you two cannot work together, you both fail. It is that simple. I do not care about your personal issues. I do not care about whatever rivalry you have going on. You will complete this project together, or you will both receive failing marks."
The classroom went quiet. Every student was watching us now, waiting to see what would happen next.
"In fact," Harrington continued, his voice taking on a sharper edge, "because of you two, this entire class period will be dedicated to pairs working together on their projects. Everyone, find your partner and begin working now."
The room erupted into movement as students shifted around, finding their partners and pulling out notebooks and laptops.
Raven and I did not move. We just sat there, continuing to glare at each other.
"Mr Pike. Miss Casmir." Harrington's voice cut through the noise. "If at the end of this class period you do not have something concrete to show me, you will both receive detention for the next month. Am I understood?"
"Yes, sir," we both muttered.
He walked away, leaving us alone with our mutual hostility.
I sighed and pulled out my notebook, flipping to the pages where I had already started outlining the speech. I had done some work on my own, despite Raven's complete lack of cooperation.
Raven pulled out her own notebook, her movements stiff and reluctant.
I turned my notebook towards her. "This is what I have prepared."
She leaned over to look at it, her eyes scanning the page. For a moment, I thought she might actually agree with something I had written. That she might acknowledge that my approach was solid.
Instead, she picked up her pen and started crossing things out.
"What are you doing?" I demanded, my voice sharp.
"Fixing it," she replied without looking up.
"Fixing it? There is nothing to fix. That outline is perfectly structured."
"It is boring," she countered, still marking up my work. "Nobody is going to be impressed by this. It is too safe and predictable."
"It is professional. That is the entire point. We are supposed to be convincing investors to put money into a high-value product. They want professionalism, not entertainment."
"They want both," she insisted, finally looking up at me. "You can be professional and interesting at the same time. You just refuse to see that because you have been taught to do everything the same boring way your entire life."
My jaw clenched. What the fuck ? Did she just insult me? "My way has earned my family billions. What has your way earned you?"
She smiled. A cold, dangerous smile. "The ability to think for myself."
We continued or rather started arguing then about strategy, approach and every single detail of the project.
Our voices rose, drawing stares from other students, but neither of us cared.
From across the room, I heard Dorian's voice cut in. "You two sound like an old married couple."
I turned to glare at him. He was sitting with Samantha, who looked thoroughly unimpressed with his presence. But Dorian, being Dorian, just grinned at us.
"Seriously," he continued, clearly enjoying himself. "This is painful to watch. Just agree on something already."
"Stay out of it, Dorian," I snapped.
But Raven laughed at his comment. "He has a point. We do sound ridiculous."
Dorian seized the opportunity to pull her into a lighter conversation. "So, Raven, tell me. How did you actually learn to skate like that? Because what you did in that game was insane."
She turned slightly towards him, her entire demeanor shifting, and becoming more relaxed and open. "I grew up on bikes, not skates. But the balance transfers over."
"That makes sense. You have incredible control."
They're laughing together and I could see what they're doing...Building an easy bond that made my chest tighten uncomfortably.
My wolf growled inside me, in a very dangerous and possessive way that I hated but could not control.
I wanted to break them apart. Wanted to tell Dorian to shut up and focus on his own project.
But I could not show those emotions. Could not reveal how much it bothered me to see Raven comfortable with someone who was not me.
Samantha, sitting beside Dorian, looked equally annoyed. Her frown deepened with every word he spoke to Raven.
"Can we get back to work?" I interrupted, my voice colder than I intended.
Raven turned back to me, the lightness in her expression fading. "Fine. Let us get back to your boring outline."
We worked in tense silence for the rest of the class period. Making changes. Arguing over details. Somehow managing to create something that was halfway decent despite our mutual loathing.
When the class period ended, Professor Harrington called everyone back to attention. "Alright. Pair work is done. Let us continue with today's lecture on corporate ethics and family businesses."
He started talking about the responsibilities that came with running a family corporation. About maintaining reputation. About the balance between personal interests and business interests.
I was only half listening. My mind was still churning over the argument with Raven. Over the way she had laughed with Dorian. Over everything.
Then Raven's hand shot up.
"Yes, Miss Casmir?" Harrington called on her.
"I have a question about corporate ethics," she began, her voice clear and confident. "Specifically about how families handle rumours. For example, if a corporation like PikeCorp had rumours circulating about their dealings with rogue wolves, how would they address that ethically? Would they deny it? Acknowledge it? Try to bury it?"
The room went completely silent.
I froze. Actually froze. Every muscle in my body locked up as her words registered.
She was digging publicly in front of professors and students and everyone who mattered.
She was bringing up my family's secrets and demanding answers.
Harrington looked taken aback. "That is... a very specific question, Miss Casmir."
"I am just curious about how corporate families manage their reputations when faced with difficult rumours," she continued, her eyes flicking to me for just a moment. "It seems relevant to our discussion on ethics."
I could feel every eye in the room turning to me. Waiting, watching and wondering how I would react.
My hands clenched into fists under the desk.
My wolf snarled, torn between fury and the instinct to defend.
She knew. I knew she had been in that restricted library and had found information about my family's dealings with rogues.
"And now she was using it against me in public.”