Chapter 11: The Smell of Bourbon and Cedarwood

Elara was truly stunned, and most importantly, her heart was literally bleeding. It would be a complete lie to say that she was not hurt. She was deeply, profoundly hurt by Julian's disgusting, vile words and by the mocking, sneering faces of the other students who looked at her as if she had come crawling straight out of a gutter. Even though she was poor and had grown up as an orphan, no one had ever treated her with such absolute malice. She had always worked hard, kept her head down, and earned her place through sheer intelligence. Being stripped of her dignity in a public room full of people was making her eyes violently tear up. She looked down at her pathetic meal tray. The plain rice and lukewarm vegetables had cost her five dollars…a small fortune for her current budget. She could not dare to waste it. She literally did not have the financial luxury to throw away food out of pride. Sitting down alone at the table, she began stuffing the food into her mouth. She

Last Updated : 2026-07-19

Chapter 12: An Unwanted Roommate

Elara’s feet hammered against the cold stone steps as she practically sprinted up the stairs toward the fifth floor. Her lungs burned, and her legs felt like lead, but her mind was too consumed by sheer humiliation and rage to care about the physical pain. Right now, she cursed the absolute lack of a student elevator more than ever. The staircase felt completely endless, stretching on like a cruel joke designed specifically to keep her trapped in her own misery. To make matters ten times worse, every single student she passed on the landings gave her filthy, repulsive looks. They stared at her as if she were a disgusting insect crawling across a clean floor, stepping far out of her way to avoid touching the greasy, mushroom-soup-stained uniform she was wearing. Elara gripped the strap of her bag so hard her knuckles turned white. Tears flooded her eyes, blurring her vision until the stone steps became a hazy, indistinct smear. It was unbelievable. The students in this grand, p

Last Updated : 2026-07-21

Chapter 13: Her Professor

The next morning arrived far too quickly. By 9:00 AM, Elara was already fully dressed in her freshly washed, clean uniform, her ginger hair tied back neatly and her black-framed glasses resting firmly on her nose. Before leaving the room, she cast a brief, curious glance over at the second bed. Her mysterious roommate hadn't spoken a single word to her since his arrival yesterday. Right now, he was still sleeping like an absolute log, buried completely beneath a thick duvet. Not even a single lock of his hair was visible. Elara decided not to disturb him. She had her own problems to worry about. Stepping out into the hallway, she rushed down the stairs, heading straight toward the cafeteria to grab a quick, simple breakfast before her very first class. To her immense relief, the massive dining hall was almost entirely empty at this hour. The grand space was quiet, lacking the suffocating presence of the arrogant seniors who had terrorized her the day before. Elara quickly pur

Last Updated : 2026-07-21

Chapter 14: The Professor's Summons

The lecture felt endless. Every single second dragged by like an entire hour.Elara didn't hear half of what Adrian Kingsley was teaching at the front of the room. His calm, deep baritone voice echoed rhythmically through the lecture hall, yet not a single word managed to enter her mind. She sat as straight and rigid as a statue, her fingers gripping her pen so tightly that her knuckles had long turned stark white.Every time she accidentally felt his sharp, ice-grey gaze sweep across the classroom, her heart would skip a violent beat. The sheer, suffocating pressure he carried as an elite man was simply too overwhelming. She felt as though she were sitting on thousands of tiny, sharp needles, and even basic breathing felt like a struggle.Finally…RING!The sharp echo of the school bell resonated throughout the room. The gruelling lecture was finally over.Elara secretly let out a long breath she hadn't realised she was holding. "...Finally," she whispered under her breath.She hur

Last Updated : 2026-07-22

Chapter 15: A Scene Behind the Stairs

The office became dead silent.Adrian's dark brows almost imperceptibly furrowed. His ice-grey eyes rested quietly on her downcast face. He didn't speak immediately. Instead, he simply looked at her, his gaze thoughtful and deep. What he was thinking behind those quiet eyes, Elara had no idea.After a long, stretching moment, he asked another quiet question. "So... you've been living completely alone?"She nodded faintly. "...Yes."Another quiet silence settled over the room. Then…"You may leave."Elara froze. "...That's it?"She looked up at him in absolute disbelief. He wasn't going to question her? He wasn't angry? He wasn't going to threaten her to keep her mouth shut? He wasn't asking about that night in the hotel? He was just... letting her go like that?She stood up awkwardly, but her feet refused to actually move toward the door.Adrian looked up from his desk, resting his chin on his hand. "Anything else?"Elara bit her lower lip nervously. In that moment, her overwhelming