The morning sun felt warmer than usual as I walked through the main gates, my short skirt swaying with each step and the memory of Professor Damien Vale’s restrained stare still burning on my skin. For the first time in weeks, I felt a quiet thrill instead of dread. His warning in the office, the way his eyes had lingered on my thighs it was proof that the ice was cracking. I was getting to him.
I adjusted the strap of my bag, a small smile playing on my lips, when Sophia Kensington stepped out from behind a pillar near the entrance, blocking my path. Lila was right behind her, smirking like a loyal guard dog.
“Well, well,” Sophia drawled, crossing her arms and looking me up and down with pure venom. “If it isn’t the scholarship w***e making her morning rounds. Still dressed like you’re
