Forbidden Lessons

Chapter 2: The Tutor

The next evening arrived faster than Arabella expected.

She had spent most of the day at St. Catherine’s Elite Academy pretending not to care about the whispers still circulating about her failed math test.

But the moment the school day ended, the reality returned.

Six o’clock.

That was when the tutor would arrive.

Arabella lay across her bed staring at the ceiling of her massive bedroom, twirling her phone in her fingers.

“Private tutor,” she muttered.

The idea annoyed her more than she wanted to admit.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t improve her grades.

She simply hated being forced.

A soft knock came at her door.

“Miss Kingston?”

Arabella sat up.

“Yes?”

The housekeeper opened the door slightly.

“Your father would like you downstairs.”

Arabella checked the time.

5:55 PM.

Perfect.

She slipped on her blazer and walked downstairs, her footsteps echoing through the grand hallway of the mansion.

The Kingston estate was quiet as always expensive art hanging on the walls, polished marble floors reflecting the golden light from the chandeliers.

It looked more like a luxury hotel than a home.

Her father stood in the living room speaking with someone.

Someone unfamiliar.

Arabella slowed her steps.

That must be him.

The tutor.

She expected an older man with glasses and a briefcase. Someone dull and predictable.

But the man standing across from her father was neither.

He was tall.

Probably mid-twenties.

Dark hair slightly tousled, sharp features, calm posture. He wore a simple white shirt and a dark blazer, nothing flashy, yet he carried himself with quiet confidence.

He looked… younger than she expected.

Much younger.

Her father noticed her first.

“Arabella,” Edward Kingston said.

Both men turned toward her.

The tutor’s eyes met hers.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

His gaze was steady.

Observant.

Not intimidated.

Interesting.

“Arabella,” her father repeated, “this is Lucas Gray.”

Lucas gave a small nod.

“Miss Kingston.”

His voice was calm and low.

Arabella folded her arms slightly.

“Mr. Gray.”

She studied him openly.

No nervousness.

No awkwardness.

Most people became uncomfortable under her gaze.

He didn’t.

Her father gestured toward the study.

“You’ll be working in the study room.”

Lucas picked up a small stack of books from the table.

“Of course.”

Arabella sighed dramatically.

“Do we really have to start tonight?”

Her father gave her a look.

“Yes.”

Lucas walked toward the study door without another word.

Arabella followed slowly, already bored.

The study room was quiet, lit by warm lamps and lined with bookshelves that reached the ceiling.

Lucas placed the books on the large wooden desk.

Arabella dropped into the chair opposite him.

“So,” she said lazily.

“You’re my new academic babysitter.”

Lucas looked up from the papers he was arranging.

“No.”

Arabella raised an eyebrow.

“No?”

“I’m your tutor,” he replied calmly. “Not your babysitter.”

She smirked.

“Same difference.”

Lucas sat down across from her.

For a moment, he simply studied her.

It made Arabella strangely uncomfortable.

“What?” she asked.

“I’m trying to determine something.”

“Which is?”

Lucas leaned back slightly in his chair.

“Whether you actually want to pass your classes.”

Arabella laughed softly.

“Of course I do.”

“Then prove it.”

Her smile faded slightly.

Lucas slid a notebook across the desk.

“Let’s start with algebra.”

Arabella groaned.

“You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

She leaned back in her chair.

“You know what everyone else does when they tutor me?”

Lucas waited.

“They try to impress me,” she continued. “Or they try to scare me with long speeches about responsibility.”

Lucas picked up a pen.

“I’m not here to impress you.”

Arabella leaned forward slightly.

“And you’re not scared of me either?”

Lucas met her gaze.

“No.”

Silence filled the room for a moment.

Arabella felt a strange spark of irritation.

And curiosity.

“Well,” she said slowly, “this should be interesting.”

Lucas opened the math book.

“Good.”

He pointed at the first problem.

“Solve this.”

Arabella stared at the page.

Then at him.

“You’re not even going to explain it?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” Lucas said calmly,

“I want to see how much you actually know.”

Arabella picked up the pen reluctantly.

She glanced at the equation.

A few seconds passed.

Then another.

Lucas watched quietly.

Arabella scribbled something down.

Lucas leaned over and looked at her answer.

He shook his head slightly.

“Wrong.”

Arabella frowned.

“You barely looked at it.”

“I didn’t need to.”

She leaned back again, annoyed.

“You’re very confident.”

Lucas closed the book.

“And you’re very capable.”

Arabella blinked.

“That wasn’t an insult.”

“No,” he said calmly.

“It was an observation.”

He leaned forward slightly.

“You’re not failing because you’re incapable.”

“Then why am I failing?”

Lucas’s eyes held hers.

“Because you’re not trying.”

Arabella stared at him.

No one spoke to her like that.

No one.

Yet strangely…

she didn’t feel angry.

She felt challenged.

And she hated how much she liked it.

Lucas opened the book again.

“Let’s try another one.”

Arabella grabbed the pen.

“Fine.”

She solved the next equation quickly.

Lucas checked it.

This time, he nodded.

“Correct.”

Arabella smirked slightly.

“See?”

Lucas looked at her.

“Yes.”

“And if you worked like that all the time,” he said quietly,

“you’d be the best student in your class.”

For some reason, that compliment felt different.

More genuine.

Before Arabella could respond, her phone buzzed on the desk.

A message from Adrian.

Adrian:

Miss me yet?

Arabella smiled slightly.

Lucas noticed the message on the screen.

“Your boyfriend?” he asked.

Arabella nodded casually.

“Yes.”

Lucas closed the book slowly.

“Good.”

Arabella frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Lucas looked directly at her.

“It means,” he said calmly,

“we’ll be keeping things strictly professional.”

Arabella raised an eyebrow.

“Were you worried they wouldn’t be?”

Lucas didn’t answer.

But the silence between them suddenly felt…

different.

Charged.

Arabella watched Lucas for a moment after his comment.

Strictly professional.

The way he said it sounded almost like a rule.

Or a warning.

She leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other.

“Relax,” she said lightly. “You’re just my tutor, not my bodyguard.”

Lucas ignored the remark and turned the page of the math book.

“Next question.”

Arabella sighed dramatically.

“You’re no fun.”

Lucas slid the notebook closer to her.

“I’m not here to entertain you.”

She rolled her eyes but picked up the pen again.

Minutes passed as she worked through the equation.

The study room was quiet except for the soft scratch of her pen and the faint ticking of the antique clock on the wall.

Lucas watched her work carefully.

Not hovering.

Just observing.

Arabella finished the problem and pushed the notebook toward him.

“There.”

Lucas glanced at the page.

“Correct.”

She smirked.

“You look surprised.”

“I’m not.”

“You didn’t look very confident earlier.”

Lucas leaned back slightly.

“I wasn’t confident in your effort,” he said calmly. “Not your intelligence.”

Arabella stared at him.

No one had ever spoken to her like that before.

Most people either praised her constantly… or tried to flatter her because of her last name.

Lucas did neither.

It was strangely refreshing.

Her phone buzzed again.

Adrian:

Dinner tonight?

Arabella typed a quick reply.

Tutor prison. Maybe later.

She set the phone down.

Lucas closed the book.

“That’s enough for today.”

Arabella blinked.

“That’s it?”

“For your first lesson.”

She checked the time.

They had been studying for nearly two hours.

It hadn’t felt that long.

Lucas began organizing his books.

Arabella watched him.

“You’re different from the other tutors I’ve had.”

Lucas glanced at her briefly.

“How many have there been?”

She shrugged.

“Three.”

“And they all quit?”

“Two were fired,” she said casually. “One couldn’t handle my personality.”

Lucas picked up his bag.

“That doesn’t surprise me.”

Arabella raised an eyebrow.

“Are you saying I’m difficult?”

Lucas looked at her for a moment.

“Yes.”

She laughed softly.

“At least you’re honest.”

Lucas walked toward the door of the study.

Arabella followed him into the hallway.

Her father was nowhere in sight.

The house was quiet.

Lucas slipped on his coat.

“I’ll see you tomorrow evening,” he said.

Arabella leaned casually against the wall.

“You’re very confident you’ll still be employed tomorrow.”

Lucas paused.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

She smiled slightly.

“Most people in this house don’t last long.”

Lucas studied her expression.

“Are you planning to make my job difficult?”

Arabella tilted her head.

“Maybe.”

Lucas didn’t look worried.

“If that’s the case,” he said calmly, “you’ll only be making things harder for yourself.”

Arabella crossed her arms.

“You really think you can control me?”

Lucas stepped closer.

Not threatening.

Just close enough that she could clearly see his eyes.

“I’m not here to control you,” he said quietly.

“Then what are you here for?”

“To help you succeed.”

Arabella scoffed.

“Sounds boring.”

Lucas opened the front door.

“Goodnight, Miss Kingston.”

She watched him walk down the steps toward the gate where his car waited.

For a moment, she just stood there.

Thinking.

Lucas Gray was definitely not what she expected.

Not boring.

Not intimidated.

And definitely not easy to manipulate.

Her phone buzzed again.

Another message from Adrian.

Adrian:

Come to the rooftop party tonight. Everyone will be there.

Arabella hesitated.

Then she smiled slightly.

Why not?

Thirty minutes later, she slipped out of the mansion in a sleek black dress and headed toward the most exclusive rooftop club in the city.

Music blasted through the air as students from St. Catherine’s filled the party.

Adrian spotted her instantly.

“There she is!” he called, pulling her into a hug.

“You escaped tutor jail?”

“Barely,” Arabella said with a grin.

The night passed in laughter, music, and flashing lights.

But as Arabella stood near the balcony later that night, she noticed something strange.

Adrian wasn’t beside her anymore.

She looked around the crowd.

No sign of him.

Frowning slightly, she moved toward a quiet hallway near the back of the club.

Then she heard voices.

A girl’s voice.

Soft.

Laughing.

Arabella slowed her steps.

The hallway was dimly lit.

And just around the corner

She saw Adrian.

His back was against the wall.

And a girl she didn’t recognize was pressed against him…

kissing him.

Arabella froze.

For a moment, the world seemed to go silent.

Adrian’s hands were wrapped around the girl’s waist like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Like Arabella Kingston didn’t exist.

The girl whispered something that made him laugh.

Then Adrian suddenly looked up

And saw Arabella standing there.

His smile disappeared instantly.

“Arabella”

But she was already turning away.

Because in that moment…

she realized something shocking.

Her perfect boyfriend…

was a liar.