Forbidden Lessons

Chapter 3: Cracks in Perfection

Arabella didn’t remember leaving the rooftop party.

One moment she was standing in that dim hallway watching Adrian Sterling kiss another girl…

The next, she was walking through the cool night air, her heels striking the pavement faster than usual.

Her chest felt tight.

Anger.

Embarrassment.

Disbelief.

How stupid had she been?

Her phone buzzed for the third time.

Adrian:

Arabella, wait. Let me explain.

She ignored it.

Another message appeared.

Adrian:

It’s not what it looks like.

Arabella let out a bitter laugh.

It looked exactly like what it was.

She opened the door of the waiting car and slid into the back seat.

“Home, Miss Kingston?” the driver asked.

“Yes.”

The ride back to the mansion was quiet.

But her mind wasn’t.

Every memory of Adrian replayed itself differently now.

Every compliment.

Every smile.

Every promise.

Were they all lies?

By the time the car passed through the massive iron gates of the Kingston estate, Arabella felt exhausted.

The mansion was dark and silent when she entered.

Her father had already gone to bed.

Good.

The last thing she needed tonight was another lecture.

She kicked off her heels and walked upstairs toward her room.

Then she noticed something strange.

A light was still on in the study room.

Arabella frowned.

Who would still be here at this hour?

Curious, she walked closer.

The door was slightly open.

Inside, Lucas Gray sat at the large desk with several books spread out in front of him.

He was writing something in a notebook, completely focused.

Arabella blinked.

“What are you still doing here?”

Lucas looked up.

He seemed surprised to see her.

“Preparing tomorrow’s lesson.”

Arabella leaned against the doorframe.

“At midnight?”

Lucas checked the clock on the wall.

“It’s eleven thirty-seven.”

She crossed her arms.

“That’s still late.”

Lucas studied her for a moment.

Something in his expression changed.

“You went out,” he said.

It wasn’t a question.

Arabella shrugged.

“Obviously.”

But Lucas didn’t comment.

Instead, he noticed the slight redness around her eyes.

“Did something happen?” he asked calmly.

Arabella laughed softly.

“Why would you think that?”

Lucas didn’t answer immediately.

Then he said simply,

“You don’t look like someone who had a good night.”

The words caught her off guard.

Arabella looked away.

For some reason, it felt easier to talk to him than anyone else.

Maybe because he didn’t belong to her world.

Maybe because he didn’t expect perfection from her.

“Adrian cheated on me,” she said suddenly.

The words felt strange leaving her mouth.

Lucas didn’t react with shock or pity.

He just listened.

Arabella ran a hand through her hair.

“I caught him kissing another girl tonight,” she added quietly.

Lucas leaned back in his chair.

“And what did he say?”

“The usual,” she replied bitterly. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Lucas nodded slightly.

“That sentence has saved many guilty people.”

Arabella laughed despite herself.

For a moment, the tension in her chest eased.

Lucas closed the notebook in front of him.

“Do you want some advice?”

Arabella raised an eyebrow.

“From my tutor?”

“Yes.”

She hesitated.

“Fine. Go ahead.”

Lucas looked at her directly.

“If someone betrays your trust once,” he said calmly, “they’ll probably do it again.”

Arabella frowned.

“That’s very comforting.”

“It’s not meant to be comforting.”

She walked further into the room and sat on the edge of the desk.

“Then what is it meant to be?”

“Honest.”

Arabella studied him for a moment.

“You’re not very romantic, are you?”

Lucas smirked slightly.

“I prefer reality.”

Arabella sighed.

“Reality sucks tonight.”

Silence filled the room.

Then Lucas stood up.

He walked to the small kitchen area connected to the study and poured two glasses of water.

He handed one to her.

“Here.”

Arabella took it.

“Thank you.”

Their fingers brushed briefly.

It was such a small contact…

But it made her strangely aware of him.

Lucas stepped back.

“You’ll be fine,” he said quietly.

Arabella looked at him.

“How do you know?”

“Because you’re stronger than you think.”

The words surprised her.

No one had ever said that to her before.

Most people described her as rich.

Beautiful.

Powerful.

But not strong.

For the first time that night, Arabella felt the tight knot in her chest loosen.

She realized something in that moment.

Lucas wasn’t trying to impress her.

He wasn’t trying to manipulate her.

He was just… being real.

And somehow, that made her feel safe.

Arabella smiled slightly.

“You know,” she said softly, “you’re surprisingly good company.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

“I thought I was boring.”

“Tonight you’re not.”

Lucas leaned against the desk across from her.

“You should probably get some rest.”

Arabella nodded.

“Probably.”

But neither of them moved.

The air between them suddenly felt different.

Warmer.

More charged.

Lucas looked like he was about to say something but suddenly a loud notification sound broke the silence.

Arabella glanced down at her phone.

A new message had appeared.

Unknown number.

Her stomach tightened slightly.

She opened it.

There was only one message.

And one photo.

The photo made her heart stop.

It was a picture taken earlier that night at the party.

A clear image of Adrian kissing the other girl.

But that wasn’t the shocking part.

In the background of the photo…

Arabella could be seen standing close to Lucas.

The message below it read:

“Interesting replacement you found so quickly, Miss Kingston.”

Arabella felt cold.

Someone had taken that photo.

Someone was watching her.

And whoever it was…

they had just started a very dangerous game.

Arabella stared at the phone screen.

Her heart began to pound.

“Someone sent you something?” Lucas asked.

She didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, she slowly turned the phone toward him.

Lucas stepped closer and looked at the image.

The photo was clear.

Too clear.

Adrian kissing the other girl.

Arabella standing in the hallway in the background, and Lucas standing not far from her.

Lucas’s expression hardened slightly.

“Where did this come from?”

“Unknown number,” Arabella said quietly.

Lucas held out his hand.

“Let me see.”

She hesitated for a moment before handing him the phone.

Lucas studied the message carefully.

Interesting replacement you found so quickly, Miss Kingston.

His jaw tightened slightly.

“This isn’t just gossip,” he said.

Arabella frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Lucas looked at her.

“Whoever sent this wanted you to see it.”

“Obviously.”

“No,” Lucas said calmly. “They wanted you to know they’re watching you.”

A chill ran down Arabella’s spine.

Watching her?

She grabbed the phone back and quickly typed a reply.

Who is this?

The message sent instantly.

They both waited.

Seconds passed.

Then the phone buzzed again.

Another message appeared.

Arabella opened it.

Her breath caught.

This time it wasn’t just a message.

It was another photo.

But this one made her stomach drop.

It showed the study room earlier that night.

Arabella standing beside Lucas.

Their faces close.

Close enough that it looked… intimate.

Lucas stared at the photo.

“That wasn’t taken at the party,” he said.

Arabella felt her chest tighten.

“That was taken here.”

Lucas’s gaze shifted slowly around the study.

The room suddenly felt different.

Like it wasn’t private anymore.

Arabella looked at the message under the photo.

“Be careful, Miss Kingston.”

“Your father would be very interested in this.”

Her heart dropped.

Lucas spoke quietly.

“This person is threatening you.”

Arabella’s voice was tight.

“No.”

Lucas looked at her.

“This person is threatening us.”

The realization hung in the air.

Heavy.

Dangerous.

Arabella paced across the room.

“Who would do this?”

Lucas thought for a moment.

“Someone at the party,” he said. “Or someone who knew you’d be there.”

Arabella’s mind raced.

There had been dozens of students at that rooftop.

Too many.

Her phone buzzed again.

Another message.

She opened it slowly.

This time the message was shorter.

Much shorter.

But it made her stomach twist.

“Break up with Adrian.”

“Or the photos go to your father.”

Arabella froze.

Lucas stepped closer.

“What does it say?”

She hesitated.

Then she showed him.

Lucas read the message silently.

His expression darkened.

“This just became a problem.”

Arabella laughed bitterly.

“You think?”

Lucas looked at her seriously.

“If those photos reach your father…”

Arabella finished the sentence quietly.

“He’ll destroy you.”

Lucas nodded once.

“And me.”

The room fell silent.

Arabella suddenly felt trapped.

If her father saw those pictures, he wouldn’t ask questions.

He would assume the worst.

Lucas would lose his job.

Possibly his entire career.

And Arabella would lose the small freedom she still had.

Her phone buzzed again.

Another message.

She opened it slowly.

But this time the message made her blood run cold.

There was no photo.

Just words.

“You have 24 hours.”

Arabella looked up at Lucas.

“Twenty-four hours for what?”

Lucas read the message again.

Then his expression changed.

Slowly.

Grimly.

“Not to break up with Adrian,” he said.

Arabella frowned.

“Then what?”

Lucas pointed at the screen.

Below the message was a final line that Arabella hadn’t noticed before.

Her heart nearly stopped when she read it.

“Or I tell your father that his daughter and her tutor were alone together tonight.”

Arabella felt the room spin slightly.

Lucas exhaled slowly.

“Well,” he said quietly.

“Now we know one thing.”

Arabella looked at him.

“What?”

Lucas’s eyes met hers.

“Someone wants to destroy both of us.”

And neither of them realized yet…

that the person behind those messages was much closer than they thought.