The Heir No One Must Know

Chapter 6: Chester

A month and two weeks later.

The classroom buzzed with the usual pre-lesson chaos—students chattering, chairs scraping against the tile floor, and the occasional crinkle of a snack wrapper being stuffed into a desk, as if that would somehow make it disappear. Sunlight streamed through the wide windows, casting golden streaks on the floor, while the faint scent of chalk and old textbooks lingered in the air.

I sighed, adjusting the stack of papers in my hands before setting them down on my desk. Just another morning in the life of Miss Morgan.

I glanced around the room, watching as students settled into their seats—some still half-asleep, others already engaged in animated discussions. A few were doodling on their notebooks, and at least one was trying to sneak a bite of a sandwich, thinking I wouldn’t notice.

I did. I always did.

"Miss Morgan!"

I snapped out of my thoughts just in time to see one of my students, a freckle-faced boy named Liam, practically bouncing in his seat, waving a piece of paper in the air like it was a distress signal. His bright green eyes were filled with anticipation, his other hand gripping the edge of his desk.

"Yes, Liam?" I asked, forcing a smile as I turned my attention to him.

"Did you check our essays yet?" he asked eagerly, his voice cutting through the hum of the classroom.

The moment the words left his mouth, a ripple of reactions spread through the room—some students groaned in dread, others exchanged glances, whispering their hopes of a good grade. A few slumped dramatically in their seats as if preparing for the worst.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I did, and we'll go over them after today's lesson."

A collective groan swept through the room. One of the girls, Ava, dramatically flopped onto her desk, her long, dark ponytail covering half of her notebook.

"That means they’re bad," she mumbled, earning a few giggles from her classmates.

"Patience, guys," I teased, placing my hands on my hips. "I promise it won’t be that bad. Besides, feedback is how we grow, right?"

"Or how we suffer," Liam muttered under his breath, though the small grin on his face betrayed his words.

I chuckled again, shaking my head. Teaching middle schoolers was always an adventure—one moment, they were filled with excitement, and the next, they were acting like I’d just assigned them a lifetime of homework.

With one last glance at the stack of essays, I took a deep breath, ready to begin today's lesson. But before I could even pick up the marker, the door suddenly swung open.

And in stepped the last person I expected to see.

The classroom door swung open, revealing none other than Mr. Daniels—Chester, as he preferred I call him—stepped inside with his usual air of quiet confidence.

His dark, tousled hair was slightly ruffled, as if he'd run a hand through it one too many times, and his signature soft smile played at the corners of his lips. He carried himself with an easy, effortless charm, the kind that made students adore him and left colleagues either impressed or mildly irritated.

Chester was the school’s beloved math teacher—sharp, quick-witted, and, annoyingly, ridiculously smart. He had a mind that could unravel complex equations in seconds, yet somehow, he never made anyone feel dumb for not keeping up. That was part of his charm.

He had this uncanny ability to turn even the most dreaded algebra lesson into something fun, which was probably why students actually looked forward to his classes.

And, well… he definitely had a thing for me.

Not that he’d ever outright said it, but he wasn’t exactly subtle either. The lingering glances, the way he always seemed to find a reason to "accidentally" bump into me in the hallways, the little inside jokes we shared—it was all there. And honestly? It was kind of amusing.

"Oh, hello, Chester," I greeted, arching a brow as I leaned against my desk. "No class?"

He smirked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks as he strolled toward me. "Got a free period. Thought I’d come see my favorite English teacher."

A few students let out exaggerated oohs, clearly entertained by his sudden appearance. One of them, Ava, even whispered something to her seatmate, both of them exchanging knowing looks.

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t quite hide the smile tugging at my lips. "Flattery won’t get you out of grading papers, you know."

"Damn," he muttered, snapping his fingers in mock disappointment. "And here I thought charm was my greatest weapon."

"Oh, it’s definitely a weapon," I mused, crossing my arms. "Just not a very effective one on me."

Chester placed a hand dramatically over his chest, as if I’d just stabbed him with a dagger.

"Ouch, Miss Morgan. You wound me."

A few students giggled, clearly enjoying the exchange. Liam, ever the instigator, leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "Mr. Daniels, are you flirting with our teacher?"

Chester raised a brow, pretending to look scandalized.

"Flirting? Me? I would never." He shot me a quick smirk before turning back to Liam. "Besides, if I were, I’d like to think I’d be a bit more…effective."

I scoffed, shaking my head as the students erupted into laughter. "Alright, enough entertainment for today," I announced, clapping my hands together. "Unless you want me to add extra essays to your workload?"

That shut them up real fast.

Chester chuckled under his breath. "You really know how to strike fear into their hearts."

"It’s a talent," I replied, tilting my head. "Now, if you’re done disrupting my class, some of us actually have work to do."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I’ll leave you to your very important, life-changing literary analysis. But don’t miss me too much, yeah?"

I rolled my eyes again, but this time, I couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped me. "I think I’ll manage."

With one last smirk, Chester turned and strolled toward the door, the students watching him with amused smiles. Just as he reached the exit, he glanced over his shoulder and shot me a wink.

"See you around, Miss Morgan."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving behind a classroom full of amused students and one very exasperated English teacher.

I let out a quiet sigh of frustration, rubbing my temple as I turned back to my desk. Don’t get me wrong—Chester was handsome. Ridiculously handsome, actually. The kind of guy who turned heads in the hallway without even trying.

He had that effortlessly cool, slightly disheveled look, like he’d just rolled out of bed but still managed to look put together.

His dark, slightly wavy hair always seemed one ruffle away from chaos, but somehow, it worked for him. His sharp jawline, the slight scruff dusting his chin, and those piercing blue eyes—yeah, I could admit he was good-looking. Very good-looking. On top of that, he was charming, funny, and—annoyingly—brilliant.

The kind of guy who could recite complicated formulas from memory while also making everyone in the room laugh.

But… he was Chester.

And that was the problem.

I just didn’t see him that way. Not even close. While other women probably swooned over his easy confidence and smooth words, I only saw an older brother figure. Someone who teased me relentlessly, looked out for me, and maybe hovered a little too much for my liking.

The idea of anything romantic with him felt... weird. Almost unnatural. Like trying to force a puzzle piece into the wrong spot—it just didn’t fit.

Still, as I absentmindedly flipped through a stack of essays, I couldn’t ignore the way he always made a point to seek me out. The lingering glances. The way he always seemed to show up at the perfect moment, armed with some sarcastic quip or an annoyingly charming smirk.

Was I imagining it? Was I reading too much into things?

I sighed again and shook my head.

Doesn’t matter.

Chester was Chester, and I wasn’t about to get caught up in something that wasn’t there.